Origin: The variety was bred in 1882 by Prof. Herrmann Müller from Thurgau (Switzerland) at the then Royal Institute for Fruit, Wine and Horticulture in Geisenheim. In 1891 Müller went to the Eidgenössische Versuchs- und Lehranstalt in Wädenswil, Switzerland. He further cultivated 150 seedlings of this interbreeding and selected the most valuable, which he propagated. In 1913, the first 100 Müller-Thurgau vines were returned to Germany. From 1945 onwards, large numbers of the variety were planted in the course of the conversion to grafted vines. The variety has held its own in medium and low locations and occupied first place in the German grape variety index from the 1970s to 1996.

Interbreeding: Recent genetic analyses have established that the variety is an interbreeding between White Riesling and Madeleine Royale. 

Characteristics: The leaves are medium-sized, deeply arched, three- to five-lobed and strongly corrugated. The variety has a medium bud burst time and is strong-growing. Müller-Thurgau has a good stability to flowering and a high flowering rate, which means that yield-reducing measures may be necessary. The variety ripens early to medium early and is yield stable with potential for highest yields. Susceptibility to fungal diseases is high, making a well-ventilated foliage wall very important for healthy harvesting. 

Grape: The grapes are medium to large and loosely to densely clustered. The berries are medium-sized, oval and yellowish-green in colour. They are also slightly fragrant with juicy berry flesh and a distinct muscat bouquet.

Wine: Müller-Thurgau produces predominantly juicy-light or also fragrant-elegant quality wines with a pleasant muscat tone and mild acidity. Depending on the location, these are more or less flowery. The wine develops early and is often used as a blending partner.

Cultivation: These are low to medium, which means that the variety also produces appealing quality wines in less demanding vineyard sites. On better sites, Müller-Thurgau also produces high-quality wines. The white wine variety needs deep soils with a good water supply. 

Clones

• The standard clone FR 3 is widely grown and produces stable yields with good must weights.
   
• The clones Gm 68-10 and Gm 68-13 are hard-skinned. Due to the firm berry skin, they are less susceptible to Botrytis. The must acidity is comparable to the traditional clones and the yield is minimally lower, but a yield reduction is still necessary. The result is Müller-Thurgau wines that are typical of the variety.
  
  
• The aromatic clone Gm 68-16 differs significantly from the other clones due to its earlier grape ripening. It produces smaller grapes with a high proportion of smaller berries, which results in lower yields and higher must weights. The botrytis risk is comparable to the traditional clones. The wine has a more pronounced muscat-like aroma due to the higher proportion of skins.