Regent is a black grape from Germany, grown in several countries but in small quantities outside its heartland.
Characteristics
As many hybrid crossings, Regent has a good resistance to diseases as well as to cold climate conditions. It provides good colour to the wines. Acidity as well as tannins are at medium level. Flavours are of cherries and black currents, with hints of red berries such as strawberries.
Wines
There are Regent dry and off-dry varietal wines to be found from several German regions, and there is actually an award for the best German Regent wine.
Food pairing
Regent is a wine that will pair excellently with a grilled dish based on veal or lamb. The wine is best served at 15-17°C/59-63°F
Where is it grown?
The only country reporting planted area Regent, and where the planting is of some size, is Germany. With its acreage of 2.122 ha/5,244 ac (a fivefold increase in ten years), it is the twelfth most planted grape in the country.
The variety is represented in eleven of thirteen regions, with most plantings in Rheinhessen (767 ha/1,895 ac), Pfalz (632 ha/1,562 ac), and Baden (306 ha/756 ac). The three regions together hold 80% of Germany’s plantings of Regent.
An additional five countries, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Italy, Hungary, and Romania also are reported to have Regent planted on their soil. These are however very small plantings, from 41 to 1 ha / 101 – 2 ac (the countries are presented in order of size of planted area). There are indications that it is grown also in USA, but this does not appear in the world wide statistics of 2010.
History
Regent has a short history. It was created in 1967 in Pfalz, Germany. The goal was to create a grape that would be able to handle cold climate conditions. Therefore the breeder chose to cross a hybrid variety, Chambourcin, with a Vitis Vinifera variety, Diana, the latter itself being a crossing of Silvaner and Müller Thurgau.