Savagnin Rose
Encyclopedia
Savagnin Rose or Roter Traminer is a variety of wine grape. It has a pink, reddish or brownish red skin colour, but is counted as a "white wine grape", since it does not have the deep purple/blue/black colour of "red wine grapes".
Savagnin Rose is a member of the Traminer family of grapes, and as such is related to both Savagnin Blanc and Gewürztraminer
. It has a different skin colour than Savagnin Blanc, and does not have the aromatic properties of the much more common Gewürztraminer
, which is a musqué
mutation of Savagnin Rose, or of a similar red-skinned Traminer variety.
Savagnin Rose is now relatively rare in cultivation, and primarily found only in pure plantation and varietal wines in Alsace
, where the designation Klevener de Heiligenstein
denotes a wine produced from Savagnin Rose. It is also likely that a proportion of non-Musqué red Traminer exists side by side with Musque red Traminer/Gewürztraminer in older vineyards of Germany
and Austria
.
The vines of the Savagnin Rose variety planted in Alsace bear striking similarities, morphologically
, to Gewürztraminer vines and are almost indistinguishable on inspection. Outside of DNA testing
and analysis of the wine that both grapes produce, the only noticeable difference is that just prior to veraison
the grapes of Savagnin Rose turn almost translucent while the skins of Gewürztraminer grapes are more opaque
. The most obvious way to distinguish the two was to compare the type of wines that each produces with Gewürztraminer wine being much more aromatic. Until the 1970s, winemakers would label wines of better quality "Gewürztraminer" and wines of lesser quality "Traminer" or "Klevener de Heiligenstein", regardless of the final composition of Gewürztraminer, Savagnin Rose and/or Traminer in the wine. In 1973, the names Traminer and Savagnin Rose was discontinued from use on Alsatian wine labels. Due to the significant plantings of Savagnin Rose in Heiligenstein and the villages around it, the wine style of "Klevener de Heiligenstein" was granted a grace period for use of that name.
Savagnin Rose is a member of the Traminer family of grapes, and as such is related to both Savagnin Blanc and Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer is an aromatic wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates. It is sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz, and in French it is written '...
. It has a different skin colour than Savagnin Blanc, and does not have the aromatic properties of the much more common Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer is an aromatic wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates. It is sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz, and in French it is written '...
, which is a musqué
Musqué
Musqué is a French term applied to certain varieties or clones of grapes used for making wine. The term means both perfumed and Muscat-like, and indicates that the variety or clone is highly aromatic. The term musqué is usually suffixed to the name of certain grape varieties to indicate a clone...
mutation of Savagnin Rose, or of a similar red-skinned Traminer variety.
Savagnin Rose is now relatively rare in cultivation, and primarily found only in pure plantation and varietal wines in Alsace
Alsace wine
Alsace wine or Alsatian wine is produced in the Alsace region in France and is primarily white. These wines, which for historical reasons have a strong Germanic influence, are produced under three different Appellations d'Origine Contrôlées : Alsace AOC for white, rosé and red wines, Alsace Grand...
, where the designation Klevener de Heiligenstein
Klevener de Heiligenstein
Klevener de Heiligenstein is a designation used on Alsace wine made from pink-skinned Savagnin Rose grapes, a variety in the Traminer family, but which is less aromatic than Gewürztraminer, which is widely planted in Alsace....
denotes a wine produced from Savagnin Rose. It is also likely that a proportion of non-Musqué red Traminer exists side by side with Musque red Traminer/Gewürztraminer in older vineyards of Germany
German wine
German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of the German wine production is situated in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where 6 of the 13 regions ...
and Austria
Austrian wine
Austrian wines are mostly dry white wines with some luscious dessert wines made around the Neusiedler See. About 30% of the wines are red, made from Blaufränkisch , Pinot Noir and locally bred varieties such as Zweigelt...
.
The vines of the Savagnin Rose variety planted in Alsace bear striking similarities, morphologically
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
, to Gewürztraminer vines and are almost indistinguishable on inspection. Outside of DNA testing
Genetic fingerprinting
DNA profiling is a technique employed by forensic scientists to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles. DNA profiles are encrypted sets of numbers that reflect a person's DNA makeup, which can also be used as the person's identifier...
and analysis of the wine that both grapes produce, the only noticeable difference is that just prior to veraison
Veraison
Véraison is a viticulture term meaning "the onset of ripening". It is originally French, but has been adopted into English use...
the grapes of Savagnin Rose turn almost translucent while the skins of Gewürztraminer grapes are more opaque
Opacity (optics)
Opacity is the measure of impenetrability to electromagnetic or other kinds of radiation, especially visible light. In radiative transfer, it describes the absorption and scattering of radiation in a medium, such as a plasma, dielectric, shielding material, glass, etc...
. The most obvious way to distinguish the two was to compare the type of wines that each produces with Gewürztraminer wine being much more aromatic. Until the 1970s, winemakers would label wines of better quality "Gewürztraminer" and wines of lesser quality "Traminer" or "Klevener de Heiligenstein", regardless of the final composition of Gewürztraminer, Savagnin Rose and/or Traminer in the wine. In 1973, the names Traminer and Savagnin Rose was discontinued from use on Alsatian wine labels. Due to the significant plantings of Savagnin Rose in Heiligenstein and the villages around it, the wine style of "Klevener de Heiligenstein" was granted a grace period for use of that name.