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Zierfandler is a white-wine grape originating in Austria’s Thermenregion, just south of Vienna, and that region remains the source of virtually all Zierfandler. The grape is believed to be a naturally occurring cross; it is not recent, but neither is it antique.
Made as a table-wine monovarietal, Zierfandler produces big, strongly flavored wines with “exotic” aromas; they are characterized by high acid levels, which implies good aging potential. (It also implies that they can be made into good-quality dessert wines, and indeed they are.) The table wines made with Zierfandler may be monovarietal, but it is also common to find them blended with Rotgipfler
Factoid: Zierfandler may have been the source for the name used in the U.S. for what was recently found to be the Italian variety Primitivo, that name being Zinfandel; as the grapes (and their wines) are very different, the suspect is some mis-labelled vines shipped from Austria around 1820. (That presumes “Zinfandel” to be a corruption of tzinifándli—or czirifandli—a Hungarian name for Zierfandler.)
“[Zierfandler] is traditionally blended with Rotgipfler in [Thermenregion]. These wines, known as Spätrot-Rotgipfler, are a particular speciality of Gumpoldskirchen, south of Vienna.”
“Zierfandler's high sugar content and late-ripening fruit can create powerful, spicy wines with exotic aromas, and high acidity levels mean that the wines can be vinified both as rich, dry white wines or as lusciously sweet dessert wines. It is often considered the best of the two key Thermenregion varieties, and wines made from Zierfandler have good cellaring potential.”
“Rotgipfler (ROHT-gipf-lur) and Zierfandler (SEER-fand-ler). Think of them, if it helps, as Austria’s Marsanne and Roussanne, traditional blending partners, one rarely mentioned without the other. Or frame them in terms of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling: Rotgipfler playing Grüner’s richer, spicier part and Zierfandler taking Rieslings’s cooler, nervier role…Zierfandler is a gifted translator of the limestone bedrock and high lime content of the soils. In the glass, it unfolds into layers of fresh hay and meadow herbs, with an irresistibly salty, grippy finish.”
“Austrian variety with powerful orange/spice flavors and considerable body weight. Blended with rotgipfler to make a powerful spicy white that is a specialty of Austria’s Thermenregion.”
“Zierfandler can produce excellent quality wines, including dry and off-dry styles. The wines have bright acidity and subtle mineral character, while the aromas are reminiscent of spices, almonds, and usually some exotic or tropical fruit notes…Zierfandler-based wines have good aging potential.”
“The grape variety has high sugar content and late-ripening berry which can produce powerful, spicy wines with exotic aromas with high acidity levels allowing to be vinified both as rich, dry white wines or as sweet dessert wines. Zierfandler is an old grape dating back to the Hapsburg [sic] Empire in Austria and was the favourite wine of the emperors.”
“The grapes of this variety have very high sugar content. As the wines made out of Zierfandler take quite a lot of time to ripen, they are excellent for preparing spicy wines that bring along exotic aromas. The high acidic nature of the grapes helps in the vinification of not only dry and rich white wines, but also succulently sweet dessert wines. Among the two main varieties of wine grapes produced in Thermenregion, Zierfandler is known to be the best as it has a fine cellaring potential.”
“In the glass, the wine had a medium lemon gold color. The nose was very reserved here with some lemon citrus and apple flavors, but not much. It didn’t really open up much as it came to room temperature or with a day open in the fridge, which apparently isn’t all that unusual for this grape. On the palate, the wine was just on the fuller side of medium with fairly high acid. It was dry with flavors of apple, lemon-lime citrus, ripe grapefruit, and honeysuckle flowers with a bit of a bitter, lemon peel kind of finish. The wine also had a nice, refreshing kind of minerality to it. The wine is aged for four months on the lees, so there was a broad, almost creamy flavor profile here that was nicely undercut by the bright fruit flavors and zippy acidity. If you served a nice Austrian Riesling with a twist of lemon in it, you probably wouldn’t be too far off from the flavor profile here.”
“Zierfandler wines tend to be rich in extract and possess good acid structure and generally a harmonious balance between acidity and richness. The best results are usually achieved when grapes are harvested with high must sugar weights. Wines exhibit aromas of pale fruit reminiscent of pineapple and citrus in their youth. As they mature, notes of dried fruit and meadow blossoms appear.”
“The wines often have a subtle bouquet, with delicate fruit aromas and dried spices, often with a hint of blanched almonds, supported by fine, lively acidity.”
