Zweigelt

Zweigelt is the most planted red grape in Austria, and it was bred at Klosterneuburg in 1922 by Fritz Zweigelt, who crossed blaufränkisch with st laurent. It was intended to combine the structure of the first with the earlier ripening and softer fruit of the second, and it succeeded well enough to spread across the whole country.

It ripens reliably, crops generously and gives a wine that is easy to like from the start: bright sour cherry, medium body, low to moderate tannin, and enough acidity to stay lively. Most of it is made in stainless steel and drunk young and slightly cool, which is how it is served across Austria. This is the country's everyday red.

It has a serious side that is less often seen abroad. Grown at restricted yields on the good sites of Carnuntum and the Neusiedlersee and aged in oak, it gains depth and will keep for eight to ten years. The breeder's name has been debated in Austria because of his Nazi party membership, and some producers bottle it as blauer zweigelt or rotburger instead.