An infinite number of people around the world will have drunk wines of this variety without ever having given a single thought to the variety itself. In France, especially in Champagne, the black Riesling is called Meunier and is an essential part of the Champagne cuvée. The 11,000 hectares of vineyards there alone help it reach tenth place in the statistics of the most cultivated grape varieties in France and allow it to take the middle place regionally between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Meunier, which is probably a mutation, was first mentioned in 1690. The early shoots of the Schwarzriesling, which is in no way related to the Riesling, increases the risk of spring frosts, but it ripens early. It produces reliable yields, but tends to run down in wet weather. In addition to Champagne, Germany is the other major center of Black Riesling, which is represented in southern Germany with a good 2,400 hectares, mainly in Württemberg, followed by Baden, the Palatinate, Rheinhessen and Franconia. Here, however, red still wines are usually produced from the variety; a few producers also produce white wines, so-called Blanc de Noirs - similar to the base wine for Champagne.
This grape variety is also known by the name of:
Auvergnat Gris, Auvernat Meunier, Blanc Meunier, Blanche Feuille, Black Cluster, Bourgogne Miller's, Enfariné, Crédinet, Blaue Postitschtraube, Cerny Mancujk, Carpinet, Frésillon, Farineux, Farineux Noir, Frühe blaue Müllerrebe, Frühe Müllerrebe, Feuille blanche, Meunier, Meunier Gris, Meusnier, Gris Meunier, Müllerrebe, Müllertraube, Müllerweib, Munier Grape, Fromenté, Fernaise, Goujean, Pinot femelle, Goujeau, Pineau Meunier, Morillon Tacone, Molnar Toke, Molnar Toke Kek, Molnarszölö, Morillon taconne, Miller Grape, Moucnik, Morone Farinaccio, Miller´s Burgundy, Miller´s Grape, Samtrot, Postitschtraube, Plant de Brie, Munier, Sarpinet, Plant Meunier, Plant Munier, Pino Meine, Rana Modra Mlinaria, Rana Modra Mlinarica, Rana Modra Molinaria, Schwarzer Riesling, Riesling Noir, Pinot Negro, Pinot mene, Noirien de Vuilapans, Noirien de Vuillapans, Noirin Enfariné, Trézillon, Resseau, Schwarzblaue Müllerrebe, Wrotham Pinot
