The white grape variety most likely originates from Austria. Synonyms grouped alphabetically by country are Cimarossa; Rothgipfler Blanc (France); Stat Kitelemac, Slatki Zelenac, Zelenac Slatki, Zelenac Slatki Bijela, Zelenika Kutjevacka (Croatia); Grober Reifler, Grüner Reifler, Raifler, Reifler, Rothgipfler, Rothreifler, Rotreifler, Rotstreifler, Weißer Reifler, Weißer Rotgipfler (Austria); Slatzki Zelenac (Slovakia); Piros Veletelini, Vöröshegyi, Vöröshegyü, Vörösrangii (Hungary). The name is derived from the bronze-red tips of the shoots.
This presumably very old variety was first mentioned in a document in 1840 in Styria, Austria. According to DNA analyses carried out by Dr Ferdinand Regner at Klosterneuburg in 2000, it is probably a natural cross between Traminer (Savagnin Blanc) x Roter Veltliner. Pinot genes are therefore also present via the parent variety. Incidentally, the autochthonous Austrian variety Zierfandler also has the same ancestry. It was a crossing partner in the new breeding of the Frühgipfler variety.
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Egon Mark
Diplom-Sommelier, Weinakademiker und Weinberater, Volders (Österreich)