Ortega (grape)

Ortega
Grape (Vitis)
Color of berry skinBlanc
SpeciesVitis vinifera
Also calledWürzburg B 48-21-4
OriginGermany
Notable regionsRheinhessen
VIVC number8811

Ortega is a grape variety used for white wine. It was created in 1948 by Hans Breider at the Bayerischen Landesanstalt für Wein-, Obst- und Gartenbau in Würzburg and was released with varietal protection in 1981.[1] It is a cross between Müller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe.[2] Breider chose to name the variety in honour of the Spanish poet and philosopher José Ortega y Gasset.

Ortega ripens early, is not sensitive to frost and reaches quite high must weights, typically 20 degrees Oechsle higher than Müller-Thurgau. It is therefore often used for sweet wines, which are considered to improve with cellaring. Ortega wines have aromas of Muscat and peach and are high in extract.[1]

Ortega is also used as a table grape.

In 2016, there were 475 hectares (1,170 acres) of Ortega in Germany, with a decreasing tendency.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Wein-Plus Glossar: Ortega, accessed January 23, 2013
  2. ^ Vitis International Variety Catalogue: Ortega Archived 2012-04-30 at the Wayback Machine, accessed on April 13, 2008
  3. ^ German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2017-2018