BABOSO NEGRO
Red. See Bastardo negro
BALADÍ
White. Native of Spain (La Rioja) and cultivated in Andalusia, Canary Islands, Valencia and La Rioja. It is a grape that needs a lot of sun, whose clusters are large and compact. Berries are large with a yellow color. The wines made from this grape are pale with fruity aromas without much alcohol. It is often used mixed with other varieties. Also known by Baboso Blanco, Bastardo Blanco, Calagraño, Jaén, Jaén Blanco y Valadí.
BASTARDO BLANCO
White. See Baladí
BASTARDO NEGRO
Red. Clusters are small, compact with small berries, high sugar content and medium acidity. Also known as Bastardo (Canary Islands, Portuguese) Batardinho (Portuguese), Gros Cabernet (French), María Ordoña, Merenzao (Galicia), and Trousseau (French).
BEBA
The grape Beba, or Eva, is a white grape variety, used for the production of wine and grapes. It is also knowned as Beba de los Santos or Beba dorada. The grapes are large, round, with a yellowish green color. it produces fresh and fruity wines. It is authorized in Extremadura, used by the DO Ribera del Guadiana.
BERMEJUELA
White. See Marmajuelo
BOBAL
A red grape which can give wines very rich colouring. Although its quality is debated, it yields good rosé wines. Found mainly in Valencia, Cuenca and Albacete.
BONICAIRE
Red. Also known as embolicaire in Valencia. It is a grape variety for the production of wine allowed in Murcia and Valencia.
BORBA
White. Widely found in the wine-growing areas of Extremadura. It is quite prolific, but does not offer high quality.
BRANCELLAO
Red. Native to Galicia. It is one of the Rías Baixas DO’s authorised varieties, although it is very rare and in danger of extinction. It can produce good quality wine.
CABERNET FRANC
Red. Originated in Bordeaux, like Cabernet Sauvignon, but yields softer wines. This variety is thought to be related to Mencía, which is plentiful in some areas of Galicia and Castile.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Red. Originally from the French Médoc, it is now found on every continent. In Spain, it is planted principally in Catalonia, Navarre and Ribera del Duero, although it is being tried out in many other regions of Spain as well.
CALAGRAÑO
White. One of the Rioja’s old native varieties, this grape yielded white wines which, although hard and coarse, responded well to ageing. Today it is considered extinct by the DOCa Rioja Regulatory Council, but apparently some stock can still be found in the vicinity of San Asensio and certain other parts of La Rioja.
CALLET
Red. Native of the Balearic Islands. It is a grape with little structure, which does not give many tannins, and produces high alcohol wines. It is often mixed with Cabernet, Manto Negro or Tempranillo to gain in complexity and better withstand the barrel aging.
CARIÑENA
Red. Produces robust, balanced wines. An excellent complement to Garnacha, it is widely planted in Catalonia and La Rioja, where it is known as “Mazuela”. It is also considered a main variety in Calatayud, Costers del Segre, Penedés, Tarragona and Terra Alta DOs.
CARMÉNÈRE
Red. Native of the Medoc region in France, it extinguished almost from all of Europe due to phylloxera. The highest concentration of this varietal is given today in Chile. It produces high colored and full body wines, with aromas where green notes and paprika stand out.
CARRASQUIN
Red. Native varietal of Asturias, with little flavor and low acidity and little color intensity. Attractive mainly for the production of rosé wines.
CASTELLANA
Red. Native variety of the Canary Islands. Authorized under DO Ycoden-Daute-Isora
CAYETANA
White. High yield grape. Found in Badajoz (99%) and Cáceres.
CAÍÑO
White or red. Another rare Galician variety. The red grape is a main variety in Ribeiro DO, and an authorised variety in Rías Baixas DO. The white grape is authorised in Rías Baixas.
CAÍÑO TINTA
Red. Native of Galicia. It’s a late ripening grape; its clusters are medioum size and not very compact. Its berries have a dark blue color.
CENCIBEL
The name given to Tempranillo in certain regions in the centre and south of Spain. See Tempranillo.
CHARDONNAY
White. Very fine, high quality grape which makes aromatic wines that give good results without long ageing. Originally from Burgundy, it is covered by the regulations on sparkling wines, and by those of Costers del Segre and Navarra DOs.
CHENÍN BLANC
White. Native of the Anjou area in the Loire Valley (France). Their clusters are medium sized and compact. Used to produce dry white, semi-dry and even sweet wines. In view shows a faint greenish-yellow with some reflections, leading to gold with hazelnut and honey aromas. On the palate it has a balanced acidity with apples, white peaches and hazelnuts flavors. It is grown in the DO Penedés
CIGÜENTE
White. See Doña Blanca
COLOMBARD
White. Grape of French origin, also known as Colombo and Colombier in France, or French Colombard in California. Their clusters are medium, long, cylindrical, often double, with long peduncles. The berries are medium in short oval form, green yellow color with high levels of acidity when ripe.