What You Should Be Drinking Now - Blaufränkisch

„While hiking in the Austrian Alps last May I was reminded yet again (I seem to keep forgetting) just how rewarding and just plain delicious the Blaufränkisch grape variety is. A red variety with a deep, blackish hue, refreshing acidity and a spicy scent, it's an Austrian specialty, but actually more widely grown than might be imagined. For example, the Hungarians grow the same grape, calling it Kékfrankos. It's also grown in Germany (where it's called Lemberger), Washington state (Lemberger again), New York's Finger Lakes region, Michigan, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, among other locales.

I've always had a soft spot for so-called »lesser« reds such as Blaufränkisch, Baco Noir, Maréchal Foch and Zweigelt (a delectable cross between Blaufränkisch and a Pinot Noir–like red called St. Laurent). All four of these varieties can be genuinely fine and anything but »lesser« when grown in the right places by respectful producers who keep the yields reasonably low. (Remember when wine lovers used to refer to Barbera as lesser?)

If you see any of these varieties, especially Blaufränkisch, scoop them up. Prices can vary from downright cheap to pricey, and often there's little correspondence between (low) price and quality so don't make the usual money assumption here.”