Silvaner

Silvaner or Sylvaner is a white wine grape variety grown in Germany and Alscace. The formal name of the variety is Gruner Silvaner and is known as the grape that goes with Liebfraumilch. The variety has been grown in Europe, in Transylvania and DNA reports show that the variety is a blend between Traminer and Osterreichisch-Weib. The variety is thought to have originated in Transylvania and was introduced in Germany after the Thirty Years War. The name Silvaner is linked with the Latin words for woods or wild, which led some to believe that the variety is related to wild vines. It was the most planted variety of wine grapes in Germany until Muller-Thurgau in the late 1900s. The variety was typically blended into Liebfraumilch, but overgrowth and overproduction produced negative results for the variety. In Franconia, however, the variety has remained popular. Silvaner is not typically oaked because the rich and fruit flavors of the wine would be overpowered by the oak. The grapes produce wines that are less acidic than Riesling wines, and the color of Silvaner wines tend to be pale. The aroma of these fine wines contain aromas of elderberry, basil, and fern, and pairs well with seafood or asparagus.