Portugieser

Blauer Portugieser
Grape (Vitis)
Blauer Portugieser in Weinsberg, Germany
Species	Vitis vinifera
Also called	Autrichien, Badener, Blaue Feslauertraube, Feslauer, Modrý Portugal (Czech Republic), Kékoportó (Hungary), Portugizac Plavi(Croatia), modra portugalka (Slovenia), Oporto, Portugais Bleu (France), Portugieser and Vöslauer
Origin	Lower Styria (now Slovenian Styria)
Notable regions	Rheinhessen, Pfalz

Blauer Portugieser is a red Austrian, Slovenian wine and German wine grape found primarily in the Rheinhessen, Pfalz and wine regions of Lower Austria and Slovenia. It is also one of the permitted grapes in the Hungarian wine Egri Bikavér (Bull's blood). In Germany, the cultivated area covered 4,551 hectares (11,250 acres) or 4.5% of the total vineyard area in 2007. Wine cellars usually vinify a simple light red wine, which is characterized by a fresh, tart and light body. It is also frequently vinified as a rosé. Blauer Portugieser is also very well suited as table grapes, however it is not sold as such because the selling of wine grapes as table grapes is not permitted in the European Union. Since 2000, higher quality wines have been vinified from Portugieser grapes. The use of oak provides additional aromas in order to compete with Bordeaux varieties. DNA profiling has shown that Blauer Portugieser is a cross between Grüner Silvaner (male parent) and Blaue Zimmettraube (female parent; the offspring of Blauer Gänsfüsser). Historical ampelographic sources have provided very solid evidence that the geographic area of origin of the variety is Lower Styria (today Slovenian Styria).