Alvarelhão
Grape (Vitis)
Color of berry skinNoir
SpeciesVitis vinifera
Also called(more)
OriginPortugal
Notable regionsDouro, Dão
Notable winesDão
VIVC number1650

Alvarelhão is a red wine grape grown in northern Portugal.

History

Alvarelhão must have originated in northern Portugal, but little is known of its ancestry. DNA studies have shown some similarity to Esgana Cão.[1]

Distribution and Wines

Portugal

In Portugal there are 470 hectares of either Alvarelhão or the grape called Brancelho.[2] It is blended into red wine in the Dão region. It is said to be part of the port wine blend in the Douro, although it is not mentioned on the IVDP website as one of the main 11 red grapes of the Douro.[3]

Spain

In Spain Alvarelhão is grown as Brancellao, where they also use the synonym of Albarello.[4] It is one of the authorised varieties in the Galician wine regions of Rías Baixas DOP and Ribeira Sacra. Although similar in name, it is different from Albariño.

United States

There have been some experiments with the port grapes in California. It is possible that some vines have been misidentified, as the University of California, Davis clone Alvarelhão FPMS 02 has now been confirmed as a Touriga Nacional.

Vine and Viticulture

Having evolved in the Dão, the vine is both rough and hardy, having strong defenses against temperature extremes and inclement weather.

Synonyms

Alvarelhao, Alvarello, Locaia, Pilongo and Varancelha.[5]

German sources, including de:Brancelho, refer to a Brancelho grape used in Vinho Verde whose synonyms include Alvarelhão Ceitão, Varancelho and Verancelha. It is not certain that this is the same grape as Alvarelhão.

Spanish synonyms include Brancellao and Albarello.

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ M.S. Lopes, K.M. Sefc, E. Eiras Dias, H. Steinkellner, M. Laimer da Câmara Machado, A. da Câmara Machado The use of microsatellites for germplasm management in a Portuguese grapevine collection Theor Appl Genet (1999) 99:733–739
  2. ↑ de:Weinbau in Portugal#Rote Rebsorten
  3. ↑ "Vine's Cultivation". Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
  4. ↑ J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours ISBN 978-1-846-14446-2
  5. ↑ Maul, E.; Eibach, R. (June 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 27 April 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-29.

Further reading

  • Robinson, Jancis Vines, Grapes & Wines Mitchell Beazley 1986 ISBN 1-85732-999-6
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