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Red grapes

Espadeiro

	Ampelographic Characteristics Fonte: Catálogo das Castas, IVV.
	Grape characteristics
Name	Espadeiro
Type of grape variety	Red
Description	Espadeiro is grown in the Vinhos Verdes region, where the wine produced by this grape variety is much appreciated. It may have other names, according to the place where it is cultivated: Espadão, Espadal, etc. This grape variety is very productive and has big compact bunches made up of medium-sized, uniform berries. Wines produced with Espadeiro are acidulous and light pink or slightly ruby (when subject to prolonged fermentation on skins). Some cellars produce rosé wine from this grape variety.

Budding	open, pubescent, white and with the margins slightly carmine.
Young leaf	brass coloured with a medium intensity anthocyanin pigmentation of the first six leaves; carmine veins on the upper side of the blade and pubescent on the down side.
Flower	androgynous.
Shoots	internodes and nodes with red striations on the back side and green on the frontal side; green buds; erect to half-erect growth.
Tendrils	discontinuous, long, webbed and straight.
Adult leaf	medium size, wedge-shaped, with three lobes, dark and shiny green, irregular outline and slightly bubbly; medium length teeth, convex margins and clear beak of the seeds; slightly open petiolar sinus with a V shaped base; open upper lateral sinus with a V shaped base; carmine petiolar point as well as the beginning of the main veins.Glabrous on the down side: Glabrous petiole, shorter than the medium main vein.
Bunch	very big; cylindrical-conic; medium compactness; medium length peduncle and medium lignification.
Berry	medium size and uniform; round, sometimes slightly flattened; dark blue colour, with much bloom, medium thick skin and apparent hilum; uncoloured, firm, little juicy pulp with a special flavour, medium long pedicel of easy separation.
Seeds	little hard tegument, predominantly two per berry; medium size, pyriform, short and little pronounced beak.
Stalks	elliptic cross-section; striated surface, yellow brownish colour; vigorous; long internodes and very large nodes; big, large, cup-shaped buds, with a wide and prominent base.