The Dunkelfelder is actually a crossbreed whose origin or whose parents have not been researched to date. With Gustav Adolf Fröhlich we at least know the author, but not the year in which it was created, for example. The grape variety was only given the name Dunkelfelder in 1970 by the well-known Geisenheim researcher Helmut Becker in reference to its unknown origins and its deep, dark color. The early budding sometimes causes the vine problems with spring frosts, but it also ripens quite early with a good must weight, which makes it attractive to wasps. In addition to its enormous depth of color, the aromatically rather neutral variety also has a certain body. Dunkelfelder is mostly used as a blending partner in cuvées, but it is also available as a pure varietal. In Germany, the variety is grown on an area of around 350 hectares, almost a third of which is in the Palatinate. The rest is distributed across Rheinhessen, Baden and, to a lesser extent, various other regions. With 24 hectares in Switzerland and very small areas in England and Canada, the Dunkelfelder can also be found outside of Germany.
