Blaufrankisch, the W.C. Fields of Forgotten Grapes

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Blaufränkisch Drove Me to Drink, and I Didn’t Even Have the Decency to Thank It.

“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.” – W.C. Fields

Okay, while we’re pretty sure that Central European wine wasn’t W.C. Fields’ first choice of libation when either cooking or imbibing (oh, who are we kidding – the man probably put down whatever was placed in front of him. Though oddly, he didn’t start drinking until well into his twenties in his Vaudeville days, when the loneliness and vagaries of the road started to get to him), the similarities between the man and this week’s Forgotten Grape Blaufränkisch are surprisingly robust. Certainly not their places of origin – Fields was born just outside of his beloved Philadelphia to parents of English-Irish descent, while Blaufränkisch is typically found across central Europe, including its primary home in Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Hungary – but more in the way that they both carry themselves, how both try to come off as a lot more than they actually are. Well, at least, that’s the way Fields’ characters came off throughout his film career. The man certainly had the talent and charisma to match his portly physique.

You see, Fields took his film facade to new heights during the 1920s and 1930s playing a variety of carnival barkers, card sharps, swindlers, cheats, and thieves, none of whom were similar in character to the real Bill Fields (as his friends referred to him), yet all of whom presented themselves with an air of sophistication and the appearance of a gentleman even as they swiped the nickels out of your back pocket. And yet no matter how comically nasty the character he played, Fields always seemed to imbue that fellow with just enough sympathy to humanize them and to make the audience not only care about the character, but to want to root for Fields the actor and see him in his next and latest role.

Oh, and he really, really, really liked to drink. A lot. Did we mention that?

Blaufränkisch? Well, it draws a lot of similarities to both of these things. This is a gape that presents itself in the wine as big, substantial, and able to hold its own with some of the great dark red wines of the world. Bordeaux? Hermitage? Chateauneuf-du-Pape? Bring ‘em all on. When grown properly in cooler climates and vintages without excessive heat and sun, the “Pinot Noir of Central Europe” (as it is sometimes called because of its prevalence and reputation throughout Austria and the former Soviet satellites) can even be imparted with aromas and flavors similar to Burgundian pinot noirs, and in hotter climates, the flavor patterns of Syrahs. But that’s where the similarities end. Because despite Blaufränkisch’s seemingly suave and distinguished scents and tastes, they really don’t hold up through the entire sip of the wine. In fact, these big plum and dark fruit flavors tend to flee faster than Larson E. Whipsnide at the sight of a cop, and all they leave behind is the hot tingling sting of alcohol. Which is not to say that Blaufränkischs are wines that are high in alcohol (most are between 13%-15% ABV), but rather that the wines can be unbalanced enough so that the alcohol rises to the top, or in this case, takes over the sip as soon as it hits your tongue. That’s right, Blaufränkischs may present a front of worldliness, erudition, and savvy, but deep down, they’re all just big lushes, depending far too heavily on alcohol to get by.

And yet, if you can get past this, Blaufränkischs can be absolutely wonderful and complex wines that will have you thinking and discussing among friends and you take your next sip. There is a reason it is the second most popular red grape in Austria and accounts for almost 5% of their total wine yield every year. Blaufränkisch, despite its woozy, inebriated stature, is a wine that can stand up, and one that any dedicated Friend of the Forgotten Grape would sample at least once.

So lift up your glass (wine glass, pint glass, shot glass, whatever glass you have in front of you, and offer a toast to this week’s Forgotten Grape, BLAUFRÄNKISCH, and
remember, while others may not have sympathy for a wine that’s intoxicated all the
time, the wine that’s intoxicated all the time doesn’t need sympathy.

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What It Looks Like, What It Smells Like, and What It Tastes Like

Blaufränkisch looks like:

Blaufränkisch smells like:

Blaufränkisch tastes like:

You may smell plums on your Blaufränkisch. You may smell pomegranate. You may even get some chocolate aromas on the wine. But when it comes to classic scents on the nose of a Blaufränkisch, there are three that you need to be on the lookout for. First, pepper, black pepper. Second, an herbaceous or vegetal smell. Like sticking your nose into an herb garden or walking through a greenhouse loaded with green vegetables. And lastly, a slightly sweet scent, similar to fresh baked pastry that’s been loaded up with brown sugar. These three scents are the classic components of a Blaufränkisch nose, and at least one – if not all three – should be there when you open the bottle. Well, those three and the alcohol...

If we haven’t made this clear enough yet, Blaufränkischs have a peculiar habit of starting off big and bold with lots of dark flavors (plum, coffee, dark chocolate, etc.) and then quickly dissolving into nothing but the hot, sharp, tingly sparkle of alcohol. It’s not as noticeable on every Blaufränkisch you may taste, but it is an inherent characteristic in the wine. So be forewarned: no matter the ABV that your Blaufränkisch might have, you are going to feel the alcohol in it. Not in your head necessarily, but definitely on your tongue. It’s just part of the nature of the grape.

