Trincadeira / Tinta Amarela

Trincadeira grape

REGIONS

  • Portugal: Alentejo, Dão, Duoro Valley
  • Other: South Africa, Spain

OCCASION

A grape that has potential to produce excellent, well rounded wines. Not known by the average non Portuguese drinker but definitely worth a try!

HOW TO SERVE

  • Decant: 1 hour
  • Serve at: 16 – 18 °C (61 – 64 °F)
  • Universal glass

FOOD & CHEESE

  • Meat dishes, pork, lamb, risotto, polenta, dishes with pimiento, charcuterie
  • Aged hard cheeses, Manchego, Pecorino, Parmigiano – Reggiano

Tinta Amarela or Trincadeira is a grape from Portugal which is commonly used in Ports and dry red wines. In Portugal, Tinta Amarela is grown in Duoro, Dão and Alentejo where it is called Trincadeira. It is one of the most widely planted grapes in Portugal and is mostly used in blends for its dark color and full body.

Trincadeira is hard to grow as it is prone to rot and other diseases. It is best harvested in hot and dry climates like Alentejo where there is very limited rainfall and the temperatures can reach up to 38°C (100 °F) in the summer.

It is best cultivated on sandy soils which have good drainage and low fertility.

Additionally it is a high yielding grape with a very short optimal ripeness period of a couple of days only. The right level of ripeness is important to the production of high quality wine as grapes that are not ripe enough will lack flavor while overripe grapes will not have enough acidity.

It is more common to find Trincadeira as part of a blend than as a single varietal wine. This grape has potential to make excellent wines adding richness, acidity and balance. It is often blended with Castelão, Aragonez, Touriga Franca, Alicante Bouchet.