View source for Silvaner

{{Short description|Variety of grape}}
{{Redirect|Gruenedel|another wine grape that is also known as Gruenedel|Savagnin}}
{{Redirect|Gentil Vert|another wine grape that is also known as Gentil Vert|Chasselas}}
{{Infobox grape variety
| name          = Silvaner
| color         = Blanc
| image         = Sylvaner Viala et Vermorel.jpg
| caption       = Silvaner in Viala & Vermorel
| species       = ''[[Vitis vinifera]]''
| also_called   = Sylvaner, Gros-Rhin, Grüner Silvaner, Johannisberger, Sylvaner verde ([[#Synonyms|more]])
| origin        = Central Europe, possibly Austria
| hazards       = <!-- Viticultural hazards     -->
| regions       = Alsace, Austria, Franconia, other regions of Germany 
| notable_wines = 
}}

[[File:SilvanerTraube.JPG|thumb|Silvaner growing in Franconia]]
'''Silvaner''' or '''Sylvaner''' ({{IPA|de|zɪlˈvaːnɐ|lang|De-Silvaner.ogg}}) is a variety of white [[wine]] [[grape]] grown primarily in [[Alsace wine|Alsace]] and [[German wine|Germany]], where its official name is '''Grüner Silvaner'''. While the Alsatian versions have primarily been considered simpler wines, it was included among the varieties that can be used to produce [[Alsace Grand Cru AOC|Alsace Grand Cru]] wine in 2006, together with the four 'noble grapes' of Alsace, although only in one vineyard, Zotzenberg.

This dichotomy is explained by the vigour of the Sylvaner vine and the grape's neutral flavour, which can lead to blandness unless yields are controlled. On the other hand, it gives a blank canvas for the expression of [[terroir]], and on good sites with skilled winemaking, Sylvaner can produce elegant wines. It has high acidity but naturally reaches high [[must weight]]s, so is often blended with other varieties such as [[Riesling]] or [[Elbling]], and is sometimes made into a [[dessert wine]].

==History==
Sylvaner is an ancient variety that has long been grown in [[Central Europe]]. In Germany it is best known as a component of [[Liebfraumilch]]. It has long enjoyed a better reputation in [[Franconia (wine region)|Franconia]] than in other German wine regions. [[Genetic fingerprinting|DNA fingerprinting]] has revealed it to be a cross between [[Traminer]] and the [[Frankish and Hunnic grape varieties|"hunnic"]] variety [[Österreichisch-Weiß]] (meaning "Austrian White").<ref>Sefc KM, Steinkellner H, Glössl J, Kampfer S, Regner F [https://www.researchgate.net%2Fprofile%2FKristina_Sefc%2Fpublication%2F225172192_Reconstruction_of_a_grapevine_pedigree_by_microsatellite_analysis%2Flinks%2F09e414fbdf822c42b2000000%2FReconstruction-of-a-grapevine-pedigree-by-microsatellite-analysis.pdf%26hl%3Dde%26sa%3DX%26scisig%3DAAGBfm3tZbqy9A_wggmijNxWkAJ5SGmEvg%26nossl%3D1%26oi%3Dscholarr&usg=AOvVaw3EadwvnPcCC2jdiBMtSZKz Reconstruction of a grapevine pedigree by microsatellite analysis] Theoretical and Applied Genetics {{ISSN|0040-5752}} 1998, vol. 97, no1-2, pp. 227-231.</ref> As a result, it is now thought to have originated in [[Austrian Empire]].

It is thought that the grape came to Germany after the [[Thirty Years' War]] as there is a record of Sylvaner from Austria being planted at [[County of Castell]] in [[Franconia]] on 5 April 1659.<ref>{{cite web | last = Diel | first = Armin |author2=Payne, Joel | title = WeinGuide - Franken | publisher = Gault Millau | year = 2006 | url = http://www.weinguide.de/dwe/rs/wissen_223.htm | access-date = 2007-04-30 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070921044143/http://www.weinguide.de/dwe/rs/wissen_223.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-09-21}}</ref> So Germany celebrated the 350<small>th</small> anniversary of Silvaner in 2009. Its name has been taken to be associated with either [[Latin language|Latin]] ''silva'' (meaning woods) or ''saevum'' (meaning wild), and before modern [[ampelography]] it was sometimes assumed that this variety had a close relationship with wild vines.<ref name="Wein-Plus Silvaner">[http://www.wein-plus.eu/en/Silvaner_3.0.1490.html Wein-Plus Glossary: Silvaner]</ref> Before DNA typing, some assumed an origin in [[Transylvania]] based on its name.

