The white grape variety originates from Portugal. Synonyms grouped alphabetically by country are Verdal, Verdelho Branco, Verdelho Branco dos Açores, Verdelho da Madeira, Verdelho dos Açores, Verdelho Pico (Portugal); Verdello no Peluda Finca Natero (Canary Islands). Despite seemingly suggestive synonyms or morphological similarities, it must not be confused with the varieties Chenin Blanc, Doçal (Verdelho Doce), Godello (Verdelho), Verdejo, Verdello or Verdicchio Bianco. The variety Verdelho Roxo is a colour mutation. The variety Verdelho Tinto, however, is independent. According to DNA analyses carried out in 2018, it originates from a presumably natural cross between Savagnin Blanc (Traminer) x unknown father variety. This refuted earlier assumptions that Verdelho was identical to the variety Verdicchio Bianco or a clone of the variety Chenin Blanc.
The early-maturing vine is susceptible to botrytis and coulure, somewhat less susceptible to powdery and downy mildew, but resistant to drought. Its sugar-rich berries yield neutral, high-alcohol and high-acid white wines. The variety was planted extensively on Madeira in the 17th century; before the arrival of phylloxera, it occupied two-thirds of the vineyard area on this Portuguese island. It is one of the four noble varieties for the famous dessert wine and gave its name to a Madeira variety. In the Azores, it is the main component of the DOC wines Biscoitos, Graciosa and Pico. On the mainland, it is cultivated in the Alentejo area. The variety occupies a total of 360 hectares of vineyards in Portugal.
In France, the variety was introduced at the beginning of the 19th century in Savennières on the Loire. It was re-introduced into the variety list after an elimination in 1995. There are other anabean areas in Australia in the Hunter Valley and McLaren Vale (1,016 ha), Argentina (18 ha), Brazil, New Zealand (7 ha), South Africa (69 ha), Thailand (1 ha) and USA (45 ha). In 2016, a total of 1516 hectares of vineyards were declared (statistics Kym Anderson).
Image: por José Luís Ávila Silveira/Pedro Noronha e Costa - Obra do próprio, Domínio público, Hiperligação
