Viticultural Information
Mourvedre
Description
Species: Vitis vinifera Wine historians suspect that the variety is of ancient origin, perhaps introduced to the Barcelona area of Spain by the Phoenicians in 500 BC. The name Mourvèdre is derived from the town of Murviedro in Valencia, and the name of Mataro is derived from the town of Mataró in Catalonia. After the sixteenth century, the variety was brought to France. The grape is thought to have arrived in California in the 1860s in the Pellier collection, a consignment of stock from France to Santa Clara Valley by Louis and Pierre Pellier. It was popular in the Santa Clara Valley in the 1870s, and by the end of the century it was included in Zinfandel vineyards in the North Coast as part of a field blend. Vineyards were also planted in Contra Costa about that time, and several are still in production. It was also popular in Riverside and San The majority of Mourvèdre vineyards in production in California are old, head-pruned vines that are minimally irrigated. Statewide average production is 3 tons per acre. Newer vineyards planted in higher densities with cordon training and vertical-shoot-positioned trellises appear to be more productive, with yields of 5 to 6 tons per acre in the North Coast. This cultivar is well-suited to vertical-shoot-positioned systems, due to its upright growth. Cordon wires are set between 30 and 40 inches. Two sets of movable foliage wires are used to keep shoots upright. In Europe, VSP systems are widely used, but the vines are smaller in stature and more closely spaced. Mourvèdre is used to make both fruity rosés and concentrated, dark-red wines with strong tannic structure. Due to a strong concentration of anti-oxidants, the wines age well, and they are often used for blending with wines more prone to oxidation, such as Grenache in the southern French appelation of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. These wines benefit from oak aging, especially if the yield per vine is limited.
People
Links
Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis is the source of Foundation grapevine material for the nursery industry, and the staff can provide information about possible sources for obtaining this stock. The National Grape Registry (NGR) contains information about varieties of wine, juice, and table grapes, raisins, and grape rootstocks available in the United States. Growers, nurseries, winemakers and researchers can find background information and source contacts for those grape varieties in this single convenient location.
Publications
NGR Match
Mourvèdre
|