Silvaner

Silvaner, spelled sylvaner in Alsace, is a crossing of traminer and österreichisch weiss, and it comes from Austria despite its association with Germany. It was the most planted grape in Germany until 1970, when müller-thurgau overtook it, and it has been declining ever since. In Franken it is still taken very seriously.

It is neutral, which is exactly the argument for it. Silvaner has little aroma of its own, moderate acidity and a supple body, so it acts as a carrier for the soil it grows on. On the limestone and gypsum keuper of Würzburg it becomes stony, herbal and dry, and it is bottled in the flat, rounded bocksbeutel that Franken uses.

Elsewhere it makes light, gentle, faintly earthy wine and, in Alsace, a straightforward dry white that used to be dismissed until a few producers made age-worthy versions from grand cru sites. Alto Adige's Valle Isarco makes a crisp mountain version. It is one of those grapes whose reputation is set by its worst wines rather than its best.