| Dornfelder | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
 Mature Dornfelder grapes | |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | We S 341 |
| Origin | Weinsberg,Germany |
| Notable regions | Germany |
| VIVC number | 3659 |
Dornfelder (German:[ˈdɔʁnˌfɛldɐ]ⓘ) is a dark-skinned variety ofgrape ofGerman origin used for redwine.[1] It was created byAugust Herold (1902–1973) at the grape breeding institute inWeinsberg in theWürttemberg region in 1955. Herold crossed the grape varietiesHelfensteiner andHeroldrebe, the latter which bears his name, to create Dornfelder.[2]Helfensteiner (Frühburgunder/Pinot Noir Précoce ×Trollinger/Schiava Grossa) andHeroldrebe (Blauer Portugieser ×Blaufränkisch/Lemberger) were both crosses created some decades earlier by Herold. Dornfelder received varietal protection and was released for cultivation in 1979. It was named in honor ofImmanuel August Ludwig Dornfeld (1796–1869), a senior civil servant who was instrumental in creating theviticultural school in Weinsberg.[3]
Traditionally, the redwines of Germany were mostly pale and light-bodied, but new breeds of dark-skinned grapes led by Dornfelder have allowed the production of more internationally styled reds. Dornfelderhas a depth of color, good acidity and the ability to benefit frombarrique aging and the associatedoak flavours. In comparison to traditional red wine varieties of Germany, Dornfelder is easier to grow thanSpätburgunder, has better resistance to rot than Blauer Portugieser (as well as deeper color, more powerful flavours and more tannin), has stronger stalks than Trollinger, ripens earlier than Lemberger, and achieves highermust weights, i.e., higher natural alcohol levels than most of these varieties. Dornfelder can be very productive, andyield up to 120 hectoliter per hectare, but quality-conscious producers typically keep yields much lower.[4] Higher-quality Dornfelder wines are velvety textured, slightly floral, often show flavours of plums, blackberries or cherries, and are typically oaked. Sometimes the wines have a hint of sweetness.[1][4]
Dornfelder is the second most grown red wine grape variety in Germany. Steadily increased plantings throughout the 1980s and 1990s allowed it to overtake Blauer Portugieser in 2001. It has established itself in most German regions, and been particularly successful inRheinhessen and thePalatinate. In 2006, Dornfelder was grown on 8,231 hectares (20,340 acres) in Germany, and no longer has an increasing trend.[5]
Dornfelder was created in 1956 at theWeinsberg Research Center inBaden-Württemberg by German grape breeder August Herold. The variety was created as across of twoVitis vinifera crossing previously created by Herold,Helfensteiner (a cross of Frühburgunder/Pinot Précoce noir and Trollinger/Schiava Grossa created in 1931) andHeroldrebe (a cross of Blauer Portugieser and Blaufränkisch/Lemberger created in 1929). The variety was named after one of the 19th century founders of the school ofviticulture at Weinsberg, Immanuel August Ludwig Dornfeld.[6]
Originally created as a blending variety to addcolor to the pale red wines of Germany, plantings of Dornfelder were initially slow to take off. By 1970 there was only around 100 hectares (250 acres) of the variety planted.[7] The grape was officially approved forGerman wine production in 1980 with plantings rapidly increasing throughout the rest of the 20th century. From 2000 to 2005-2006, plantings again doubled as wine produced from Dornfelder earn commercial success.[6]
As a successfulvinifera crossing, Dornfelder was used as a parent variety to create several new varieties includingAcolon (a 1971 crossing withBlaufränkisch),Cabernet Dorio (a 1971 crossing withCabernet Sauvignon),Cabernet Dorsa (another 1971 crossing with Cabernet Sauvignon) andMonarch (a 1988 crossing withSolaris).[6]
Dornfelder was bred to be a vigorous and high yielding grape variety, easily capable of producing up to 120 hl/ha (≈ 6 tons/acre), with a high concentration of colorphenolics that can contribute to producing adarker colored red wine than what was typically found inGerman wine regions. The variety tends to be an early to midbudding andripening grapevine with thick skins that give it good resistance to theviticultural hazards of fungal infections such asbotrytis bunch rot.[6]
Most plantings of Dornfelder can be found in its viticultural homeland of Germany where there were 8,101 hectares (20,020 acres) plantings of the grape in production in 2012. Nearly 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of those plantings were found in Germany's two largest wine regions, thePalatinate andRheinhessen. From Germany, plantings of Dornfelder spread in the late 20th century to nearbySwitzerland where, by 2009, there were 21 hectares (52 acres) found mostly in thecantons ofSchwyz andZürich.[6]
The grape was first introduced to England in the late 1980s where it has mostly been used forrosés andsparkling wine production. While some English producers do makelight bodied red wines, its use for red wine production has largely fallen out of favor as thehybrid grapeRegent gains in popularity. By 2007 there were an estimated 16 hectares (40 acres) in England. In theCzech Republic, there are some limited plantings of Dornfelder.[6]
Outside of Europe, Dornfelder can be found in theLodi andSta. Rita Hills AVA ofCalifornia, theFinger Lakes AVA ofNew York as well as inPennsylvania andVirginia. Plantings of the grape can also be found inCanada in theBritish Columbia wine region ofVancouver Island.[7] In theRio Grande do Sul region ofBrazil, some South American wine producers are experimenting with the variety as areJapanese winemakers on the island ofHokkaido where there 5 hectares (12 acres) of Dornfelder in production as of 2009.[6]
Due to its thick skins that are high in phenolic compounds, such asanthocyanins, Dornfelder tends to produce deeply colored red wines that can have a soft, rich texture in themouthfeel. The wine usually have a fair amount ofacidity with some examples showing floralaroma notes. The overall quality of the wines produced from Dornfelder tend to be dependent onharvest yields with wines produced from lower yields being more likely to have the concentration of fruit needed to complement a period ofoak aging that can add more body and complexity to the wine.[6]
Early in its history, German producers would use Dornfelder to makeBeaujolais nouveau style wine usingcarbonic maceration to make a light bodied, fruity wine, sometimes with a bit ofresidual sugar. Today, most examples of Dornfelder arefermented dry, though some off-dry examples exist, with flavors of sour cherry and blackberries.[7]
The only known synonyms for Dornfelder are its breeding codes Weinsberg S 341 and We S 341.[2] S forseedling, WE S for Weinsberg seedling.
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