The American market for European wines has been dominated by France, Italy, and Spain for a long time, so it’s not too surprising that Germany has been in the background for many wine lovers, despite its very long history of producing highly acclaimed wines. We do our part though to champion these in our Daily Discoveries, but the vast majority of our selections are white, and when we do include a red it is almost always Spätburguner (aka Pinot Noir). So today’s savory, spicy, silky Blaufränkisch is definitely a departure, but a decidedly delicious one. Not surprisingly it hails from Baden, where most of Germany’s top Pinots are also found, and also unsurprisingly it is made by the iconic estate of Burg Ravensburg. With almost a thousand years of winemaking history, these guys know a thing or two about coaxing every ounce of terroir and complexity from their vines. The value here is outstanding, so let’s get to know Blaufränkisch!

The year ‘1251’ is prominently displayed on each and every Burg Ravensburg label, and why shouldn’t it be? There aren’t many estates in the world—and far fewer vineyards—that draw on this much history. Yet, shockingly, the family itself goes back even further, having been locally documented as Barons back in 931 AD. The current proprietor, Heinz Heiler, has continued this nearly 800 year history of excellence, and he is joined by winemaker Claus Burmeister, who was basically raised in the ancient cellar, as his own father was head winemaker when Claus was growing up. 

It almost goes without saying then, that the Burg Ravensburg team is intimately acquainted with their land and its terroir–the