From notes of dark cherry to incense and herbs, the wines of the Blaufränkisch grape are just as age-worthy as Burgundy or Bordeaux.

Here on the east coast, it’s the perfect time of year to roast a chicken or a plate of your favorite root vegetables, and we’ve picked our go-to wine to elevate simple and cozy fare. Blaufränkisch is a red grape that grows widely across Central Europe, and while its name takes a few tries to pronounce (Bla-OW-frank-ish!), it takes far less time to fall in love with this grape. Blaufränkisch lends to wines that pop with fruit–think cherry and red currants–but they’re not just about the fruit. The grape has enough structure to balance these berry notes with vibrant acidity, and a bit of tannin that turns velvety with age. If you’re able to set aside a bottle or two for cellaring, we recommend it. 

Depending on where it’s from, Blaufränkisch also reveals notes of dark herbs and pepper, especially when grown in cooler climates. It’s fresh enough for our pinot noir lovers and structured enough to entice our Bordeaux devotees. And, because we can find many examples of these wines from Austria and Hungary to Slovakia and the Czech Republic, drinking Blaufränkisch gives us a chance to learn about an undersung yet thriving swath of the winemaking world. So, at the next family party (and it’s likely many of us have a lot of these in the near-future!), you might find that the bottle of Blaufränkisch you bring ends up being the crowd favorite–you’ll just have to help everyone with their pronunciation.