The French engineer and vine breeder Philip Christian Oberlin (1831-1915) began planting experimental vineyards for grape variety comparison in 1854. Three years later, he established the private "Institute Viticole Oberlin" on the outskirts of the city of Colmar (Haut-Rhin in Alsace), which primarily served the crossing and dissemination of the new grape varieties and rootstocks he created on a large scale. By 1904, around 1,200 different varieties were already being compared there. One variety he frequently used for crossings was the Riesling.
Among the new breeds he created are Aromriesling, Augustriesling, Bouquetriesling, Bouquetsylvaner, Diamantmuskat, Edelmuskat, Feinmuskat, Feinriesling, Firnriesling, Frühgipfler, Frühriesling, Goldriesling (1), Gutknipperlé, Lafayette, Louisette, Marienriesling, Muscat de la Republique, Muscat Dore de Semis, Muskatblume, Muskatbouquet, Muskatduft, Muskatriesling, Oberlin Noir (the most successful vine), Prachttraube, and Président Carnot. Furthermore, Oberlin selected the variety Madeleine Angevine Oberlin from a seedling of the Madeleine Angevine.
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