The white grape variety originates from Spain. There are around 130 synonyms that testify to its great age as well as its worldwide distribution. The most important of these, grouped alphabetically by country, are Merseguera (Algeria); Blanc d'Anjou, Chasselas de Jesus, Guignard de Saintours 1, Listan, Listan de Jerez, Palomina Blanche, Point Noir (France); Bianco (Italy); Golden Chasselas (California); Assario, Diagalves, Listão, Listrão, Madera, Malvasia Rei, Mourisco, Olho de Lebre, Perrum (Portugal); Blanca Extra, Albán, Albar, Albillo de Lucena, Horgazuela, Jerez, Jerezana, Jerez de la Frontera, Jerez Dorado, Jerez Fina, Jerez Fino, Lairenes Vertes, Listán Blanco, Listán Comun, Listán d'Andalusie Blanc, Manzanilla de Sanlucar, Ojo de Liebre, Orcaculo, Palomina, Palomina Blanca, Palomino 84, Palomino Basto, Palomino de Chipiona, Palomino de Jerez, Palomino del Pinchito, Palomino di Xeres, Palomino Fino, Palomino Fino des Xeres, Palomino Listán, Palomino Macho, Palomino Pelusón, Palominos, Palote, Paulo, Temprana, Tempranilla, Tempranillo de Granada, Xeres, Zarcillarda (Spain); Fransdruif, White French, White French Fransdruif (South Africa). It must not be confused with the varieties Albillo de Albacete, Diagalves, Listán de Huelva, Merseguera or Sémillon, despite seemingly suggestive synonyms or morphological similarities.
A distinction is made between the two varieties Palomino Fino (with two leafy sub-varieties Palomino Pelusón and Palomino Macho) and Palomino. Although they differ somewhat ampelographically with regard to flowers, they are genetically identical according to DNA analyses. The parentage is unknown. It is not a colour mutation of the red variety Palomina Negra (Listán Prieto), but a close genetic relationship cannot be excluded. Palomino was a crossing partner of the new varieties Abaca, Abadesa, Albadrina, Albana Devej, Bruja, Calina (2), Cantaro (2), Chasan, Colomino, Corredera, Marquésa, Medina (2), Monja, Pajolera, Yedra. This is an old variety from Andalusia, which used to be widely distributed under the name Listán. The name Palomino was given after Fernán Yáñez Palomino, a knight of the Castilian King Alfonso X (1221-1284). The medium to late ripening vine is resistant to grape rot, but susceptible to anthracnose and both types of powdery mildew. It produces low-acid white wines of neutral taste that tend to oxidise. This suits the production of oxidative, fortified wines.
In Spain, Palomino is the main grape variety for sherry. In the Andalusian region of Jerez, it occupies about 90% of the vineyard area. It is also cultivated in the Condado de Huelva area, the two areas of Bierzo and Rueda in Castile-León, and as Listán Blanco on the Canary Islands. The variety occupies a total of 20,110 hectares in Spain under different names, with a downward trend. In Portugal, it is mainly present in the Douro area, where it is used for simple table wines and fortified wines. Here it occupied 2,594 hectares of vineyards. In France, it is cultivated in Gascony (e.g. for the distillation of Armagnac) and in Languedoc on 41 hectares. There are other stocks in Argentina (104 ha), Australia (19 ha), California (70 ha), Mexico (109 ha), New Zealand (7 ha), Switzerland (1 ha) and South Africa (134 ha). The variety occupied a total of 23,190 hectares of vineyards in 2016. It is thus ranked 36th in the global grape variety ranking.
Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012.
Images: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)
