It was named in honor of Immanuel August Ludwig Dornfeld (1796–1869), a senior civil servant who was instrumental in creating the viticultural school in Weinsberg.

In comparison to traditional red wine varieties of Germany, Dornfelder is easier to grow than Spätburgunder, has better resistance to rot than Blauer Portugieser (as well as deeper color, more powerful flavours and more tannin), has stronger stalks than Trollinger, ripens earlier than Lemberger, and achieves higher must weights, i.e., higher natural alcohol levels than most of these varieties.

[4] Higher-quality Dornfelder wines are velvety textured, slightly floral, often show flavours of plums, blackberries or cherries, and are typically oaked.

[6] Originally created as a blending variety to add color to the pale red wines of Germany, plantings of Dornfelder were initially slow to take off.

The variety tends to be an early to mid budding and ripening grapevine with thick skins that give it good resistance to the viticultural hazards of fungal infections such as botrytis bunch rot.

From Germany, plantings of Dornfelder spread in the late 20th century to nearby Switzerland where, by 2009, there were 21 hectares (52 acres) found mostly in the cantons of Schwyz and Zürich.

[7] In the Rio Grande do Sul region of Brazil, some South American wine producers are experimenting with the variety as are Japanese winemakers on the island of Hokkaido where there 5 hectares (12 acres) of Dornfelder in production as of 2009.

[6] Due to its thick skins that are high in phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, Dornfelder tends to produce deeply colored red wines that can have a soft, rich texture in the mouthfeel.