Enological potential of Chenin Blanc to produce tropical white wines in Northeast Brazil.

The sub-middle São Francisco River Valley, located between 8 and 9° latitude of the Southem Hemisphere, in the Northeast of Brazil and the area has been producing fine wines for over twenty five years. The region is characterized by a tropical semi-arid climate, with an annual average temperature of 26.5°C, rainfall around 550 mm per year, concentrated between January and April, and is at an altitude of 350 m in a flat landscape. In this region, due to the winter absence, water is in abundance for irrigation and with the combination of high temperatures and solar radiation, vines can produce two or three harvests per year, depending on the cycle of each cultivar. The wineries can echelon the crops between May and December, and the quality of the wines depend on the harvest date for winemaking.Resumo