Zweigelt was created from a Blaufränkisch and St Laurent crossing and combines the positive qualities of the two varieties on the one hand and, on the other, forms the Austrian red wine holy trinity along with them. Prof Zweigelt crossed it in 1922 in Klosterneuburg, but the name was Rotburger at that time. The latter is a must-see, not only because of its abbey but also because of the vine breeding centre. The variety has borne the name of its crosser since 1975 at the suggestion of Lens Mozer!
Nowadays, Zweigelt is Austria’s most common black grape variety, with 6,426 hectares cultivated in Austria, representing 13.8% of its total vineyard area.
