Color of berry skin Blanc Notable regions Rheinhessen, Palatinate Sweetness of resulting wine Sweet Species Common Grape Vine | Also called Würzburg B 48-21-4 Origin Germany, Veitshöchheim Wine color White wine Notable region Rhenish Hesse | |
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Similar Huxelrebe, Siegerrebe, Morio Muscat, Common Grape Vine, Bacchus | ||
Ortega is a grape variety used for white wine. It was created in 1948 by Hans Breider at the Bayerischen Landesanstalt für Wein-, Obst- und Gartenbau in Würzburg and was released with varietal protection in 1981. It is a cross between Müller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe. Breider chose to name the variety in honour of the Spanish poet and philosopher José Ortega y Gasset.
Ortega ripens early, is not sensitive to frost and reaches quite high must weights, typically 20 degrees Oechsle higher than Müller-Thurgau. It is therefore often used for sweet wines, which are considered to improve with cellaring. Ortega wines have aromas of Muscat and peach and are high in extract.
Ortega is also used as a table grape.
In 2006, there were 686 hectares (1,700 acres) of Ortega in Germany, with a decreasing tendency. It is also found in England.
Vineyards producing wines from Ortega
Forty Hall Vineyard, Forty Hall Farm, Forty Hill, Enfield, EN2 9HA
Court Garden Vineyard & Winery, Court Gardens Farm, Orchard Lane, Ditchling, East Sussex, BN6 8TH
Fenny Castle Vineyard, Panniers Farm, Castle Lane, Worth, Wells, Somerset, UK
Larch Hills Winery Canada, Blue Grouse Winery on Vancouver Island