Regent Wine

Ruby red Regent with fruity notes

The most outstanding characteristic of Regent is probably its spectacularly intense color, which knows how to enhance many a pale wine. In addition, the variety scores with a velvety tannin structure and fruity notes. Good resistance to various diseases and a high yield make the wine popular with German winemakers.

History of the Regent grape variety

The Regent grape variety was bred in 1967 at the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grapevine Breeding in the Palatinate. It is a cross of the red Chambourcin with the white Diana, which in turn originated as a cross of Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau. The variety was approved in Germany only in 1995 and at the European level in 1996. Regent wine owes its name to a famous 140.5-carat diamond from India. It was set in the imperial crown of Louis XV. Later Napoleon Bonaparte had it set into a parade sword.

Taste of Regent wine

Despite its still young history, the grape variety has already developed a recognizable quality profile with high recognition value. In the glass, the wine convinces with its intense ruby color. On the palate, its velvety tannin structure unfolds, reminiscent of high-quality international red wines such as Merlot.

The fruity aroma is dominated by cherry and currant notes and is embedded in an overall mild character. The wine is excellent with a hearty snack, well-matured cheese and as a table wine for meat dishes with dark sauces such as roast lamb, beef goulash or roulades.

Cultivation of the grape variety

Regent is one of the late-blooming grape varieties, so the harvest is hardly threatened by late winter frosts. However, the variety does not thrive in cold or windy locations. Here, there is a risk of weeping - a fertilization disorder in which blossoms or small grapes are shed to a considerable extent.

Regent is also very popular with winegrowers because of its good resistance to powdery mildew (Uncinula necator), downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) and the Botrytis fungus. The defense against these diseases works in Regent without special phytosanitary measures.

Phylloxera also does not affect the leaves of the plants. However, the roots are susceptible. For this reason, the red wine variety is usually cultivated as a grafted wine. The harvest yield is impressive. In a normal year, wineries can look forward to up to 120 hectoliters of wine per hectare of vineyard.

Regent growing areas

Regent is mainly cultivated in Germany. In other European countries, the variety is grown to a lesser extent in the Netherlands, Switzerland and England. The area under vine for Regent in Germany has increased sharply since the variety was approved in 1995. In 2018, it stood at 1,784 hectares. This put Regent in 7th place among red wine varieties and 14th place among all wine varieties. Overall, Regent accounted for around 1.7 percent of the area under wine cultivation in Germany. Rheinhessen is the most important German wine-growing region for the variety, followed by the Palatinate, Baden and Franconia.

Which Regent wine is available in the VINELLO online store?

Regent is also occasionally cultivated as a single variety. However, the greater importance lies in the use for blended wines. In addition to the fruity taste Regent enriches a cuvée also by the powerful, almost into the violet playing coloring. Here are some examples of red wines with Regent from the VINELLO range:

Pinot Noir Rheingau dry: characterful red wine from Regent, Pinot Noir and Saint Laurent from the Palatinate winery Trenz; spicy bouquet and expressive body; very suitable as a gift wine and for barbecues.

Cuvée Simsalabim: a noble dry wine from the Ellermann Spiegel winery in the Palatinate; contains not only Regent but also Cabernet Sauvignon, Saint Laurent and Pinot Noir; substantial red wine with a multi-faceted fruity aroma; elegant character, perfect for romantic dinners.

Edition Rot feinherb: a semi-dry delight made from Regent and Dornfelder from the A. Diehl winery in the Palatinate; light and buoyant character with a fruity profile and pleasant res