A three way crossing of Müller-Thurgau, Madeleine Angevine and Calabrese, Reichensteiner is a white wine grape variety first bred in Germany at the end of the 1930s.
This vigorous, consistently high yielding type is grown predominantly in the Rheinhessen region of Germany as well as in New Zealand and The United Kingdom. Its neutral flavours and relatively low acidity make it a useful blending wine but it has also been vinified separately to produce varietals that are fresh and delicate with subtle fruit flavours.
With a high resistance to botrytis and other fungal diseases, Reichensteiner has proved a popular choice in breeding. At Switzerland’s Centre of Excellence for Agricultural Research, crossings between this grape and the red variety Gamay have produced the hybrids Gamaret, Garanoir and Mara.
