Do you love a salacious story? Dig deep into the origins of this uniquely Austrian wine and you will uncover one fit for the tabloids. A lusciously fruity red bursting with flavours of red berries and herbal spice, it was crafted by famed Austrian winemaker Gernot Heinrich. With this wine, Heinrich blended two of Austria’s most prized grapes—Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt—and then added in some St-Laurent and other grapes for good measure.

The story starts with Blaufränkisch, a commonly grown grape that flourishes in parts of Eastern and Southern Europe. It is even found throughout the United States and Canada, where it is usually called by the easier-to-pronounce name of Lemberger.

The story takes a twist when we talk about its blending partner Zweigelt, the most widely planted red grape in Austria today. Zweigelt is what viticulturalists call an ‘intraspecific cross’, which means it is the offspring of two grape varieties of the same species, in this case European Vinifera. And who are its parents? None other than Blaufränkisch and St-Laurent.

Zweigelt is a high-quality grape capable of crafting delicious wine that was developed as recently as 1922 by Austrian scientist Fritz Zweigelt. But, because he was a member of the Nationalist Socialist party that collaborated with the Nazis, Dr. Zweigelt has never been lauded as a national hero in his homeland. In fact, some have proposed the grape should be given the less controversial and easier-to-remember name of ‘Blauer Montag’ (Blue Monday). What do you think? Find it at Osteria Rialto on Bloor.