Blaufrankisch - The Tastiest Red Wine with the Hardest Name to Pronounce.
Have you heard of Blaufränkisch? I certainly had not. But I studied it, located it at a local winery, and drank almost an entire bottle of it. So I know my stuff about this Austrian wine.
It is said that Blaufränkisch was created during the Middle Ages (awesome) in Austria – which was then Germany. This spicy red wine didn’t migrate outside of the Austrian region until the late 1980’s when it came to the US in small batches. Even still today Blaufränkisch is extremely rare to find on a wine list. This isn’t because it’s a difficult wine to make, or because the climate has to be just so. They say it’s because of it’s arduous name. I mean, I felt like a damn fool ordering it. Blau-Frank-Ish? A lot of restaurant owners fear the wine will never be ordered with such a difficult to pronounce name. But once you taste it, you’re hooked. If you are into Pinot Noir’s you will love this wine. They are extremely similar with their light body and black fruit flavors. The only difference is a peppery spicy finish. Magnifique!
Though this is a tricky varietal to stumble upon, it certainly can be done. And the price point is a bit steeper but it is well worth it, trust me. Here are a couple with stellar reviews!
Austria Blaufränkisch Reserve 2012
Doric Burgenland Blaufränkisch 2013