Tinta Cão is a red
Portuguese wine grape variety
This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...
that has been grown primarily in the
Douro region since the sixteenth century. The vine produces very low
yields which has led it close to
extinction
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
despite the high quality of wine that it can produce. Improvements in bilateral
cordon training
The use of vine training systems in viticulture is aimed primarily to assist in canopy management with finding the balance in enough foliage to facilitate photosynthesis without excessive shading that could impede grape ripening or promote grape ...
and experiments at
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institut ...
have helped to sustain the variety.
[J. Robinson ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' pg 216 Mitchell Beazley 1986 ] The vine favors cooler climates and can add finesse and complexity to a wine blend.
[T. Stevenson ''"The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia"'' pg 335 Dorling Kindersley 2005 ]
Synonyms
Spanish synonyms include Castellana Negra.
See also
*
List of Port wine grapes
*
List of Portuguese grape varieties
Portugal's history of viticulture and vinification covers many centuries and has included the use of an extensive number native varieties. In addition, through experimentation and field trials a number of new varieties have emerged and are now pla ...
References
Red wine grape varieties
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