Mitteilungen Klosterneuburg 59 (2009): 199-208 Reconstructing the heritages of 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' and 'Sauvignon blanc' from crossings with 'Traminer' by SSR analyses FERDINAND REGNER and ROBERT HACK Lehr- und Forschungszentrum Wein- und Obstbau A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Wiener Straûe 74 E-mail: [email protected] 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' is the main variety in Austrian viticulture. About 30 % of the national production is obtained from this grapevine. Due to the importance of the variety for the Austrian production it is not satisfying to define its origin only as traditional and unknown. By means of more than 120 SSR markers it was feasible to confirm the parentage of the variety 'Traminer'. Fortuitously we could recognize the second parent of 'GruÈ ner Veltliner'. But this grapevine survived as a single plant without a name and still without reference vine therefore still nameless. Concerning the phenotype this unnamed variety seems to be more similar to 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' than to 'Traminer', the other parent. Huge worldwide importance is attributed to the variety 'Sauvignon blanc'. In France more than 25000 ha are planted with 'Sauvignon', in oversea countries like New Zealand, Australia and others acreages are in- creasing. The origin of the variety was not clear and even the heritage was unknown. Numerous SSR analyses allo- wed to recognize the parentage as a cross of 'Traminer' x 'Chenin blanc'. So 'Traminer' could be determined once more as parental vine of a high quality grapevine variety. 'Traminer' seems to be one of the key varieties for the de- velopment of the Mid European diversity of grapevine. Keywords: heritage, clones of grapevine, genetic analysis, SSR markers, origin, outcrossing Ermittlung der Abstammung von 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' und 'Sauvignon blanc' als Kreuzungen von 'Traminer' mit SSR-Analysen. 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' ist die wichtigste Sorte des oÈsterreichischen Weinbaus. UÈ ber 30 % der heimi- schen Produktion stammen von dieser Sorte. Bei dieser uÈ berragenden Stellung der Sorte ist als Herkunftsangabe die Verwendung als traditionelle Rebsorte und deren unbekannte Herkunft nicht zufriedenstellend. Mittels Mikrosatel- litenanalyse wurden uÈ ber 120 Genorte untersucht, um die Beziehung der Rebsorte zur vermuteten Herkunft aus ei- ner Traminer-Kreuzung zu uÈ berpruÈ fen. Durch Zufall konnte mittlerweile eine zweite Rebe als Elternsorte identifi- ziert werden. Diese Rebe konnte bisher keiner bekannten Sorte zugeordnet werden, was eine genaue Bezeichnung mit einem Sortennamen verhindert hat. Ampelographische Untersuchungen zeigten, dass diese Rebe phaÈnotypisch der Sorte 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' aÈhnlicher ist als die andere Elternsorte 'Traminer'. Eine sehr groûe Bedeutung hat fuÈr Frankreich die Sorte 'Sauvignon blanc'. Es sind zur Zeit ca. 25.000 ha mit der Rebe alleine in Frankreich bestockt. Insbesondere Neuseeland, Australien und anderen UÈ berseelaÈndern ist die Tendenz steigend. Die Herkunft und Ab- stammung der Sorte lag ebenfalls im Dunkeln und konnte nunmehr durch zahlreiche Analysen mittels SSR-Mar- kern als eine Kreuzung zwischen 'Traminer' und 'Chenin blanc' identifiziert werden. Damit erweist sich einmal mehr die Sorte 'Traminer' als eine SchluÈ sselsorte zur Entwicklung der heutigen Rebsorten. SchlagwoÈ rter: Abstammung, Rebklone, Genetische Analyse, SSR-Marker, Herkunft, Auskreuzung DeÂtermination de l'origine du 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' et du 'Sauvignon blanc' en tant que croisements de 'Traminer' aÁ l'aide d'analyses SSR. 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' est le ceÂpage le plus important de la viticulture autrichienne. Plus de 30 % de la production nationale proviennent de ce ceÂpage. Vu le positionnement exceptionnel de ce ceÂpage, il n'est pas satisfaisant que la deÂclaration d'origine mentionne l'utilisation en tant que ceÂpage traditionnel et son origine incon- nue. Plus de 120 loci ont eÂte examineÂs par voie d'analyse des microsatellites afin de veÂrifier si le ceÂpage est reÂellement 199 Mitteilungen Klosterneuburg 59 (2009): 199-208 Regner et al. issu d'un croisement du Traminer, son origine preÂsumeÂe. C'est par hasard qu'une deuxieÁme vigne a pu eÃtre identifieÂe comme ceÂpage parent entre-temps. Jusqu'aÁ preÂsent, cette vigne n'a pu eÃtre attribueÂe aÁ aucun ceÂpage connu, ce qui a empeÃcheÂsadeÂsignation exacte par un nom de varieÂteÂ. Les essais d'ampeÂlographie ont montre que, du point de vue du pheÂnotype, cette vigne ressemble plus au ceÂpage 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' que l'autre ceÂpage parent, le 'Traminer'. Pour la France, le ceÂpage 'Sauvignon blanc' est d'une treÁs grande importance. AÁ l'heure actuelle, rien qu'en France, cette vigne est cultiveÂe sur preÁs de 25 000 ha. La tendance est aÁ la hausse, notamment en Nouvelle-ZeÂlande, en Au- stralie et d'autres pays d'outre-mer. L'origine et l'ascendance du ceÂpage eÂtaient eÂgalement incertaines et le ceÂpage a pu eÃtre identifieÂreÂcemment aÁ l'aide de nombreuses analyses au moyen de marqueurs SSR comme un croisement en- tre le 