View source for Zweigelt

{{Short description|Varietal}}
{{Infobox grape variety
| name          = Zweigelt
| color         = Noir
| image         = Traubenwelke Zweigelt.JPG
| caption       = Zweigelt grapes with signs of withering
| species       = ''[[Vitis vinifera]]''
| also_called   = Blauer Zweigelt, Rotburger
| origin        = [[Klosterneuburg]], [[Austria]]
| pedigree0     = [[St. Laurent (grape)|St. Laurent]] & [[Blaufränkisch]]
| hazards       = <!-- Viticultural hazards     -->
| regions       = Austria
| notable_wines = 
}}

[[Image:Vivamus_Zweigelt.jpg|right|thumb|Zweigelt from [[Hungarian wine|Hungary]]]]

The '''Zweigelt''' ({{IPA|de|ˈt͡svaɪ̯ɡl̩t|lang|De-Zweigelt.ogg}}), also known as '''Rotburger''', is an Austrian [[hybrid grape]] variety created in 1922 by [[Fritz Zweigelt|Friedrich Zweigelt]] (1888–1964), who later became Director of the Federal Institute and Experimental Station of Viticulture, Fruit Production and Horticulture (1938–1945). Zweigelt is a [[Hybrid (biology)|crossing]] between the [[St. Laurent (grape)|St. Laurent]] and [[Blaufränkisch]] grape varieties.

==Wine regions==
Widely planted in Austria, Zweigelt vines have made inroads in the Canadian [[wine region]]s of [[Ontario (wine)|Ontario]]'s [[Niagara Peninsula]] and of [[British Columbia (wine)|British Columbia]], with limited plantings in [[Hungary (wine)|Hungary]], Australia and [[New Zealand]]. In the [[Czech Republic (wine)|Czech Republic]] it is known as ''Zweigeltrebe'' and is the third-most widely planted red-grape variety, comprising approximately 4.7% of total vineyards.<ref>
Wine of Czech Republic [http://www.wineofczechrepublic.cz/ukaz_odrudu.php?id=25&lang=en]; see chart at {{cite web |title=STATISTICS&CHARTS |url=http://www.wineofczechrepublic.cz/3-4-statistics_charts_en.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611054856/http://www.wineofczechrepublic.cz/3-4-statistics_charts_en.html |archive-date=June 11, 2008 |access-date=July 1, 2011}}</ref> It grows in most of the wine regions in [[Slovakia (wine)|Slovakia]]. {{As of | 2010}}, newly established [[Belgian (wine)|Belgian]] and Polish vineyards have also started to plant Zweigelt.  {{As of | 2014}}, [[Washington (state)|Washington state]] has several small plantings (only a few acres) of Zweigelt, including Wilridge Winery<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wilridgewinery.com/|title=Wilridge Vineyard, Winery & Distillery|website=Wilridge Vineyard, Winery & Distillery|access-date=May 17, 2020}}</ref> and Perennial Vintners.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.perennialvintners.com/|title=Perennial Vintners -- Introduction/Home|website=www.perennialvintners.com|access-date=May 17, 2020}}</ref>

==Naming and synonyms==
Zweigelt is also known as Rotburger (not to be confused with [[Rotberger]]), Zweigeltrebe, and Blauer Zweigelt.

The Austrian viticulturist, Dr. Laurenz (Lenz) Moser (1905-1978), recognized the suitability of the "St. Laurent x Blaufränkisch" variety for [[High trained vines|high-trained vines]] as early as the 1950s. Moser considered the designation "St. Laurent x Blaufränkisch" to be too long, and from this point onwards argued that the crossing should be named after its original grower, Friedrich Zweigelt.<ref>Cf. Daniel Deckers: ''Friedrich Zweigelt as reflected by contemporary sources.'' In: Wine in Austria. The History. Brandstätter Verlag, Vienna 2019, {{ISBN|978-3-7106-0404-1}}, p. 179.</ref> By 1958, the naming process had reached a stage at which it could no longer be stopped.<ref>Daniel Deckers: ''Friedrich Zweigelt as reflected by contemporary sources.'' In: Wine in Austria. The History. Brandstätter Verlag, Vienna 2019, {{ISBN|978-3-7106-0404-1}}, p. 190.</ref>

The official designation "Zweigeltrebe Blau" appeared for the first time in 1972, when the new Grape Variety Index for Qualitätsweine (Quality Wines) was launched.<ref>Cf. Daniel Deckers: ''Friedrich Zweigelt as reflected by contemporary sources.'' In: Wine in Austria. The History. Brandstätter Verlag, Vienna 2019, {{ISBN|978-3-7106-0404-1}}, p. 191.</ref> The name of the variety was altered to "Blauer Zweigelt" in 1978, and the synonym "Rotburger" was created at the same time.<ref>Ordinance of the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of 20 September 1978 (Federal Law Gazette No. 517/1978).</ref> The aim here was to make it clear that the new cultivations of Blauburger, Goldburger and Rotburger/Blauer Zweigelt all shared a common origin.<ref>Verbal explanation provided by Josef Weiss, Director of the Federal Institute of Viticulture and Fruit Production in Klosterneuburg for many years.</ref> No evidence can be found to support the widespread assertion that Zweigelt himself had applied the designation "Rotburger" to his new variety.

"Rotburger" remains a valid synonym and continues to be used as a label designation by Austrian vintners, although most producers prefer the name Zweigelt.<ref>Johann Werfring: ''Der Rote von der Burg.'' In: "Weinherbst 2013", supplement to the "Wiener Zeitung" of 2 November 2013, p. 8.</ref> The problem of naming the variety after a committed Nazi was first addressed publicly in December 2018.<ref>''[https://www.noen.at/in-ausland/aktion-abgezweigelt-zweigelt-soll-in-blauer-montag-umbenannt-werden-essen-und-trinken-nationalsozialismus-weinbau-oesterreich-128108105 Aktion "Abgezweigelt" – Zweigelt soll in "Blauer Montag" umbenannt werden.]'' In: ''Niederösterreichische Nachrichten.'' 10 December 2018.</ref><ref>Magdalena Pulz: ''Der Geist in der Flasche.'' In: ''Süddeutsche Zeitung.'' 13 December 2018, p. 1 (online: ''[https://www.sueddeutsche.de/stil/zweigelt-oesterreich-wein-1.4249551 Wein in Österreich –Zwielichtiger Zweigelt]'').</ref>

==Viticultural characteristics==
In the [[Puget Sound AVA]] it tends to ripen 1–2 weeks earlier than Pinot Noir, and has very large heavy clusters of dark blue-almost-black grapes.  The wine tends to be darker in color than Pinot Noir grown in the same area, and produces a larger crop than Pinot Noir.[[File:20191213-zwcluster-IMG 3527.jpg|thumb|Zweigelt cluster at Perennial Vintners, Puget Sound AVA, USA]]

==See also==
*[[Blauburger]] &ndash; red grape created by Zweigelt the following year

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{wines}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Red wine grape varieties]]
[[Category:Austrian wine]]
[[Category:Czech wine]]
[[Category:Hungarian wine]]
[[Category:Food and drink introduced in 1922]]