“In my mind the Zierfandler really comes into its own when made as a single varietal and not when blended with its common bedfellow Rotgipfler (traditionally fieldblended). My favoured example of single varietel Zierfandler comes from Stadlmann…the better examples of Zierfandler benefit from a good few years of bottle age, some ageing gracefully for up to 10 years…[O]ver the years I have found my favourites to possess an amazing amount of extract, leading to tremendous weight on the palate, and superb mouthfeel. The wines are intense without being sweet, always balanced with a surprisingly firm acidity that makes modest promises concerning its cellaring potential. The aromatics are subtle but expansive, especially with age, and can range from a distinctive nuttiness to a pleasing floral character.”
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Some Descriptions of Zierfandler Wines
“[Zierfandler] is traditionally blended with Rotgipfler in [Thermenregion]. These wines, known as Spätrot-Rotgipfler, are a particular speciality of Gumpoldskirchen, south of Vienna.”
“Zierfandler's high sugar content and late-ripening fruit can create powerful, spicy wines with exotic aromas, and high acidity levels mean that the wines can be vinified both as rich, dry white wines or as lusciously sweet dessert wines. It is often considered the best of the two key Thermenregion varieties, and wines made from Zierfandler have good cellaring potential.”
“When the grapes are nicely ripe, the wines are rich in extract and have a pleasant acidity and subtle aromatics.”
“Rotgipfler (ROHT-gipf-lur) and Zierfandler (SEER-fand-ler). Think of them, if it helps, as Austria’s Marsanne and Roussanne, traditional blending partners, one rarely mentioned without the other. Or frame them in terms of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling: Rotgipfler playing Grüner’s richer, spicier part and Zierfandler taking Rieslings’s cooler, nervier role…Zierfandler is a gifted translator of the limestone bedrock and high lime content of the soils. In the glass, it unfolds into layers of fresh hay and meadow herbs, with an irresistibly salty, grippy finish.”
“Austrian variety with powerful orange/spice flavors and considerable body weight. Blended with rotgipfler to make a powerful spicy white that is a specialty of Austria’s Thermenregion.”
“Zierfandler can produce excellent quality wines, including dry and off-dry styles. The wines have bright acidity and subtle mineral character, while the aromas are reminiscent of spices, almonds, and usually some exotic or tropical fruit notes…Zierfandler-based wines have good aging potential.”
“The grape variety has high sugar content and late-ripening berry which can produce powerful, spicy wines with exotic aromas with high acidity levels allowing to be vinified both as rich, dry white wines or as sweet dessert wines. Zierfandler is an old grape dating back to the Hapsburg [sic] Empire in Austria and was the favourite wine of the emperors.”
“The grapes of this variety have very high sugar content. As the wines made out of Zierfandler take quite a lot of time to ripen, they are excellent for preparing spicy wines that bring along exotic aromas. The high acidic nature of the grapes helps in the vinification of not only dry and rich white wines, but also succulently sweet dessert wines. Among the two main varieties of wine grapes produced in Thermenregion, Zierfandler is known to be the best as it has a fine cellaring potential.”
“In the glass, the wine had a medium lemon gold color. The nose was very reserved here with some lemon citrus and apple flavors, but not much. It didn’t really open up much as it came to room temperature or with a day open in the fridge, which apparently isn’t all that unusual for this grape. On the palate, the wine was just on the fuller side of medium with fairly high acid. It was dry with flavors of apple, lemon-lime citrus, ripe grapefruit, and honeysuckle flowers with a bit of a bitter, lemon peel kind of finish. The wine also had a nice, refreshing kind of minerality to it. The wine is aged for four months on the lees, so there was a broad, almost creamy flavor profile here that was nicely undercut by the bright fruit flavors and zippy acidity. If you served a nice Austrian Riesling with a twist of lemon in it, you probably wouldn’t be too far off from the flavor profile here.”
“Zierfandler wines tend to be rich in extract and possess good acid structure and generally a harmonious balance between acidity and richness. The best results are usually achieved when grapes are harvested with high must sugar weights. Wines exhibit aromas of pale fruit reminiscent of pineapple and citrus in their youth. As they mature, notes of dried fruit and meadow blossoms appear.”
“The wines often have a subtle bouquet, with delicate fruit aromas and dried spices, often with a hint of blanched almonds, supported by fine, lively acidity.”
“In my mind the Zierfandler really comes into its own when made as a single varietal and not when blended with its common bedfellow Rotgipfler (traditionally fieldblended). My favoured example of single varietel Zierfandler comes from Stadlmann…the better examples of Zierfandler benefit from a good few years of bottle age, some ageing gracefully for up to 10 years…[O]ver the years I have found my favourites to possess an amazing amount of extract, leading to tremendous weight on the palate, and superb mouthfeel. The wines are intense without being sweet, always balanced with a surprisingly firm acidity that makes modest promises concerning its cellaring potential. The aromatics are subtle but expansive, especially with age, and can range from a distinctive nuttiness to a pleasing floral character.”