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• You may remember from one of our previous Forgotten Grape exploration that Grüner Veltliner is grown primarily in the northeastern portions of Austria, along the steep, rocky banks of the Danube river, in an area commonly referred to as the Weinviertel (German for “wine quarter”) Well, whereas Grüner most of the Weinviertel to itself, Blaufränkisch gets its own territory to the southeast, the Burgenland. This region, the easternmost and most sparsely populated in Austria, makes up a long, narrow sliver of Austria’s eastern border, abutting Slovakia and Hungary to the east and Slovenia to the south. Blaufränkisch is especially populous in the section of Burgenland known as “Mittelburgenland,” which is sometimes referred to as “Blaufränkischland.” Overall, Blaufränkisch is the second-most important red grape grown in Austria (behind Zweigelt, which we’ll get to in a future Forgotten Grapes posting) and accounts for about 5% of all grapes grown in Austria (compare that once again to the 36% for Grüner Veltliner).

• Austria’s Burgenland, however, isn’t the only place where you can find Blaufränkisch; you just have to know the many different names by which the grape goes by. Because much like how W.C. Fields played characters with exotic-sounding names like Larson E. Whipsnide, Egbert Sousé, and Ambrose Wolfinger, Blaufränkisch has its fair share of exotic names as well. In Hungary, it’s called Kékfrankos, which literally translates to blue Frankish. In Slovakia, it’s called either Frankovia or Franconia. The Slovenians refer to the grape as Modra Frankinja, while in Bulgaria, it is known as Gamé, which has led to much confusion that the grape is either a clone of or descended from the Gamay grape of Beaujolais (it’s not). Here in the U.S., Blaufränkisch was for decades known by its more traditional German name Lemberger , which you can still find on a limited number of bottles today. However, more and more producers of the grape are shying away from Lemberger and now using the Austria name of Blaufränkisch for the grape, especially as the government looks to streamline and compartmentalize wine labels and varietals into a more manageable group.

• That’s great, you might be saying now, but still what the hell does “Blaufränkisch” actually mean? Well, I’m glad you asked. Blaufränkisch does indeed translate from German into “blue Frankish.” Okay fine, you say, but what the hell does “Frankish” mean? Once again, glad you asked. The term “Frankish” dates back to the middle ages and the time of Charlemagne, king of the Frankish empire and ruler or basically everything that is modern France, Germany, and central Europe. In an effort to weed out the better grapes of winemaking from the lesser grapes, Charlemagne devised a system of classification in which grapes were either labeled as “Frankish” (the noble grapes, as Charlemagne was King of the Franks and ruler of the Frankish empire), or “Hunnic” (the simpler and lesser varietals, believed to be introduced and cultivated by the Huns). In addition to Blaufränkisch, other grapes designated “Frankish” during the era included Riesling, Pinot Gris, Traminer, Silvaner, and Pinot Noir. As for the Hunnic grapes, there’s only one extremely rare grape grown today that still bears its designation like Blaufränkisch does: Weisser Huenisch (which translates to “white Hunnic”), which is
the German name for an extremely rare French varietal known as Goulais blanc.

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Fun Facts to Impress/Bore People At Parties

From Brein’s Brain to Your Plate

“Wow. Not a fun month for me: Negrette, Malvasia, and then Blaufränkisch. Could you make this any more challenging? Wait, don’t answer that.”

“So because it’s so big up front and then just whitters away into almost nothing but alcohol, Blaufränkisch is a really tough wine to pair with food. So I’m just going to throw a few things out there that I think will work with it, but none of them are really perfect, ideal matches. To be honest, I don’t really know if Blaufränkisch is a food wine at all.
But try some of these and see what you think. First off, pork with a coffee crust on it. Something really dark and loaded on the tongue should work with this wine, as the coffee flavor will linger and linger in your mouth and help cool down some of the alcohol you get on the finish of a Blaufränkisch. Along those same lines, consider making a BLT, but burn the toast on it and maybe even burn the bacon too. And use a ton of mayonnaise on it. I mean like half the jar. Just load up the flavors to mesh with this wine.”

“If you want to go in the other direction, though, maybe a dark chocolate pudding might work with a Blaufränkisch. The creaminess will certainly counteract the slight burn/tingle of the alcohol, and the richness of the dark chocolate will linger and help fortify the wine as it fades. Also, some Swedish meatballs with a grape jelly glaze would probably go pretty well with a Blaufränkisch. Basically you are looking for foods with strong, lingering flavors that are going to counterbalance the wine after it starts to fade and the alcohol
tingle commences. I’d be interested to hear what other people
think would pair well with this wine. Lay it on us if you’ve got
any suggestions.”

