| Helfensteiner | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
 Helfensteiner grapes | |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | see below |
| Origin | Germany |
| VIVC number | 5345 |
Helfensteiner is a dark-skinnedGerman winegrapecrossing of the speciesVitis vinifera, that was created in 1931 with the crossing ofFrühburgunder (Pinot Précoce noir) andTrollinger (Schiava Grossa). It was created byAugust Herold at the grape breeding institute inWeinsberg in theWürttemberg region.[1][2]
The name of the variety is derived from that of the castle ruinHelfenstein close toGeislingen an der Steige.
A relatively small amount of Helfensteiner is cultivated in Württemberg, 19 hectares (47 acres) in 2008 (and less than 1 ha in the rest of Germany combined).[3] It produces red wines of a fruity character, and rosé wines. The reason for the variety's limited popularity with growers is its very variable yield, which is due to its susceptibility to flowering problems.
Helfensteiner was later, in 1955, crossed by Herold withHeroldrebe to produce the much more successfulDornfelder. The varietyHegel shares the same parentage as Dornfelder.
Helfensteiner is also known under its breeding code Weinsberg S 5332 and the synonyms Blauer Weinsberger and Helfensteyner.[1]