{"id":8006,"date":"2019-06-18T15:26:59","date_gmt":"2019-06-18T19:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.winetraveler.com\/?p=8006"},"modified":"2019-06-18T15:35:28","modified_gmt":"2019-06-18T19:35:28","slug":"blaufrankisch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winetraveler.com\/grape-varieties\/blaufrankisch\/","title":{"rendered":"The Blaufr\u00e4nkisch Grape Variety: What’s in a Name?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cMy favorite Red, you ask? \u201cBlaufr\u00e4nkisch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBlawww\u2026.wha??\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m speaking to a group of what I affectionately call \u201cwine-nerds\u201d here in the Finger Lakes. They\u2019re visiting from out of town, and are curious to get my recommendations<\/a><\/strong> about where to go, what to eat, what to taste; but also, what (grape) does well here.<\/p>\n

\"Blaufrankish<\/a>
The Blaufr\u00e4nkisch Grape Variety as seen on the vine. Image courtesy Adrian Prieto<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s an Austrian varietal, you see\u2026\u201d as I elaborate more. \u201cMaybe you know it as Lemberger?\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m met with unresponsive, stone-cold faces; like I\u2019m speaking another language. Well, I guess I am, in a way. I elaborate further: \u201cIn Austria it\u2019s Blaufr\u00e4nkisch, but in Germany it\u2019s Lemberger, in Hungary it\u2019s K\u00e9kfrankos<\/em>.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

In another conversation with a west-coast wine blogger: \u201cI hear you talk about this all of the time\u2026.but I don\u2019t even know how to pronounce it; I\u2019m scared of ordering it anywhere and butchering the name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d I respond, \u201cIt\u2019s \u2018Blau\u2019 like \u2018OWWW\u2019 like you stubbed your toe. \u2018Frank\u2019 as in your old friend, Frank. And \u2018isch\u2019 as in that \u2018ish\u2019 is some crazy ISH.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now she gets it.<\/p>\n

I almost continue with its many other names, used in other countries, but I chose to stop at three countries because \u2013 like a bad stand-up comic in Nebraska at a dive bar on a Sunday night \u2013 I\u2019m about to lose my audience, which is the last thing I want to do. And my audience thinks I\u2019m speaking German right now. The irony, though, is that Lemberger quite literally is the German name.<\/p>\n

Blaufr\u00e4nkisch in the Finger Lakes<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For years, Riesling<\/a><\/strong> has been the flagship grape of the Finger Lakes. This isn\u2019t new news, for most people in the wine world, or for Riesling fans. Outside of parts of Germany and France, the Finger Lakes is likely one of the better known Riesling regions. However, for a region to be taken seriously on a national and international scale, there needs to be a red wine counterpart, too. Herein lies the question: What\u2019s the \u201cFlagship\u201d red wine\/red grape in the Finger Lakes?<\/p>\n

The consensus, now, is Cabernet Franc<\/a><\/strong>. Vitis vinifera. A \u201cDad\u201d to Cabernet Sauvignon. An \u201cOG\u201d Bordeaux grape<\/a><\/strong>, a somewhat common wine that most people know. Some local Cabernet Franc is textbook Loire<\/a><\/strong>, or at least some parts of the Loire. Any Saumur Champigny fans out there?<\/p>\n

Personally? I love it. Absolutely love it. Can\u2019t get enough. Want to taste-them-all. However you want to say it, Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc is serious stuff. However, what if there is a red grape that grows better <\/em>than Cabernet Franc and is more cold-hardy? And, what if it is quite versatile? And what if you think a lot of dry red wine drinkers would love it, but just haven\u2019t tried it yet?<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should see our Lemberger grow!!\u201d Kathy Ruis exclaims, almost screaming at the top of her lungs. Kathy and her husband, Bob, are the owners of Sunrise Hill Vineyard. Sunrise Hill is in Interlaken, NY, north of Trumansburg, NY, close to the shores of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes. Kathy and Bob are growers\/suppliers, not a winery.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> A Red Wine Lover’s Guide To Exploring the Finger Lakes<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur Lemberger just shoots straight up! It really is a thing of beauty. It takes so much less work than other grapes, really,\u201d Kathy elaborates.<\/p>\n

Then, I ask myself in my head, why are we shooting ourselves in the foot marketing Cab Franc as the next big thing in the Finger Lakes. Or, at least the \u201cFlagship\u201d Red.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we have a marketing problem, Kathy,\u201d I start my mini-speech that I\u2019ve rehearsed multiple times recently. \u201cYou see, most people can\u2019t pronounce Blaufr\u00e4nkisch. And most people hear Lemberger and\u2026\u201d Kathy cuts me off.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CHEESE! People think of the smelly cheese, right?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, sadly, but you\u2019re 100% correct. People think I\u2019m talking about Limburger cheese, not Lemberger wine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kathy\u2019s excitement is dialed down a bit, as the name association of Limburger is now stuck in her head (Sorry, Kathy!!). I continue, a bit, \u201cThere just isn\u2019t consistency\u2026some people call it Lemberger (here), some call it Blaufr\u00e4nkisch, so immediately it\u2019s already labeled differently, which hampers brand awareness, or should I call it, \u2018Wine-Awareness?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s so delicious!!\u201d Kathy\u2019s excitement is back up now, as she\u2019s talking about the Lemberger from Damiani Vineyards. Damiani sources Lemberger from Sunrise Hill, and it\u2019s a delicious Lemberger!<\/p>\n

