Salvador

The Salvador grape variety is a crossing between an unknown Vitis Vinifera grape and a hybrid called Munson. It was created in California in the 20th century and is a teinturier grape, meaning its skin as well as it's pulp are red-colored. This made it popular for use in red wine blends to enhance their red color without adding tannins. However it is becoming less used in recent years, as more productive and more disease resistent teinturier grapes come forward. It's use in red blends and in small percentages means you will rarely see it written on the wine label.

Today, Salvador is mainly grown in Mexico, with very small plantings still remaining in California. It's resistence to powdery mildew makes is perfect for regions with dry summers. However it is susceptible to botrytis rot, so it's not grown in regions with high humidity or rainfall during the growing season.

Salvador use in red blends in California has been replaced by the more appropriately-named Rubired.