Trummer Franz Xaver

The Austrian viticultural expert Franz Xaver Trummer (1800-1858) was one of the most important ampelographers of his time. In 1841 he published the standard work "Systematische Classification und Beschreibung der im Herzogthume Steiermark vorkommenden Rebensorten" (Systematic Classification and Description of the Varieties of Grapevines in the Duchy of Styria), which is still used in professional circles today. In 1855, he published the "Nachtrag zur systematischen Classification und Beschreibung der im Herzogthum Steiermark vorkommenden Rebensorten". In classifying the varieties, Trummer followed the classification method developed by Lambert Joseph Leopold von Babo (1790-1862) and Johann Christian Metzger (1789-1852). Following his instructions, the brothers Vinzenz (1808-1888) and Conrad Kreuzer (1810-1861) painted the illustrations of these vines over a period of 20 years. All knowledge about Austrian varieties is based on this work. At that time, today's Slovenia also belonged to the Habsburg Empire, so that the grape varieties cultivated there at that time are also included. Among other things, he identified the Vogeltraube as the parent plant of the Styrian vine Blauer Wildbacher. The Hungarian grape variety Ezerjó bears the name Trummertraube in his honour as one of its synonyms. In 1845 his work "Der praktische Weinbau von Süddeutschland und dem Herzogthume Steiermark" was published. See also under Viticultural Personalities.