I want to tell Kathy, \u201cYou\u2019re preaching to the choir!\u201d because Blaufr\u00e4nkisch is quite literally my favorite red wine. However, I digress, for now. I\u2019ve probably told Kathy this already in previous conversations though, and forgot.<\/p>\n

The problem is this: people can\u2019t pronounce Blaufr\u00e4nkisch easily. Lemberger isn\u2019t easy to pronounce either, but it\u2019s also confused with the (stinky) cheese. And, worst of all, it\u2019s called and labeled both names across the Finger Lakes. If someone finds a Blaufr\u00e4nkisch they love, and don\u2019t do their research, they might show up at another winery looking for another Blaufr\u00e4nkisch, yet be left with only finding Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and\u2026you guessed it, Lemberger, not Blaufr\u00e4nkisch.<\/p>\n

The Debate: <\/strong>Blaufr\u00e4nkisch vs. Lemberger<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A few years ago, there was a big debate amongst various parties in the wine industry here in the Finger Lakes \u2013 about this very subject: What\u2019s the Flagship red?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a valid discussion. Wine regions need to adapt, and need to have something for everyone if they are going to be taken seriously on an international, not a local, scale.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say it got a bit heated. But, I\u2019m all for a heated conversation when a conversation is about delicious WINE, of all things, so count me in. The final consensus was that yes, Cabernet Franc, needs to be the <\/em>red. Pinot Noir came up, too. But it\u2019s not easy to grow here at all. It takes coddling and constant attention. Cabernet Sauvignon? Certainly not. Not in this cool climate with long, harsh winters. You need vineyards close or closer to a lake shore, and you\u2019ll probably need specific rootstock. And people are used to warmer climate Cabernet Sauvignon around the world \u2013 not cool climate Cabernet. Hybrids? Not sexy, it has to be Vinifera if people are going to take you seriously on an international scale. Cabernet Franc? Yeah, sure, grows pretty well and isn\u2019t a huge pain, and of course it makes a great red wine.<\/p>\n

But, what if there is a Red that grows better<\/em>, grows easier<\/em>, and in this cold climate, is also (more) cold-hardy?<\/p>\n

Most people that like lighter to medium bodied Red wine: Your Pinot Noir, your Gamay, etc. LOVE Blaufr\u00e4nkisch also.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my favorite, too,\u201d says Della Hovanec. Della is the tasting room manager at Barnstormer Winery on Seneca Lake<\/a><\/strong>, who happens to have a delicious Blaufr\u00e4nkisch. Della also teaches some wine seminars, and used to be a Finger Lakes Wine tour guide too. It\u2019s her job to have a pulse on what people want, what they ask for, what they are looking for, etc.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re chatting a bit, and I have the same conversation with her: that people aren\u2019t able to pronounce it easily, which can also be a deterrent.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople weren\u2019t able to pronounce Cabernet Sauvignon, either,\u201d says Della. \u201cBut, they learned, over time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, yes, true, but how many hundreds of years did it take to get there?\u201d I reply back, thinking about the history of Vitis Vinifera and other Noble grapes. \u201cGenerally speaking\u2026\u201d I continue, \u201cWhen people go to a regular middle-of-America restaurant, or let\u2019s say your franchise steakhouse, and they want a nice steak and a good red wine. What do they order?\u201d I ask Della.<\/p>\n

\u201cCab. They order a Cab.\u201d Della answers automatically in a split-second.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd by that, there is our answer for what most of America wants. Cabernet Sauvignon is the understood \u2018default\u2019 in this case,\u201d I reply back.<\/p>\n

We end up agreeing with each other: That Blaufr\u00e4nkisch\/Lemberger is (A) absolutely delicious and versatile, (B) grows extremely well here, (C) should be the Flagship Red of the Finger Lakes, but (D) most people can\u2019t pronounce it (or at least can\u2019t pronounce it yet).<\/p>\n

So, What\u2019s in a Name?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Most people that are familiar with wine, let\u2019s say your average wine enthusiast, know Cabernet Franc. Call it CF, call it lil Cab, Daddy Cab, whatever you want, but most people know of it. Most people don\u2019t know Blaufr\u00e4nkisch, or Lemberger, for that matter.<\/p>\n

In 500 years, when we\u2019re all buried like the vines here in snow, maybe the tide will have shifted. Maybe, just maybe Blaufr\u00e4nkisch will be the NEW \u201cCab,\u201d at least in the Finger Lakes.<\/p>\n

Wine is an essential aspect of life, especially my life. But, for your average wine drinker or your average middle-class family, does name familiarity help with choosing wine? I think so. I hope one day that 95% of wine-drinkers are comfortable enough to order the \u201cBlaufr\u00e4nkisch\u201d or the \u201cLemberger\u201d just as easy as the \u201cCab,\u201d aka the Cabernet Sauvignon, or the Cab dominant Red blend.<\/p>\n

There are many outstanding, delicate, balanced, structured, beautiful Blaufr\u00e4nkisch (and) Lemberger options here in the Finger Lakes. Fortunately, we don\u2019t have any named K\u00e9kfrankos<\/em> \u2013 yet. Don\u2019t even get me started on that. But in the meantime, let it be known that YES, we have Cabernet Franc too. It\u2019s (also) delicious, and abundant, and everything Blaufr\u00e4nkisch is too. And you\u2019re welcome, it\u2019s easier to pronounce! For now, that is. Give us a few years and we\u2019ll change that.<\/p>\n

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