Pedro Ximénez

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"Pedro Jimenez" redirects here. For the American World War II soldier, see Pete Jimenez.
Pedro Ximénez
Grape (Vitis)
Pedro Ximénez in Viala & Vermorel
Color of berry skinBlanc
SpeciesVitis vinifera
Also calledPX, Pedro Jiménez, (more)
OriginSpain
Notable regionsMontilla-Moriles, Jerez, Australia, Chile,
Notable winesPedro Ximénez
VIVC number9080

Pedro Ximénez (also known as PX and many other variations) is the name of a white

fortified and aged in solera.[1]

Historically Pedro Ximénez is grown in Australia to make fortified wines and sherry type wines known by the Australian term - Apera. It is often used for blending and to make botrytised dessert wines and still lends itself in the Swan Valley to the making of dessert wine today. This grape variety has thrived in Western Australia's Swan Valley since its introduction there due to the hot climate growing conditions. The vine requires a rich soil and short pruning.[2] James Busby brought some Pedro Ximénez to Australia in 1832. Some were imported from Jerez and planted at Clarendon; a transfer from the Sydney Botanic Garden is recorded in around 1839.[3]

Pedro Giménez (Pedro Jiménez) is a widely grown criolla variety in South America whose relationship to Pedro Ximénez is uncertain, as it shows ampelographic differences.[4]

History

The Andalusia region of southern Spain where Pedro Ximénez probably originated.

There have been several apocryphal legends about the grape's origins. In 1661, the German ampelographer

DNA evidence in the late 20th and early 21st century has discounted those theories.[1]

Today ampelographers believe that Pedro Ximénez probably originated somewhere in the

Moorish rule. Gibi was also discovered to be one of the parent varieties of the Extremadura wine grape Alarije, making the later variety a half-sibling to Pedro Ximénez.[1]

The origin of the name Pedro Ximénez is not yet clear with French ampelographer

propagate the variety in the region.[1]

Viticulture

Pedro Ximénez vines growing in the Montilla-Moriles region.

Pedro Ximénez is a

eutypa dieback. The vine has some resistance to the fungal disease powdery mildew but is also very prone to damage caused by termite infection.[1]

Relationship and confusion with other grapes

At one time, the German wine grape Elbling (pictured) was thought to be related, or possibly identical, to Pedro Ximénez.

DNA evidence has shown that Pedro Ximénez is an offspring variety of the Arabic table grape Gibi and a half sibling to Alarije. In 2007, it was also confirmed that the table grape Corinto bianco was a seedless

mutation of Pedro Ximénez.[1]

At one point it was thought that Pedro Ximénez was related (or possibly identical) to the German wine grapes Elbling and/or Riesling; but in addition to DNA evidence disproving a relationship, viticultural evidence had shown for many decades that Pedro Ximénez requires a much warmer climate than most German wine grapes in order to fully ripen, and was thus not likely to be closely related to any German wine variety. Other grapes that are sometimes confused with Pedro Ximénez include the

South Africa, and the Argentine wine grape Pedro Giménez, which also shares several synonyms.[1]

Wine regions

Spain

A Pedro Ximénez Sherry from the Jerez region whose wine label indicates that the wine has been aged in a solera that has been in operation since 1827.

Pedro Ximénez is most widely grown in Spain, where there were 6,950 hectares (17,200 acres) of the grape in cultivation as of 2019. The vast majority of these plantings are found in the

aged in a solera, Montilla-Moriles similar to Sherry, with the age of the solera often stated on the wine label. Additionally, some Pedro Ximénez grapes are used as sweetening agents for other wines made in the Montilla-Moriles region.[1]

The grape can also be found in the

albariza soils of Jerez like Palomino, Sherry producers in Jerez de la Frontera will often (legally) purchase Pedro Ximénez wine from the Montilla-Moriles region to blend into their sweet Sherry wine.[1]

In 2008, plantings of Pedro Ximénez were found in Spain in the

Catalunya (12 hectares (30 acres)) and Extremadura (639 hectares (1,580 acres)).[1]

Outside Spain

In South America, Pedro Ximénez is sometimes confused with the Argentine grape Pedro Giménez (pictured) which is often used in Chile in the production of pisco.

In 2010, there were 350 hectares (860 acres) of Pedro Ximénez planted in

Algarve in southern Portugal. While some varietal examples do exist, the grape is most commonly used as a blending varietal in Portugal.[1]

In South America, most of the plantings of the grape known as Pedro Ximénez or Pedro Jimenez used in

Chile with 33 hectares (82 acres) reported in 2008 (as opposed to the more than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of Pedro Giménez grown in Chile). There is still some confusion as to which variety is which with producers in the Elqui Province making dry, fruity and unfortified varietal wines labeled as true Pedro Ximénez that may in all actuality still be the Argentine Pedro Giménez.[1]

In

Victoria where—despite Rutherglen's reputation for dessert wines—Pedro Ximénez is often used to produce dry, unfortified wines.[1]

Other uses

When the casks used to age Pedro Ximénez Sherry are retired, they are often sent to Scotland and Ireland, where they are used to age fine whisky. Single malt whisky aged in sherry casks is regarded by some as a special category with its own aficionados. The sweet Pedro Ximénez wine infused in the wood of the casks imparts some of the flavor and aroma of the wine to the whisky during the ageing process. In the whisky industry the taste of the Pedro Ximénez is very sweet. Most of the whiskies that get this treatment are only finished in Pedro Ximénez casks for a relatively short time, after spending the bulk of their maturation time in other casks. The Pedro Ximénez sweetness is often combined with a smoky peat flavor.[5]

Synonyms

Pedro Ximénez wine paired with a Spanish dessert (Tarta de Manzana).

Over the years, Pedro Ximénez has been known under several synonyms including: Alamais, Chirones, Corinto bianco, Don Bueno, Jimenez, Pedro, Himenez, Ximénez, Ximénès, Pedro Jimenez (in Andalusia), Pedro Khimenes, Pedro Ximénès, Pedro Ximenes (in Andalusia), Pedro Ximenez, Pedro Ximenez Bijeli, Pedro Ximenes De Jerez, Pedro Ximenez De Montilla, Pedro Ximinez, Pero Ximen, Perrum (in the Alentejo region of Portugal), Peter Siemens,[6] Pasa Rosada De Malaga, Pierre Ximenes, Uva Pero Ximenez, Uva Pero Ximen, Uva Pero Ximenes, Pero Ximenez, Ximen, Ximenes (in Andalusia), Ximenez, Alamis De Totana, Alamis, Myuskadel, Verdello (in the Canary Islands), Ximenecia, Zalema Colchicina and the abbreviation PX (in Andalucía).[1][7]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1-846-14446-2
  2. ^ Despeissis, Adrian., The Handbook of Horticulture and Viticulture of Western Australia (1921 ed.) p277.
  3. ^ Radden, Rosemary. "Grapes and Wines of the World". The State Library of South Australia, GPO Box 419, Adelaide SA 5001. Retrieved 2007-04-14.
  4. ISSN 0717-3458
    Vol. 6 No. 3, Issue of December 15, 2003
  5. ^ Pedro Jimenez casks are also now popular with rum production.Pedro Ximenezs cask finish on Whisky.com
  6. ISBN 3-8001-5719-5
    .
  7. ^ Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) Pedro Ximénez Archived 2016-09-01 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: January 24th, 2014
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