The French engineer and vine grower Philip Christian Oberlin (1831-1915) began planting experimental vineyards in 1854 to compare grape varieties. Three years later, on the outskirts of Colmar (Haut-Rhin in Alsace), he set up the private "Institute Viticole Oberlin", whose main purpose was to crossbreed and disseminate the new grape varieties and rootstocks he had created on a large scale. In 1904, there were already around 1,200 different varieties in comparison. The red hybrid Oberlin Noir, which was later named after him, was the most widespread.
A grape variety frequently used by Oberlin for his crosses was Riesling. New varieties created by him include Aromatic Riesling, Augustriesling, Bouquet Riesling, Bouquetsylvaner, Diamond Muscat, Edelmuskat, Feinmuskat, Feinriesling, Firnriesling, Frühgipfler, Frühriesling, Gold Riesling (1 ), Gutknipperlé, Lafayette, Louisette, Marian Riesling, Muscat de la Republique, Muscat Dore de Semis, Mace, Muscat Bouquet, Muscat Fragrance, Muscat Riesling, Splendid Grape and President Carnot. Furthermore, Oberlin selects the variety Madeleine Angevine Oberlin from a seedling of Madeleine Angevine.
He also experimented intensively with forms of training for vines and developed the "Oberlinsche Kordon-Erziehung" and the "Oberlinsche Drahtzug". In his publications he dealt with the reconstruction of vineyards without grafted vines. The variety Gold Riesling (1) was used for new varieties at the same institute by the French breeder Eugène Kuhlmann (1858-1932).