Word on the vine - Blaufränkisch

A central European red that thrives in the warm climate of Austria’s Burgenland, this versatile grape is a great choice for spring

THE GRAPE
A central European grape known as kékfrankos in Hungary and lemberger in Germany, blaufränkisch is easiest to find (if hardest to pronounce – along the lines of ‘bloughfrenkish’) in Austria, where it is the second most widely planted red grape, thriving in the warmer climate of the Burgenland.

THE TASTE
How blaufränkisch tastes in the glass depends on when it was plucked from the vine. Picked early, the grape produces a bright mouthful of tart cherry sprinkled with pepper; picked late and the muscular wines have the power to withstand barrel ageing in oak. Either way, expect elegantly structured wines of medium tannins and high acidity.

THE PAIRINGS
It’s an ideal red for spring, as well suited to chilling on an unseasonably hot day to pair with cold cuts and a hard-cheese salad as it is to hunker down with, alongside something heartier, when the barometer is heading in the wrong direction. A Mittel-European classic such as schnitzel with potato salad is a regionally appropriate choice (as is any breaded meat), ditto goulash, with the paprika matching the pepper of the wine perfectly. Otherwise, think of blaufränkisch as you would other lighter reds such as pinot noir and gamay and go for roast duck, grilled tuna or pink-cooked rack of lamb.

THE VINES
As a rule of thumb, vineyards west of Vienna are better for white wine and those east of the Austrian capital for red. Blaufränkisch’s heartland is the flat Burgenland region south-east of Vienna along Lake Neusiedl, close to the Hungarian border. The sandier soils near the shore, where the microclimate is warmer, produce concentrated wines with a darker fruit profile; grapes grown on the surrounding limestone hills have high acidity and perkier fruit.

This article was taken from the May 2024 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.