Guide To The Grape Silvaner
Welcome to this post about the grape variety Silvaner. A grape that has made a name for itself in Germany and is one of my favourites, a really exciting and interesting one. In the last post we covered the grape called Fruhburgunder. Also another variety that is cultivated in Germany to the vast extent.
We are going through all these grapes to get an understanding of what the popular grapes are and how they act so you can better understand the world of wine. We will, like all other posts, cover the history of the grape, the style of wine it is made into, climate and geography and lastly some recommendations from me where to buy from.
History of The Grape
The history of the grape is a very rich one, much like the wines it is made into. But more on that later on. It has been cultivated in Central Europe for many centuries, most notably in Transylvania. As to Germany, it hasn’t been really appreciated or got a fitting somewhere else then in Franconia. What has been discovered is that the grape is a cross between Traminer and one called Österreichisch-Weiss, or just called Austrian White.
This really supports the argument of not being native to Germany and instead coming from Transylvania where it has seen a long history of cultivation. It has been concluded that the grape probably reached the German lands first after the Thirty Years War. There was a record of Silvaner being planted in Franconia on the 5ht of April in 1659. This means that Germany has celebrated its 350th birthday of Silvaner cultivation in 2009. The grape saw great cultivation after the Second World War. It even reached numbers as high as 25–30 % in Alsace and in Germany as well.
Austanding as Riesling has long been a darling of these places. Its first place was taken over by Muller-Thurgau in the early 70s. As sweet wine was the trend these days and something that was hipp among the young people, most of the crop only saw sweet expressions. Overproduction caused the demise of the grape and it fell in popularity quickly but is now seeing a revival among people that once again are appreciating the art of making spectacular sweet wines.
It found its home in Franconia and it is also here where it is mostly produced as well. Alsace is also seeing a big demand for high quality bottles from the vineyards with small yields that focuses on true craftsmanship above all.
The Silvaner Style of Wine
Well, what kind of wine is it made into then? We have kind of touched on it already. Mentioning the sweet style that was so popular and starting to be again now. It is in Germany referred to as Liebfraumilch. Compared to the very popular and king of Germany, Riesling, it lacks some of the aromatic intensity that is often credited to it.
Does not have the gripping acidity as well. Being not a very demanding variety to crow, it offers the possibility of being cultivated in many different soils to express interesting terroir in the wine. Being that Franken is the home and mostly consisting of clay-limestone soil, it gives great structure and body to the wine. Important stuff to have in the wine if you want it to age, as is the purpose in like 99% of the cases with Silvaner wine.
What it might lack in the complexity and concentration in the early vintages it makes up with over time. It has to be one of the best white grapes in the world to age. It transforms into something buttery with hints of marzipan and almond. A deep richness and elegance. Being grown in cold climates like both Franken and Alsace, it keeps the acidity but not too much. It is really cool to open a bottle that is 30 years old and feel a lively acidity still in it. That speaks volumes about the potential of the grape.
Climate And Geography
We just mentioned the types of climate it is prefered in. That is cold climates. Here it can of course like most grapes, retain an acidity in the end product being the wine. Colder climates also aid in retaining some of the flavour development it got during the day.
For me, there is no choice other than south facing slopes or hills for this grape. It has to have to to really develop some sort of aromatic palate. Since we said before it can lack that, it must therefore be minimized as much as possible. Access to a lot of sun will help it be more ageworthy and drastically lifts the quality of the wine. The soil can be whichever, making it possible to display a wide array of terroir. But limestone and clay will help build structure and body to wines.
Where To Look For Silvaner
As to where to buy wine from. I want to mention Franconia or Franken first. This is the place where I buy my bulk of Silvaner wine from. Much because it is cheaper than the Alsace ones. The Juliusspital is one of the most popular winemakers that have their signature green wine bottle with an oval shape to it. The wines here show great age potential and are probably the number one reason I buy from here.
But if I really want the creme de la creme of Silvaner wine. Then Alsace is my spot. The best ones come from the vineyard of Zotzenberg. Also the first site to be labeled Grand Cru for Silvaner in Alsace. These expressions are just magical beyond anything. Truly fascinating and something worth seeking out.
Last Words
That’s a wrap for this post about the grape variety Silvaner. It is one of the most age worthy ones in the world. Something I really want to express again. I hope that you have learned something with this post and feel more confident about navigating the world of wine. In the next post we will cover the grape Pinot Gris. Stay tuned for that!
