Dunkelfelder

Intersection of Madeleine Angevine × Teinturier du Cher

Dark Fields is a red grape variety. It is a cross between Madeleine Angevine x dyer grape ( Teinturier du Cher ). The original details of the breeder, if it were a cross between Blue Portugal and dyers grape could be disproved in the meantime by DNA analysis. The new variety was already the beginning of the 20th century by Gustav Adolf Fröhlich ( 1847-1912 ) from Edenkoben, but the variety eked out for years in the shadows in the hatcheries.

The name Dunkelfelder she received in the Geisenheim Research Institute in allusion to the dark color of the juice. The vine thus belongs to the family of dyers grapes. Since 1980 the plant variety protection for the dark fields.

The variety is often used for color support as a cover in wine blends. Small holdings are registered in Switzerland and in the south of England.

Ampelographic varietal characteristics

In the ampelography the habit is described as follows:

• The shoot tip is open. It is dichtwollig hairy to tomentose.
• The medium-sized leaves are five-lobed and sinuate medium low. The petiole is V-shaped open to touching. The leaves are coarsely toothed. The leaf surface (also called lamina ) is colored dark green. From the month of August, the leaf becomes discolored blotchy red.
• The cone-shaped bunch is medium, wide and mitteldichtbeerig. The slightly oval berries are blue-black color. The berry is scented and neutral to slightly acidic taste.

The dark fields can be harvested 15-20 days after Chasselas. The grape drives out very early and is thus sensitive to any late spring frosts. Due to its good wood maturity, the winter hardiness of the dark fields is sufficiently well and thus better than the Blue Portuguese.

The vines are not very demanding in terms of the soil, and provide good returns. Dark fields is sensitive to frost, drought and fungal diseases such as downy mildew. In addition, tends very quickly to raw rot. In the case of infection with the transmitted by nematodes fanleaf disease of crop failure is stronger when compared with other varieties on the average.

The wine has a dark fields black red color development and a full-bodied and lingering taste. The acid expression (→ acid (wine) ) is rather moderate, which many consumers accommodates ( acid sensitivity). With the high dye content, a high tannin associated ( see also the article phenols in wine) goes. Due to its characteristics, it is also suitable for aging in oak barrels (barriques ). In short maceration rosé wines may arise.

Distribution in Germany

In Germany 362 hectares ( = 0.4 % of German vineyards ) were planted with the grape dark fields in 2007. The surface is constant for several years. In 2006 372 hectares were planted after after all, already 280 hectares were collected in 1999.

The vineyards in Germany distributed in 2007 as follows among the various regions:

Source: Statistics vineyard of 13 March 2008, Federal Statistical Office, Wiesbaden, 2008 Descriptive list of varieties of the Federal Plant Variety Office, 2008, page 198ff.