The St. Laurent grape variety, also known as Sankt Laurent and Saint Laurent, is a red grape that is mainly cultivated in Eastern Europe, including Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Here, it thrives thanks to a cooler, ventilated climate. This highly aromatic grape is renowned for its richness of aroma, with notes of black cherry, blueberry and plum, as well as distinctive spicy and earthy flavours, and is winning fans around the world. The palate is fresh and delicate, with consistently velvety tannins. St. Laurent is often used as a blending varietal, where it can add complexity and depth to a blend, but it can also be used to produce single varietal wines that showcase the unique characteristics of this grape. This variety has a special affinity for oak and is therefore often aged in barrels. The result is always a rich, full-bodied and truly satisfying wine. Its origins are shrouded in mystery; it is believed that St. Laurent is the result of a cross of Pinot Noir with an unknown second parent. This is confirmed by DNA research conducted at HBLAWO Klosterneuberg in Austria by Dr. Ferdinand Regner. In this research, the second parent of the hybridisation could not be matched. St. Laurent is the second most cultivated red grape variety in the Czech Republic and grows in all wine sub-regions of both Moravia and Bohemia. It comprises approximately 6% of the total vineyard area, or approximately 1,100 hectares. In Austria, it is the third most popular and is mainly cultivated in Lower Austria and Burgenland, which has been growing steadily since the 2000s.