The Blauburger is the successful crossing of Blauer Portugieser x Blaufränkisch, created in Klosterneuburg by Professor Fritz Zweigelt. The idea was to plant the Blauburger in traditionally white wine regions, and where red wine varieties had problems ripening.

Austria, LFZ Klosterneuburg

New breed from Blauer Portugieser x Blaufränkisch

436.21 ha; 1.0%

Red wine grape variety


Parentage

New crossing between Blauer Portugieser and Blaufränkisch, created in 1923 by Dr Fritz Zweigelt at the LFZ in Klosterneuburg.

Vineyard area

Blauburger is grown mainly in Niederösterreich and is particularly widespread in the Weinviertel.

A picture shows grapes of the grape variety Blauburger.

Important ampelographic features

© Austrian Wine / Oberleithner

Important ampelographic features

Leaf

five lobes, overlapping petiole

Grape cluster

medium-sized, medium density, cylindrical, shouldered, often with secondary clusters; berries have a very pruinose, bluish black skin

Ripening

Ripening

very early
early
early to middle
middle
middle to late
late
very late

Significance & conditions

One distinctive feature is the deep, dark colour of the wine, which also makes Blauburger a good blending partner for pale-coloured red varieties. While it can have a mediocre image as a monovarietal wine, it can really come into its own when grown in the right vineyard and the volume of fruit is restricted. Blauburger is not a demanding variety in terms of location or soil.

Area under vine in Austria
(as a proportion of the variety’s total area)

Click on the wine origin in the list for a breakdown into more specific regions of origin.

Total area in Austria:

The Leithaberg and Neusiedlersee wine-growing regions overlap by almost 160 ha (Rieds Hausberg and Neuberg), according to the Austrian Wine Law. This means that the listed area under vine in Burgenland is 160 ha less than the actual total area across all wine-growing regions in Burgenland.

A picture shows a person holding a glass of red wine.

Characteristics of the wine

© Austrian Wine / Blickwerk Fotografie

Characteristics of the wine

This variety yields very dark red wines that are rich in extract. Generally, the wines have a neutral flavour and have soft berry aromas – mostly elderberry. They are velvety and harmonious on the palate.

Link

New Crossings

Source varietal specifications: Höhere Bundeslehranstalt und Bundesamt für Wein- und Obstbau (Federal College and Federal Office for Viticulture, Oenology and Fruit Growing) in Klosterneuburg, “Austria’s Qualitätswein grape varieties and their clones“ („Österreichische Qualitätsweinrebsorten und deren Klone“), 2nd, reviewed edition, September 2015

Source area under vine: Calculation by Austrian Wine based on data from BML/IACS (as at 28 June 2023). Moving annual total (MAT) from June 2022 to June 2023.

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