Müller-Thurgau
Also known as Rivaner
Geisenheim, Germany
A mild, early-ripening white, bred at Geisenheim in 1882, that became Germany's most planted grape; a cross of Riesling and Madeleine Royale.
Sensory profile
Characteristics
Flavor & aroma
At a glance
Production facts
Prevalence
Niche
Climate
Cool climate
Ripening
Early season
Wine styles
Still
Where it's grown
Geography
Shaded areas are the state, province or département(s) containing each region, so they run wider than the appellations themselves.
Germany
Franken and Rheinhessen
Light, floral whites, from everyday to serious dry Franconian wines.
Italy
Alto Adige (Eisack Valley)
High-altitude vineyards give crisper, more aromatic wines than in Germany.
Background
Origin & History
Müller-Thurgau was created in 1882 by Hermann Müller, a Swiss from the canton of Thurgau, at the Geisenheim research institute. It was long taught to be Riesling × Sylvaner; DNA profiling in 2000 showed that it is really Riesling × Madeleine Royale, itself a cross of Pinot Noir and Trollinger.
It ripens early, yields well and makes soft, floral, low-acid wine, which made it Germany's most planted grape for much of the 20th century, and the base of Liebfraumilch and Piesporter. It is also grown in Alto Adige, Austria, Switzerland and New Zealand.
Lineage
Family tree
Ancestry above, descendants below. Click a related grape to explore its own lineage.