Grape Guide
Neuburger
WhiteNeuburger is a white Austrian variety, a natural cross of Roter Veltliner and Silvaner, grown mainly in the Thermenregion south of Vienna and on the Leithaberg hills of Burgenland. It gives golden, full-bodied but gentle wines with a hazelnut character that deepens with a few years in bottle.
Key Characteristics
- Natural cross of Roter Veltliner and Silvaner, confirmed by DNA profiling
- Mid-ripening, usually picked in late September
- Compact bunches prone to botrytis; susceptible to downy mildew
- Tolerates drought and does best on light, shallow, poor soils
- One of four white grapes permitted in the Leithaberg DAC
Typical Flavors
Major Regions
Thermenregion (Niederösterreich) · Leithaberg (Burgenland) · Wachau (Spitz) · Neusiedlersee · Vienna · Moravia (Czech Republic) · Slovakia
Also Known As
Weisser Neuburger · Neuburger Alb · Neuburské (Czech Republic · Slovakia) · Brubler
Overview
Neuburger sits between the aromatic and the neutral white grapes. Its wines are broad and soft in texture, with moderate acidity, a nutty core and at most a faint spice note, rather than overt fruit. Colour is golden yellow, and alcohol is moderate, commonly around 12.5 percent. Tasters often compare it with a more rustic Pinot Blanc, though it carries more weight and a more pronounced nuttiness. Plantings have declined steadily since the late 1990s, so the variety is now a regional specialty rather than a staple. Its strongest identities are in the Thermenregion, where it grows beside Zierfandler and Rotgipfler; on the Leithaberg hills, where it is one of the four white grapes allowed in the Leithaberg DAC; and in the Wachau village of Spitz, where a few growers bottle it at Smaragd level. The nutty character usually needs a year or two to emerge, and most wines drink best within about five years, although the best can go further.
Origins & History
Neuburger was long assumed to be a cross of Pinot Blanc and Silvaner. DNA profiling in the 1990s overturned this and identified its parents as Roter Veltliner and Silvaner, a pairing that probably occurred spontaneously in Austria. The grape therefore shares both parents with Frühroter Veltliner. Rotgipfler and Zierfandler have Roter Veltliner as one parent, which makes them half-siblings, and through Silvaner Neuburger is a grandchild of Savagnin. The origin story is local tradition rather than a documented record. In the 1860s, cuttings were reportedly found washed up on the bank of the Danube near Oberarnsdorf in the Wachau and planted by growers including Christoph Ferstl, who made the first wine in 1872. The name is traditionally traced to the Burg site at Spitz, across the river, where the vines were later established. Drought tolerance helped the grape spread in the dry Spitzer Graben long before Wachau vineyards could be irrigated. Once irrigation allowed other varieties to thrive there, Wachau plantings fell and the centre of the variety moved to the Thermenregion and northern Burgenland. It also reached Moravia, Slovakia and Romania, and was used by Czech breeders as a parent of the variety Aurelius.
Viticultural Characteristics
Neuburger ripens in mid-season and is usually harvested in the second half of September. Bunches are compact, which raises the risk of botrytis, and the vine is weak against downy mildew, with medium resistance to powdery mildew. Berries tend to split after autumn rain. Winter frost resistance is poor. In its favour, the variety copes well with drought and prefers light, shallow or poor soils, where it gives lower, more concentrated yields; typical yields run from about 30 to 65 hl/ha depending on site and management. Older vines can suffer from short-internode degeneration, which stunts growth and cuts yield, so vineyard selection and healthy planting material matter more than with sturdier varieties.
Wine Styles & Characteristics
Neuburger is mostly vinified dry and released as a varietal still white. The usual style is golden and soft rather than crisp, medium to full in body, with a nut-driven profile and perhaps a hint of spice. One or two years in bottle generally bring out its best, as the texture turns more velvety. In the Wachau, the growers who work with it release the wine at Federspiel and Smaragd levels, and the richer examples come from the terraces of the Spitzer Graben. In Burgenland the grape may be bottled as a Leithaberg DAC white, where it shares the category with Grüner Veltliner, Weissburgunder and Chardonnay. Late-harvest wines can be full-bodied and are made as dessert styles. Sparkling wine rarely uses the variety, and it has little international profile, so Austria absorbs most of what is produced.