The red grape variety probably comes from Austria. There are about 40 synonyms, the most important ones grouped alphabetically by country are Saint Laurent, Schwarze Lorenztraube, Schwarzer(Germany); Saint Laurent(France); Blauer St. Laurent, Laurenzitraube, Saint Laurent, Saint-Lorentz, Sankt Laurent(Austria); Svätovavrinecké(Slovakia); Lovricanka, Lovrijenac, Sentlovrenka(Slovenia); Svatovavřinecké, Vavrinak, Vavřinecké(Czech Republic) The village of St. Laurent in the Médoc, however, has no connection with the vine, as the ampelographer Victor Vermorel (1848-1927) already suspected. Probably none of the other places was named St. Laurent or similar to the place that gave its name. Rather, St. Laurent is probably derived from St. Laurent and his memorial day 10 August and refers to the beginning of ripening.
The tree nursery of the Baumann brothers in Bollwiller, Alsace, introduced the variety from Austria in French Alsace at the beginning of the 19th century. The German viticulture pioneer Johann Philipp Bronner (1792-1864) brought it from France to Germany in the middle of the 19th century. For this reason, Alsace is also mentioned in some sources as a possible origin. According to DNA analyses carried out by Dr. Ferdinand RegnerKlosterneuburg, Lower Austria), it is probably a descendant of Pinot or a Pinot-like variety. However, this is doubted by the Swiss biologist Dr. José Vouillamoz, who thinks it could be the independent Pinot Saint-Laurent. The vine was a cross-breeding partner of the new varieties André, Ariana, Baron, Cabernet Carbon, Laurot, Neronet, Prior, Rondo and Zweigelt.