A lot of Sylvaner was planted in Germany and Alsace after the Second World War, reaching 30% and 25% respectively of total vineyard area in the 1960s - 1970s. It was Germany's most grown variety until it was overtaken by [[Müller-Thurgau]] around 1970. Much of the German crop was blended into [[Liebfraumilch]], but overproduction of this type of wine ruined its reputation, and changing tastes led to many vines being grubbed up. Liebfraumilch became popular again with new wine drinkers and again changing tastes.<ref>Andrew Ellson, [https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/roll-out-the-riesling-german-wines-are-making-a-comeback-5zxb25hwl Roll out the riesling, German wines are making a comeback], in: [[The Times]] dated 9 December 2019</ref> However, in [[Franconia (wine region)|Franconia]], where Liebfraumilch may not be produced and which primarily stuck to dry white wines in the decades when most other German regions produced semi-sweet wines, Silvaner has kept its popularity. Single-variety semi-sweet Silvaner, which used to be common, has all but disappeared from the German wine production. More recently there has been a revival in Alsace based on low yields from good vineyard sites, with formal recognition in 2006 as Zotzenburg Sylvaner became the first to be designated an [[Alsace Grand Cru]].<ref name="Zotzenburg">{{cite web | last = Kakaviatos | first = Panos | title = Sylvaner becomes grand cru grape | publisher = Decanter | date = 2006-09-05 | url = http://www.decanter.com/news/94206.html | access-date = 2007-04-30 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090816181728/http://www.decanter.com/news/94206.html | archive-date = 2009-08-16 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

Sylvaner is the wine chosen by the protagonist of [[Julio Cortázar]]'s novel [[62: A Model Kit|''62 Modelo para armar'']] on the firsts pages, when entering the Parisian restaurant Polidor “Why did I ask for a bottle of Sylvaner?”.

==Distribution and wines==

===Australia===
In the 1970s Brown Brothers experimented with "Syilvaner" in northeastern Victoria, but nothing seems to have come of it.<ref name="SLSA">{{cite web | last = Radden | first = Rosemary | title = Grapes and Wines of the World | publisher = The State Library of South Australia, GPO Box 419, Adelaide SA 5001 | url = http://www.winelit.slsa.sa.gov.au/grapeswines.htm | access-date = 2007-04-30 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070807005112/http://www.winelit.slsa.sa.gov.au/grapeswines.htm | archive-date = 2007-08-07 }}</ref>

===Austria===
There are just {{convert|34|ha|acre}} of Sylvaner in its land of origin, due to the trend in [[Austrian wine]] towards drier styles.<ref name="AWMB grapes">{{cite web | title = Austria The Wine Country | work = (includes vintage guide) | publisher = Austrian Wine Marketing Board | year = 2005 | url = http://www.winesfromaustria.com/data/doku2005/docu2005_chapter1.pdf | access-date = 2007-04-26 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927135609/http://www.winesfromaustria.com/data/doku2005/docu2005_chapter1.pdf | archive-date = 2007-09-27 }}</ref>
[[File:Vino Zeleni silvanac (Štrigova).jpg|thumb|A bottle of ''Green silvaner'' from [[Međimurje County]]]]

===Croatia===
Sylvaner (''silvanac zeleni'' in Croatian) is grown in Eastern Croatia, in the regions of Slavonija and Srijem, as well as in other regions. In recent years high-quality semi-dry Silvanac zeleni from Orahovica has become one of Croatia's more popular whites.

===France===
Sylvaner has a controversial place in [[Alsace wine]]. Since 2006, it may be used in Alsace Grand Cru, which was previously reserved for the four "noble grapes" [[Gewürztraminer]], [[Muscat (grape and wine)|Muscat]], [[Pinot gris]] and [[Riesling]], but only in the Zotzenberg vineyard, which together with Altenberg de Bergheim and Kaefferkopf were allowed to produce mixed variety wines as Alsace Grand Cru.<ref>[http://www.inao.gouv.fr/public/produits/showTexte.php?comiteNat=1&id_txt=909 INAO: AOC Alsace appellation regulations, updated until January 14, 2007] {{in lang|fr}}</ref> Zotzenberg Grand Cru wines may consist of Gewürztraminer, Pinot gris, Riesling and Sylvaner in any combination. It is therefore possible to produce a varietally pure "Sylvaner Grand Cru" from this vineyard, but it may not be labelled so, only "Zotzenberg". Even after this, Jean Trimbach's view was that "This Sylvaner grand cru is only possible in Zotzenberg, it is a recognition of the terroir, but we should stop there." As in Germany, Sylvaner has been falling in popularity since the 1970s, declining from 25% of Alsace vineyards to 10% in that time.<ref name="Zotzenburg"/>

