Can a philosopher give a grape variety its name? He can, and curiously enough, a Spanish philosopher was the inspiration for a German grape variety: none other than the famous José Ortega y Gasset. In contrast to most new varieties of the 20th century, the creation of the Ortega only dates back to the time after the Second World War, specifically to the year 1948. Müller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe acted as parents, and the Ortega was developed by Hans Breider in Würzburg. Although the variety sprouts early, which makes it susceptible to spring frosts, it also ripens very early and is able to build up a considerable must weight. Until the 1980s, this made them particularly interesting for sweet and sweet wines, but also to a large extent for inexpensive Auslese wines. As a result of the quality revolution in Germany, stocks have declined sharply over the last 25 years because sweet wine styles are no longer in great demand. Today Ortega can still be found on a good 600 hectares of vineyards, the lion's share of which is in Rheinhessen and the Palatinate. Otherwise there are small areas in Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and Canada.
