Dornfelder is a German variety, VIVC-recorded as a cross of Helfensteiner and Heroldrebe, bred for deep color and reliable ripening in cool climates. California's plantings are small and roughly stable, at 65 bearing acres in 2025 versus 67 five years earlier, spread across 7 counties and heavily concentrated in San Joaquin, which holds 68 percent of the statewide total. In California it remains a minor Central Valley planting.
What kind of grape this is
- Species
- VITIS VINIFERA LINNÉ SUBSP. SATIVA (DE CANDOLLE) HEGI
- Berry color
- NOIR
- Country of origin
- GERMANY
- Parentage
- HELFENSTEINER×HEROLDREBE
- Synonyms
- 2
- Approved on a US label
- Dornfelder
- FPS selections
- 1
confirmed by DNA markers
names this grape is known by elsewhere, per VIVC
the names TTB permits on a bottle
distinct clones and selections held at UC Davis
Registries
What is published
Counts describe what this atlas holds for Dornfelder, not what California grows. A zero is a published answer: it means the source names the grape and reports nothing under it, or does not name it at all.
- 66
county-years of acreage
7 counties, 65 bearing acres in 2025
- 113
district-years of crush
8 of 17 crush districts, 23 crop years
- 113
district-years of Brix
tonnage-weighted at the crusher, Crush Report Table 3
- 0
producers in this atlas
producers whose curated wine list names it — a curated roster of 2,772 producers, not a census of California
- —
regions with a maturity date
not one of the eight cultivars with a
Acreage in California
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Counties and concentration
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Where it is planted
Reported by county — never by AVA
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Share of each county's vineyard
Reported by county — never by AVA
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The counties
Reported by county — never by AVA
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Tonnage and price by district
Reported by crush district — never by county or AVA
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Brix at the crusher
Reported by crush district — never by county or AVA
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