===Germany===
[[File:Wirsching Silvaner Kabinett 2007.jpg|thumb|A Silvaner wine from Franconia in the typical [[Bocksbeutel]].]]
First recorded at Castell in 1659, Silvaner (with an 'i') reached a peak in the 1960s-1970s, with 30% of German vineyards. However overproduction during the Liebfraumilch years ruined its reputation, and it has since retreated to its stronghold in [[Franconia (wine region)|Franconia]] (Frankenland) (1,425 ha), where on the best chalky [[Muschelkalk]] terroir it can produce wines that can compete with the best German white wines which usually are made out of the [[Riesling]] grape. These powerful wines are considered food-friendly and are often described as having an "earthy" palate. Under [[Verband Deutscher Prädikats- und Qualitätsweingüter|VDP]] Erste Lage/Grosses Gewächs rules, Silvaner may be used for [[Grosses Gewächs]] wines (top-end dry wines), but only in Franconia and [[Saale-Unstrut (wine region)|Saale-Unstrut]] and not in any of the other 11 German wine regions.<ref>[http://www.erste-lage.com/Statut1.htm Erste-Lage.com: Das Statut (Erläuterungen zur Klassifikation des VDP)] {{in lang|de}}</ref> Silvaner is also grown in [[Rheinhessen (wine region)|Rheinhessen]] (2,486 ha) and [[Palatinate (wine region)|Palatinate]], and is sometimes also made into [[dessert wine]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dwfjp.com/info/image/statistik2007-2008.pdf |title=Deutsches Weininstitut: Statistik 2007/2008; source: Statistisches Bundesamt |access-date=2008-10-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121035146/http://www.dwfjp.com/info/image/statistik2007-2008.pdf |archive-date=2008-11-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Currently there are {{convert|5000|ha|acre}} in Germany, just 5% of the total area under vine.<ref>[https://www.germanwines.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Website/Service/Downloads/PDF/825_Silvaner_engl.pdf Silvaner] subtle, shapely & stylish, retrieved 9 August 2018</ref>

The official name of the variety in Germany is ''Grüner Silvaner'', spelled with an "i" in difference from Alsace and its homeland of Austria.<ref name="Wein-Plus Silvaner"/>

The Silvaner is not usually matured in [[barrique]] (oak) barrels to avoid the fine and fruity body of the Silvaner being overwhelmed by the oak taste.

===Romania===
In Transylvania, presumed to be the homeland of Silvaner, two varieties of this grape are grown: the Sylvaner roz (rosé) and the Sylvaner Verde B (Grüner Silvaner, Silvaner) in wineyards as Jidvei (Tarnava) and Nachbil (Dealurile Sătmarului - Satu Mare)

===Slovakia===
Silvaner is traditionally grown in the [[Limbach, Slovakia|Limbach]] village in [[Slovakia]], that is famous for its varietal Silvaner wines, and in its surroundings.

===Switzerland===
Some is grown in Switzerland, where it is known as Johannisberger or Sylvaner with an "y".

===United States===
In 1858, Emil Dresel brought the first Sylvaner cuttings to America and planted them on what is now the Scribe Estate in Sonoma County. In his honor, Scribe Winery planted one acre in 2007. It has been grown for many years at Rancho Sisquoc Winery in the Santa Maria Valley of California. Otherwise, Sylvaner has more or less disappeared from California, where it was known as Sylvaner Riesling, Franken Riesling, Monterey Riesling, and Sonoma Riesling. Oregon does have some Sylvaner at David Hill Vineyards in Forest Grove.

==Red and Blue Silvaner==
[[File:Schwarzer Silvaner Weinsberg 20080927.jpg|right|thumb|Blue Silvaner]]
Varieties of Red Silvaner <ref>[https://www.vivc.de/gbvp/8212k.jpg Red Silvaner]</ref> and [[:de:Blauer Silvaner|Blue Silvaner]] grapes are mutated varieties and are produced in small quantities

