Tinto Cão is a historic wine grape from Portugal and is primarily grown in the Douro, Dão, and Lisbon regions. It is used in port wines as well as dry table reds, roses, and dessert wines globally. Tinto Cão produces full-bodied wines with fruity and floral aromas. The variety has high vigor and good fruit quality in hot and dry climates, though yields may be relatively low. In the Parlier (Fresno County, California) trial it exhibited low to moderate yields and little rot.
Petit verdot is an old French variety, first documented in 1736. Petit Verdot ENTAV-INRA 400 was moderately productive (12 tons/acre in the central San Joaquin Valley), and late ripening. However, other clones of Petit Verdot, including FPS 1 and 2, have been found to have very low yield potential (<5 tons acre) in the San Joaquin Valley. Regardless of yield, Petit Verdot wines can be richly colored, even from grapes grown in warm or hot climates. Due to its good productivity, late ripening, and high fruit quality, it may be of particular interest to growers looking for heat tolerant red wine varieties.
Ségalin is a red wine grape (Vitis vinifera L.) variety from France that was selected from a planned cross of the varieties Jurançon noir and Portugais made in 1957 by Paul Truel. Robinson et al. (2012) described the vines as having low vigor in warmer climates, but vigor and yields were adequate in a San Joaquin Valley trial, a hot climate region. Berries accumulate very high anthocyanin content, and make deeply-colored wines, even in the San Joaquin Valley. Bunch rot was a problem in some years.
Matthew Fidelibus
M.W. Fidelibus