Black Spanish (grape)
Encyclopedia
Black Spanish also known as Lenoir (Le noir: Fr. "The black"), Jacquez, and El Paso, the Black Spanish grape is a variety of the American Vitis aestivalis
Vitis aestivalis
Vitis aestivalis is a species of grape native to eastern North America from southern Ontario east to Vermont, west to Oklahoma, and south to Florida and Texas. It is a vigorous vine, growing to 10 m or more high in trees...

 species of grape vine. Named for the incredibly dark skin of its fruit. Black Spanish is native to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 where it has built up a natural resistance to the Phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...

 pest, as well as deadly Pierce's Disease which is a common threat to vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...

s in the southeastern United States. Black Spanish was one of the American vines which Thomas Volney Munson
Thomas Volney Munson
Thomas Volney Munson often referred to simply as T.V. Munson, was a horticulturist and breeder of grapes in Texas.-Background:...

 experimented with in the late 19th century in what is now the Texoma AVA. Prior to its use by Munson, Black Spanish had already been introduced in the 1850s to Europe where French vintners were intrigued by its similarity to European Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....

 wine grapes, most likely giving it the name Lenoir.

Modern use

Today, the grape is gaining favor among vineyards and wineries in the Texas Hill Country
Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a vernacular term applied to a region of Central Texas featuring tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located...

 and in North Texas where Pierce's Disease is a constant worry. A more disease resistant clone of Black Spanish called "Favorite"has also been made. Black Spanish has been used for years in Texas Ports as a blending varietal for its unique properties, and only now are wineries starting to use it in single-variety dry wines. Its taste has been described as completely different from European varieties yet without the unpleasant notes of other American grape varieties. Also, the taste of Lenoir wine is said to improve when the bottle is left uncorked. This may be due to a unique compound not found in Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....

Like its eastern counterpart, Norton which received a gold medal at an event in Missouri, Black Spanish is also gaining steam among wine enthusiasts who are looking for new tastes.
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