Identification of and relationships among a number of teinturier grapevines that expanded across Europe in the early 20th century

Background and Aims: The arrival in Europe of powdery mildew (1845), phylloxera (1863) and mildew (1878) led to great interest in grapevine varieties less sensitive to these diseases, but still producing good quality wine. Standing out was a small group of teinturier vines that were once much appreciated for the colour their grapes brought to wines because of their pigmented skins and pulp. The aim of the present work was to determine the true identity of nine teinturier grapevine varieties that were collected from different vine-growing areas of northern and north-western Spain under local names. Methods and Results: This study combined the ampelographic characterisation of the leaves and the use of molecular markers (simple sequence repeats) to allow some of these varieties to be identified, the existence of a number of synonyms to be established and the relationships among some of these grapevines to be determined. Conclusions: Most of the teinturier varieties studied are related to the internationally known cultivars Morrastrel Bouschet, Alicante Bouschet, Petit Bouschet and Jacquez. The origin of the teinturier variety collected with the local name Folla Redonda is still unknown. Significance of the Study: The information provided by this research helps define the origin of commercially important teinturier varieties and may be helpful in their identification and selection for cultivation in certain vine-growing areas.