Style
“Blau” in Blaufrankisch means “Blue” in Austrian, meant to describe the deep, almost purple, color of this red wine. “Frankisch” is an older term used to indicate something of high quality. Despite its dark color, Blaufrankisch is a more medium-bodied wine with moderate alcohol and medium or slightly higher tannins and acidity. It typically displays dark fruit flavors and spice, such as wild blackberry, black cherry, bramble, black pepper, dried herbs and earth. Depending on where it is produced the wine can be oaked or unoaked. The unoaked styles tend to be lighter bodied while the oaked versions tend to be fuller bodied. Blaufrankisch’s moderate profile means it is well-suited to pair with a number of different dishes since it doesn’t overpower or underwhelm. It works well with most any kind of meat from chicken to sausage to beef.
Terroir
Blaufrankisch is mainly grown in Austria and is sometimes called the Pinot Noir of Eastern Europe. It can also be found in Germany, Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania. The grape has also found its way to the New World, with plantings on the East Coast of the United States (PA, NJ, NY, VA), Midwest (MI, OH, CO) and the West Coast (WA). It is an early-budding and late-ripening variety that needs a long and moderately warm season to ripen.
Today
Despite the grape’s history, winemakers have had a difficult time marketing the grape under its German name, Lemberger, due to consumers’ association with the smelly cheese of a similar name. Marketing it as Blaufrankisch has been equally challenging due to its lack of name recognition and difficulty in pronunciation. As a result, some California winemakers have started labeling it as “Blue Franc”.
Blaufrankisch in New Jersey
This Austrian grape variety has found a surprising new home in New Jersey where it grows well and produces high quality wines. One of the state’s biggest proponents of the variety is winemaker Mike Beneduce from Beneduce Vineyards in Pittstown NJ, who first planted the grape in 2009. Mike found that Burgenland, Austria, had the most climatic similarities to New Jersey of all the classic winegrowing regions, as well as soil similarities. As a result, he chose to plant varieties that would be well adapted to the NJ climate, because those wines would be the most likely to achieve their full potential. Beneduce Vineyards’ Blue 2 Blaufrankisch has become their signature wine. You can also find Blaufrankisch being produced at:
- Autumn Lake Winery, Williamstown NJ
- Bellview Winery, Landisville NJ
- Beneduce Vineyards, Pittstown NJ
- Cedar Rose Vineyards, Millville NJ
- Mount Salem Vineyards, Pittstown NJ
- Sharrott Winery, Blue Anchor NJ
- Terre Nonno Winery, Wildwood Crest NJ
