Knipperlé is a traditional
French variety of white wine grape from
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...
. It's not listed for use in
AOC wine, but is a minor component of blends for local drinking, in some ways an Alsatian equivalent of its sibling
Aligoté
Aligoté is a white grape used to make dry white wines, especially in the Burgundy region of France where it was first recorded in the 18th century.winepros.com.au. Since it is tolerant to cold, this variety is also cultivated in Eastern Eur ...
in
Burgundy
Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...
.
History
Nurseryman Johann Michael Ortlieb brought the grape to
Riquewihr in 1756. It is probably closely related to
Räuschling.
DNA fingerprinting
DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting and genetic fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual's deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) characteristics. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is cal ...
has shown that it is one of many grapes to be the result of a cross between
Gouais blanc
Gouais blanc () or Weißer Heunisch () is a white grape variety that is seldom grown today but is important as the ancestor of many traditional French and German grape varieties. The name ''Gouais'' derives from the old French adjective ‘ ...
(Heunisch) and
Pinot, making it a full sibling of famous varieties such as
Chardonnay
Chardonnay (, ; ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new a ...
. Gouais blanc was widely grown by the peasantry in the Medieval ages. This offered many opportunities for hybridization, and the offspring benefited from hybrid vigor as the parents were genetically quite different.
Other Gouais blanc/Pinot crosses include
Aubin vert,
Auxerrois,
Bachet noir,
Beaunoir,
Franc Noir de la Haute-Saône,
Gamay Blanc Gloriod,
Gamay
Gamay () is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire_Valley_(wine), Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as lon ...
,
Melon
A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. It can also specifically refer to ''Cucumis melo'', commonly known as the "true melon" or simply "melon". The term "melon" can apply to both the p ...
,
Peurion,
Romorantin,
Roublot, and
Sacy.
Knipperlé is a parent of the following grapes, mostly ''riparia'' hybrids with Millardet et Grasset 101-14 :
Bon noir, Colmar Precoce noir, Fin noir, Gutkniperle, Kuhlmann 252-3, Kuhlmann 274-1, Millardet Et Grasset 101-14 X Ortlieber, Neron,
Triomphe D'Alsace, Victoire
Viticulture
The vine is vigorous but yields are variable, and it is particularly susceptible to grey rot.
Wine regions
Some Knipperlé is still grown in Alsace for local consumption, but is slowly disappearing.
Synonyms
Beli Kleschiz, Breisgauer
Riesling
Riesling ( , ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling ...
, Colmer, Drobni Kleshiz, Elsaesser, Eltinger, Faktor, Gelber Ortlieber, Kauka Weiss, Kipperle, Klein Rauschling, Kleiner Gelber, Kleiner Methuesser, Klescec, Kleschiz Beli, Knackerle, Kniperle, Libiza, Mali Javor, Metsuesser Klein, Mielleux Petit, Oettlinger, Ortlibi Sarga, Ortlieber, Ortlieber A 2, Ortlieber Früh, Ortlieber Gelb, Ortlieber Grün, Ortlieber Spaet, Ortlieber Weiss, Ortlieber Weisser, Ortliebi, Ortliebske Rane, Ortliebstraube, Petit Mielleux, Raeuschling Klein, Reichenweiberer, Reichenweierer, Reichenweiherer, Rochelle, Rochelle Blanche, Roshel, Rungauer, Sibiza, Türkheimer
References
External links
VIVC Bibliography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knipperle
White wine grape varieties
French wine