Solaris

Solaris is a variety of grape used for white wine. It was created in 1975 at the grape breeding institute in Freiburg, Germany by Norbert Becker. Pedigree Becker created Solaris by crossing the variety Merzling (which is Seyve-villard 5276 x (Riesling x Pinot gris)) as mother vine with Gm 6493 (which is Zarya Severa x Muscat Ottonel) as the father vine. Gm 6493 was one of several crossings created in Czechoslovakia in 1964 by Professor Vilém Kraus. Kraus offered several of his crosses to Dr. Helmut Becker at the Geisenheim grape breeding institute, where additional work was carried out, and where his plants were given "Gm" serial numbers for Geisenheim. Gm 6493 has previously been erroneously stated to be Saperawi Severni x Muscat Ottonel but is now identified as Zarya Severa x Muscat Ottonel. Solaris is stated as a Vitis vinifera grape, although it contains traces of hybrid grapes in its pedigree. It is an approved as a Vitis vinifera grape by EU, to grow and make wine of. It is formally listed as a Vitis vinifera cultivar. It received varietal protection in 2001.