The descendance of Welschriesling is uncertain. The
German name Welschriesling literally means '
Romanic Riesling' (cf.
Walhaz), and most of the synonyms in Central Europe are variations on '
Italian Riesling'. Welschriesling may have been brought to Central Europe by the ancient
Romans. However, the
Croatian name Graševina suggests that the origin might be somewhere to the east of the
Balkans.
In
Croatia, Graševina is the most planted white
grape variety. It is grown in all the inland wine regions, particularly in
Kutjevo municipality and around
Ilok, both in the far east of the country.
In
Slovenia, Welschriesling is known as laški rizling ('Italian Riesling') as opposed to renski rizling ('Rhine Riesling'; i.e., Riesling proper). It is grown in the
Lower Styria region of eastern Slovenia, produces dry to medium-dry wines in the
Vipava Valley in western Slovenia, and is cultivated in
White Carniola to the southeast with well-known superior quality wines.
Names in other languages
Aminea Gemela, Biela Sladka, Bielasladka Grasica, Glasica, Grasavina Talijanska, Grasevina, Graševina, Grašac, Grasica, Groshevina, Italianski Rizling, Laški Rizling, Nemes Olasz Rizling, Olaszrizling, Olasz Rizling, Petit Riesling, Petracine, Rakusky Rizling, Riesler, Riesli, Riesling, Riesling Italian, Riesling Italico, Risling Italyanskii, Risling Vlashskii, Rismi, Rizling Italico, Rizling vlašský, Talianska Graseviana, Talijanski Rizling, Vlasak,[3] Italian Riesling, Ryzlink vlašský, Ryzlink
^Maul, E.; Eibach, R. (1999).
"Vitis International Variety Catalogue". Information and Coordination Centre for Biological Diversity (IBV) of the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE), Deichmanns Aue 29, 53179 Bonn, Germany. Archived from
the original on 2012-04-14. Retrieved 2007-04-15.