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Chef Brein Clements is the chef/owner of Restaurant Omakase in Riverside, CA, which is quickly becoming SoCal’s answer to El Bulli. Minus the molecular gastronomy. He began his cooking career at Domaine Chandon in the Napa Valley and moved on to become Chef de Cuisine at the famed Balboa Bay Club before opening his own restaurant. Plus he’s only 28. My man knows his wine and he knows his food. Each week he’ll provide ingredient and dish recommendations that match up well with the week’s forgotten grape. You should heed what he says. No, seriously, heed it.

2006 Wild Horse Estate Paso Robles Blaufränkisch

Just one more week left to get your 15% off on any wine you buy through the online Wild Horse Wine Store. Remember to use the code FGWH1509 when ordering to get your discount. And the code is good for any Wild Horse wines, but it expires on August 6th. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Now, Wild Horse’s Blaufränkisch. They were one of the first wineries in California, let alone the United States, to produce a 100% Blaufränkisch varietal wine, so they get mad props for that. The nose on this wine was super complex, with pomegranate, plum, some Creme de Cassis, herbal notes, and both a slight chocolaty scent and a dry cracker scent, like a saltine. On the palate, it started off strong with lots of pepper and dark, rich almost caramel notes. Then the alcohol showed up and the tingle of heat replaced any real flavor in the wine. It did open up somewhat as the glass and bottle breathed, but there was still a lot of residual alcohol on this wine. Still, definitely worth trying if you’re curious about the varietal. Get yours directly from the Wild Horse wine store and use the 15% off code. Only one week left to do so, so don’t miss out!

2007 Steele Shooting Star “Blue Franc” Washington State Lemberger

Now Steele is a most interesting and unique winery. They produce a ton of different wines from lots of different varietals (and more than their fair share of Forgotten Grapes! That’s why we love ya, Steele!) and even though the winery itself located in the Lake County district of California (north of Napa, near Ukiah), they knew that the best region in the U.S. for Blaufränkisch was Washington state, so they sourced the grapes for this wine from there. They used to call this Lemberger, but are now calling it Blue Franc to avoid any confusion. This wine opened up a bit warmer on the nose than the Wild Horse, with more bread and brown sugar aromas, as well as baking spice. However, there was still a ton of alcohol on it – it hit some of us like a ton of bricks. This wine had a bit more tannic pull than the others we tasted, and a darker, plummier finish, but still there was lots of burning alcohol. Steele Winery has this available on their website for a steal (pun totally intended) and it’s worth picking up a bottle just to compare and contrast it to the California version of Blaufränkisch. You can decide on your own whether hotter weather or colder weather makes for a better Blaufränkisch.

Our Friend of the Forgotten Grapes Tasting Squadron tastes all of the wines you see here ahead of time to ensure that you aren’t getting anything rotten or clunky. We also try to ensure that most of the wines highlighted here are affordably priced ($20 or less) so you can try them out for yourself without having to take out a second mortgage or sacrificing your kid (or future kid’s) college fund to do so. Lastly, the Friends of the Forgotten Grapes has relationships with all the fine wine purveyors we link to in this section. We know them, we trust them. You can order these wines from them online right now and be trying them out in the next couple of days. Do yourself a favor and order from them by using the links below. It’s totally worth it. And tell them that ForgottenGrapes.com sent you, too.

Blaufränkischs tend to have a deep, dark purple color to them, part of the rich, sophisticated facade they impart upon initial inspection. But, if you turn your glass to the side, tilt the wine toward the rim, and hold it over something white, you’ll see the true nature of Blaufränkisch: a thinner magenta color that gets a bit watery as it nears the edge. It certainly belies what you’re about to get with the wine, an initial push of that dark rich flavor followed by the thin, sparkly sting of alcohol.

2006 Zantho, Umathum, & Peck Burgenland Blaufränkisch

If you’re going to drink Blaufränkisch, you have to try one directly from the source, right? Which is exactly what we did with this Austrian import directly from the heart of Blaufränkisch country, the Burgenland. And what a difference a country makes. This wine was night and day compared to the others: classically Blaufränkisch on the nose with lots of herbal and vegetal scents on the nose (sauerkraut, caraway seed) to match some brown sugar and warm brioche scents. In the mouth, this wine was super, super soft, with the same dark, plummy flavors as the others but with more depth in the middle. It lasted a lot longer before the alcohol finally rose up, which is amazing that it did given that the wine is only 13% ABV. It’s a wine that you could drink all night long, according to Brein, which is both its blessing and curse: it makes for a great sipping wine, but it got pretty watery and thin when we paired it with food. Just didn’t have the backbone to stand up to food. But if you want to impress your friends with a Blaufränkisch at a wine tasting party, or as a gift for your in-the-know wine friends, this is the way to go (give it to a Cab lover and watch this blow his or her mind). We picked this up at the Wine House for a ridiculously low price considering its an import (yet another advantage to Forgotten Grapes) and would recommend you do the same before they get wise and jack the price

up.

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Go On. Try It. You’ll Like It.