It is an ancient variety found to have originated as a table grape in North Africa as Gibi.

It is the parent variety of a large number of grapes grown in the Iberian Peninsula and the wider Mediterranean.

It has paired with Alfrocheiro to produce the rare Portuguese varieties Trincadeira das pratas, Tinta grossa, Castelão branco, and Malvasia fina, as well as the Spanish Allarén.

In Spain, it has a parent relationship with some very widely grown varieties: Airén, Cayetana, Viura, Xarel·lo, and Pedro Ximénez.

It produces solely female flowers, unlike the majority of self-pollinating vinifera varieties grown for wine today.