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Pronunciation: moo-ler TUR-gow[The ü sound is tough for Anglophones: sort of myu]
Background
The grape was created in 1882 by Dr. Hermann Müller; Thurgau is the Swiss Canton whence he came (map at the left) to Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in Germany. The idea was basically to make a Riesling sort of grape that could ripen earlier than the Silvaner grape, then being used where Riesling could not grow owing to short seasons. The result, the Müller-Thurgau grape, didn’t quite meet expectations, but it was a grape that could readily grow, and yield prodigiously, where many others could not: it was remarkably unfussy about both soils and climate.
Such a marvel was, naturally, widely taken up. By the ’70s, it was the most-planted grape in Germany. But it was a deal with the devil: the wines were of mediocre quality, basically sweet-ish plonk. Still, for quite a while they were cash cows, milked heavily. The especially notorious misuse (if one can call it that) was the dire “Liebfraumilch” (also Piesporter), but while Americans were just starting to tune into wine, it sold well (sort of the white counterpart to those hideous cheap Chiantis sold in straw wrappings).
As the world’s tastes in wine matured, Müller-Thurgau ’s utility fell off, substantially. But in recent years, it has been realized that if treated with care, it can produce some decent (or even better) wines.
To quote Wine Searcher, “Varietal Müller-Thurgau wines often have sweet peach aromas with low acid and a range of fruity flavors. They are almost always best consumed young, with the notable exception of those in northern Italy, where the combination of old vines and steep, elevated vineyards makes for more serious expressions with greater ageing potential.” The grape is now grown in more places than just Germany: Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, and even England (where its hardiness is especially utile).
Factoid: Recent DNA fingerprinting has determined that the grape was created by crossing Riesling with Madeleine Royale, not Silvaner or any other of the several suggested grape varieties.
“[T]he vines are known to be hyper-productive and thus, most wines are somewhat boring. That said, quality minded wineries offer Müller-Thurgau with the same complexity as fine Riesling.”
“ In addition to its tones of nutmeg that are typical for the variety, depending upon its location, Müller Thurgau sometimes develops mineral-rich traits, floral aromas (lilac, geranium), citrus fruit, and black currants.…The variety creates early-maturing, mild wines with a faint muscat flavour. If acidity is too low, the wines age quickly. Prädikatswein can achieve a very high quality potential.”
“Müller-Thurgau is often blended with other white wine varieties to produce young cuvées that are intended to be drunk straight away. At the other end of the maturation spectrum, this variety also produces Prädikatswein whose potential for developing is often underestimated. ”
“Some of Washington’s Müller-Thurgau, as well as Slovenia and Luxembourg’s Rivaner, and New Zealand and Switzerland’s rather naughtily-labelled Riesling-Sylvaner, and even Rizlingszilvani in Hungary, can demonstrate aroma and crispness, and some of the better producers of Alto Adige and Friuli (most notably Pojer & Sandri) can make really rather exciting, even sought-after, wine from it.”
“Müller-Thurgau ripens very early and has high yields but tends to lack much character and to be low in acidity. Longer and cooler growing seasons tend to produce the best results with this variety.”
“Today, while damage to the German wine industry is largely repaired, the reputational damage to Müller-Thurgau lingers. Because of this, many are quick to label Müller-Thurgau as inferior, though there are a few high profile proponents with skin in the game who disagree.…There are some producers who take the variety seriously and there are more than a few who are experimenting with untraditional (for Switzerland) methods: skin contact, amphorae, and both traditionnelle and ancestrale processes. Early results are mixed but promising.”
“[I]ts wines, while subtly aromatic, are naturally low in acidity and generally bland, which is a pity because with restricted yields and improved acidity they can be very interesting.…It has a floral aroma of elderflower, box hedge and herbal notes with flavors of green apple, grapes (Muscat-like) and citrus fruits.”
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Some Descriptions of Müller-Thurgau Wines
“[T]he vines are known to be hyper-productive and thus, most wines are somewhat boring. That said, quality minded wineries offer Müller-Thurgau with the same complexity as fine Riesling.”
“ In addition to its tones of nutmeg that are typical for the variety, depending upon its location, Müller Thurgau sometimes develops mineral-rich traits, floral aromas (lilac, geranium), citrus fruit, and black currants.…The variety creates early-maturing, mild wines with a faint muscat flavour. If acidity is too low, the wines age quickly. Prädikatswein can achieve a very high quality potential.”
“Müller-Thurgau is often blended with other white wine varieties to produce young cuvées that are intended to be drunk straight away. At the other end of the maturation spectrum, this variety also produces Prädikatswein whose potential for developing is often underestimated. ”
“Some of Washington’s Müller-Thurgau, as well as Slovenia and Luxembourg’s Rivaner, and New Zealand and Switzerland’s rather naughtily-labelled Riesling-Sylvaner, and even Rizlingszilvani in Hungary, can demonstrate aroma and crispness, and some of the better producers of Alto Adige and Friuli (most notably Pojer & Sandri) can make really rather exciting, even sought-after, wine from it.”
“Müller-Thurgau ripens very early and has high yields but tends to lack much character and to be low in acidity. Longer and cooler growing seasons tend to produce the best results with this variety.”
“Today, while damage to the German wine industry is largely repaired, the reputational damage to Müller-Thurgau lingers. Because of this, many are quick to label Müller-Thurgau as inferior, though there are a few high profile proponents with skin in the game who disagree.…There are some producers who take the variety seriously and there are more than a few who are experimenting with untraditional (for Switzerland) methods: skin contact, amphorae, and both traditionnelle and ancestrale processes. Early results are mixed but promising.”
“[I]ts wines, while subtly aromatic, are naturally low in acidity and generally bland, which is a pity because with restricted yields and improved acidity they can be very interesting.…It has a floral aroma of elderflower, box hedge and herbal notes with flavors of green apple, grapes (Muscat-like) and citrus fruits.”