The wine areas of Baden-Württemberg are best known for producing red wines, most of which are locally consumed and not well known outside Germany.<ref>{{cite web |title=Baden Wines |url=https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-baden |website=www.wine-searcher.com |publisher=Wine Searcher |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Wurttemberg Wine |url=https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-wurttemberg |website=www.wine-searcher.com |publisher=Wine Searcher |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref> Adjacent wine region Franken in Bayern (Franconia) has a similar continental type warm dry summer and is often planted with white silvaner grapes with small plantings of red silvaner grapes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Red Silvaner |url=https://glossary.wein.plus/red-silvaner |website=Lexicon |publisher=wein plus |access-date=12 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Land Marks Of German Wine Culture |url=https://germanwineusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Landmarks-of-German-Wine-Culture.pdf |website=germanwineusa.com |publisher=German Wine USA |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref>

Red silvaner mutates easily, with more than 200 varieties researched. Quality producers put much interest into new clone varieties for eventual replacement of traditional varieties.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Echensperger |first1=Romana |title=In Search of Silvaner |url=https://www.guildsomm.com/public_content/features/articles/b/romana-echensperger/posts/in-search-of-silvaner |website=guildsomm.com |publisher=Guild Somm |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Silvaner Rot |url=https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport/photoviewresult&id=11807# |website=Julius Kühn-Institut |publisher=jki Federal Research Center |access-date=22 January 2022}}</ref>

Blue silvaner is thought to be a natural cross between red and green silvaner, while red silvaner is thought to originate from natural mutation of green silvaner.<ref>{{cite web |title=Blue Silvaner |url=https://glossary.wein.plus/sylvaner-rouge |website=glossary.wein.plus |publisher=Glossary Wein |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref>

A German red sylvaner wine from 2017 has been rated among the top 6% of wines in the country.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sulzfelder Roter Silvaner Trocken 2017 |url=https://www.vivino.com/US-IL/en/zehnthof-luckert-sulzfelder-roter-silvaner-trocken/w/4662687?year=2017 |website=vivino.com |publisher=vivimo |access-date=22 January 2022}}</ref>

==Vine and viticulture==
[[File:Franken_Silvaner_in_Bocksbeutel.jpg|left|thumb|A Silvaner from Franconia.]]
The vine is vigorous and productive, with three-lobed leaves. The bunches are small and cylindrical, with medium green berries that ripen quickly.

In 1940, Silvaner was crossed with [[Chasselas]] to produce the white grape variety [[Nobling]].<ref name="wine grapes">J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' p. 129, Oxford University Press 1996 {{ISBN|0198600984}}.</ref>

==Synonyms==
Silvaner is also known under the following synonyms: Arvine, Arvine Grande, Augustiner Weiss, Beregi Szilvani, Boetzinger, Clozier, Cynifadl Zeleny, Cynifal, Fliegentraube, Frankenriesling, Frankentraube, Fueszeres Szilvani, Gamay blanc, GentilvVert, Gros Rhin, Gros-rhin, Gruen Silvaner, Gruenedel, Gruenfraenkisch, Grün Silvaner, Haeusler Schwarz, Johannisberger, Mishka, Momavaka, Monterey Riesling, Moravka, Movavka, Muschka, Mushza, Musza, Nemetskii Rizling, Oesterreicher, Oestreicher, Pepltraube, Picardon blanc, Picardou blanc, Plant Du Rhin, Rhin, Rundblatt, Salfin, Salfine Bely, Salvaner, Salviner, Scharvaner, Scherwaner, Schoenfeilner, Schwaebler, Schwuebler, Sedmogradka, Sedmogradska Zelena, Selenzhiz, Selivan, Silvánské zelené, Sylván zelený, Sonoma Riesling, Sylvaner, Sylvaner verde, Szilvani Feher, Tschafahnler, Yesil Silvaner, Zelencic, Zeleny, Zirifandel Zierifandel, Zinifal, Zoeld Szilvani, Zoeldsilvani,<ref name="VIVC">{{cite web |last=Maul |first=E. |author2=Eibach, R. |title=Vitis International Variety Catalogue |publisher=Information and Coordination Centre for Biological Diversity (IBV) of the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE), Deichmanns Aue 29, 53179 Bonn, Germany |date=June 1999 |url=http://www.genres.de/idb/vitis/ |access-date=2007-04-26 |archive-date=2012-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414150553/http://www.genres.de/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Syilvaner, Siylvaner, Sylvaner vert, Grüner Sylvaner, Grünfraenkisch, Franken Riesling<ref name="SLSA" /> and Grüner Silvaner.

==See also==
* [[German wine]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [[Jancis Robinson]], ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' Mitchell Beazley 1986 {{ISBN|1-85732-999-6}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070207112004/http://www.frankenwein-aktuell.de/internationaler_silvaner-preis__--content102.htm International Silvaner Prize] (German)

{{Wines}}
{{Wine by country}}

[[Category:White wine grape varieties]]