Grand Noir de la Calmette

[2] While Grand Noir de la Calmette originated in France and was once widely grown in the Cognac and Languedoc wine regions, today it is rarely planted in that country.

At same point Morrastel Bouschet was introduced to the California as Grand Noir de la Calmette where it made its way to the grape collection at the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology.

[1] Grand Noir de la Calmette is a high yielding grape variety that needs to be kept in check by winter pruning or green harvesting.

In Portugal, Grand Noir de la Calmette is found mostly in the Portalegre wine region of Alentejo where it is blended with Alicante Bouschet, Tempranillo and Trincadeira.

[1] Over the years, Grand noir has been known under a variety of synonyms including: Galliko, Gkiobrek Kara, Gkranoba, Grand Bouschet (in Alentejo region of Portugal), Gran Negro (in the Valdeorras DO of Spain), Gran Noar, Gran Nuar de Lya Kalmett, Grand Chernyi, Granoir, Granua, Gros noir (in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of France), Gros Producteur, Kalmettei Fekete, Kalmettei Nagy Fekete, Pe de Perdiz, Pe de Pombo, Sousao do Oeste, Sumo tinto (in Portugal), Tinta, Tinta Fina, Tinta Francesa and Tinturao.

An example of the difference between a red fleshed teinturier grape ( Agria left ) and a red wine grape variety with its skin peeled off to show that its flesh and juice is naturally white ( Grenache right ). The vast majority of red wine grapes are like the Grenache on the right with the red color of wine coming from skin contact during winemaking.
Grand Noir de la Calmette is planted throughout Galicia but is most often found in the Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras DOs.