
Royalty
Royalty is a dark-skinned, red-fleshed hybrid grape bred in 1958 by Dr. Harold Olmo at the University of California. It is a teinturier variety, meaning it imparts color to a blend. Royalty is the result of crossing Alicante Ganzin with Trousseau (Bastardo). It is rarely used for varietal wines due to its muted flavors and is mainly grown in California's San Joaquin Valley, particularly in the Salado Creek, Diablo Grande, and Madera AVAs. The variety is challenging to cultivate and is often replaced by other teinturier types in the vineyard.
Royalty is known for its deep color, but its flavor profile is generally subdued and not widely appreciated for varietal wines.
Royalty is grown exclusively in California's San Joaquin Valley, with limited plantings in the Salado Creek, Diablo Grande, and Madera AVAs. It is a challenging variety to grow and is often substituted with more reliable teinturier varieties.
Despite its deep color, Royalty is primarily used in blends rather than as a standalone varietal wine, due to its lack of distinctive flavor.