White grape variety
Kerner
A German crossing of Riesling and Schiava, grown in Germany and notably in Alto Adige.
What is Kerner?
Kerner has Riesling-like acidity with a slightly more overt aromatic character, and performs particularly well at altitude in Alto Adige.
Bred in Württemberg in 1929 from Schiava Grossa and Riesling.
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue, maintained by the Julius Kühn Institute, holds this variety as accession 6123 under the prime name KERNER, with berry skin colour blanc and country of origin germany, and the pedigree "TROLLINGER X RIESLING". Checked 2026-08-17.
What it tastes like
This is the envelope across every expression of Kerner, not a description of one bottle. Wide ranges are the honest answer.
| Dimension | Typical | Range | Variation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | low-medium | Some variation | |
| Acidity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Alcohol | medium | Some variation | |
| Body | medium | Some variation | |
| Fruit intensity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Aromatic intensity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Oak influence | low | Consistent | |
| Savoury character | low-medium | Consistent | |
| Floral character | medium | Some variation | |
| Herbal / green character | low | Consistent | |
| Spice | low | Consistent | |
| Earthy character | low | Consistent | |
| Perceived freshness | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Texture | medium | Consistent |
Common flavours
Wines made from it
The same grape in different places and different hands. These are where the wide ranges above resolve into something specific.
Where it grows
- Rheinhessen — Germany
- Trentino-Alto Adige — Italy
If you like Kerner, try…
Every suggestion says why it is connected and what will be different.
Closest matches
What is most like this?
Scheurebe
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be more aromatic, and sweeter.
Rheinhessen Riesling
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be less floral, and more oaky.
Phoenix
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be lighter, and more floral.
Similar but lighter
Something like this, but lighter?
Kabinett
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be lighter, and leaner and more cutting.
Riesling
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be sweeter, and leaner and more cutting.
Müller-Thurgau
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be softer and rounder, and more neutral and subtle.
Similar but lower in alcohol
Something like this, but less alcoholic?
Spätlese
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be fruitier, and fresher and more acidic.
Kabinett
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be lighter, and lighter in alcohol.
Riesling
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be lighter, and sweeter.
Similar but fuller
Something like this, but richer?
Pfalz Riesling
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be less floral, and more oaky.
Malagousia
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be drier, and softer and rounder.
Vidal
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be less floral, and sweeter.
What to eat with it
Ranked by WineHQ's pairing engine, which reasons from the structure of the dish.
Fillet steak
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Salmon
Works because the dish is rich, and acidity cuts through fat and refreshes the palate.
Asparagus
Works because bitterness in the dish and tannin in the wine accumulate rather than balance.
Salmon in a cream sauce
Works because the dish is rich, and acidity cuts through fat and refreshes the palate.
Trout
Works because low tannin avoids the metallic interaction with fish.
Turkey
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
How to serve it
Temperature
9–12°C
48–54°F · Fridge cold
From a 20°C room, roughly two to three hours in the fridge, or about 20 minutes in a bucket of ice and water.
Decanting
No need to decant
Nothing about this wine suggests it needs decanting. Light, aromatic and sparkling wines generally lose more than they gain.
Glass
Universal wine glass
A medium tulip-shaped glass handles almost everything well. If you own one set of glasses, this is the set to own — the difference between a good universal glass and a grape-specific one is far smaller than the difference between a good glass and a bad one.
Ageing
Most wines made from this grape are for drinking now, but certain styles reward keeping.
A Riesling × Schiava cross with genuinely high acidity, which is why the Alto Adige and Mosel examples hold better than most German crossings. Usually drunk young; the best mountain-grown bottlings develop a Riesling-like character over several years.
Family tree
Established by DNA analysis. Ampelography alone could not have found these relationships.
Sources
Sources consulted
- Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) — Julius Kühn-Institut, Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof
- Deutsches Weininstitut (German Wine Institute) — DWI