'Traminer' et le 'Chenin blanc'. Par laÁ, le ceÂpage 'Traminer' se reÂveÁle de nouveau eÃtre un ceÂpage-cle dans le deÂ- veloppement des ceÂpages modernes. Mots cleÂs: Ascendance, clones de vignes, analyse geÂneÂtique, marqueurs SSR, origine, croisement The grapevine variety 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' contributes could be the wrong definition of this variety as a about 30 % to the national grape production of Austria. green-berried type of the variety 'Roter Veltliner' in Therefore this variety is the most important one for the 19th century. There are also white- and brown-be- Austrian winegrowers (AMBROSI et al., 1994). In some rried types of 'Roter Veltliner'. Especially the brown- of the viticultural areas like Kremstal and Kamptal 75 berried type was widespread and in former times one % of the total area are planted with 'GruÈ ner Veltliner'. of the most important grapes for the local viticulture. (www.weinausoesterreich.at). Besides the 16700 ha in In some regions growers call the variety ªOÈ sterreicherª Austria it should be mentioned that there are about as it was very popular in Austria. The grapevines 'Brau- 4000 ha in Slovakia, 2000 ha in Hungary and 1800 in ner Veltliner' and 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' look very similar the Czech Republic as well as small areas in Italy (REG- under certain circumstances. That was the reason for NER, 2007). These data show that 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' has mixing them up without noticing the mistake. Never- to be accounted one of the important varieties of Eu- theless the variety 'Roter Veltliner' is the original one rope. Cultivation of 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' was even started and is placed at the centre of this family. When in books at Umpqua Valley in the U.S. (www.wine.appellationa- before the 19th century the name 'Veltliner' was men- merica.com). tioned, it always meant 'Roter Veltliner'. BABO and The variety is known as traditional with unknown ori- MACH (1881) declared that the misnaming was already gin. It was confirmed that from the botanical point of spread so far that they didn't want to change anything view the synonym 'Weiûgipfler' would better describe despite their better knowledge. morphologic characteristics of the vine. In former stu- About the heritage no knowledge was available beside dies it could be recognized that the variability within the wrong parentage of 'Roter Veltliner'. We have suffi- the 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' variety is not as high as estimated cient information about the area where 'GruÈ ner Veltli- th before (REGNER et al., 2008). ner' was cultivated in the 19 century. The variety The name 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' is rather young and didn't sometimes was planted despite the ban by the local exist at the beginning of the 19th century. Former de- nobles. signations of this variety were 'Weiûgipfler' or 'GruÈn- BURGER (1837) was convinced that the centre of the cul- muskateller'. BABO and MACH (1881) defined the variety tivation of this variety (he called it Plinia austriaca) was as 'GruÈ ner Veltliner' for the first time. But it seems that located north of the Danube in the area around Retz, the designation was of sufficient quality to recognize especially within the villages Pulkau, Zellerndorf, the variety and to confirm that the former names were Haugsdorf and Stinkenbrunn but also along the roads true synonyms. From the botanical point of view 'GruÈ- to BruÈ nn and Horn. There the vineyards were planted ner Veltliner' is not a genuine Veltliner variety and the with only one variety although it was usual at that better denomination would be the synonym 'Weiûgipf- time to mix different varieties in the same vineyard. It ler'. is amazing that BURGER (1837) included the variety in GOETHE (1887) favoured 'Weiûgipfler' as the correct one family with 'Rotgipfler' and 'Rheinriesling'. Both name for this variety. Comparing it with 'Rotgipfler', varieties show according to today's knowledge a paren- both varieties seem to be closely related as both show tage of 'Traminer'. 'Traminer' as a parental plant. But why is this variety SCHAMS (1832), who reported about the guidelines for called 'Veltliner'? The reasons remain unclear. One viticulture in the city of Pressburg in 1804, mentions 200 Mitteilungen Klosterneuburg 59 (2009): 199-208 Regner et al. an appeal of the mayor of the town to avoid cultivation the viticultural regions of the Jura, Loire and Alsace of 'GruÈ nmuskateller' (synonym of 'GruÈ ner Veltliner') are candidates for the origin, but not Bordeaux or as it was considered to be a mass producer with low Sauternes. wine quality. He also mentioned that the name 'Muska- For the Austrian production it can be confirmed that teller' has nothing to do with true 'Muskat' varieties. the variety was firstly planted for an economic wine Moreover the question arose if 'GruÈ nmuskateller' was production to a greater extent during the time of ree- an individual variety and not identical to 'GruÈ ner Velt- stablishing the vineyards to avoid Phylloxera damage. liner'. It also was supposed that 'GruÈ nmuskateller' was TRUMMER (1841 and 1855) did not mention the variety an ancient type of today's variety.