Primitiu

This name derives from the Latin “prīmus > prīmĭtīvus,” meaning “first, firstborn, original, the most remarkable, the most illustrious.” Saints Facundus (Spanish: Facundo) and Primitivus (Spanish: Primitivo) are venerated as Christian martyrs. According to tradition, they were Christian natives of León who were tortured and then beheaded on the banks of the River Cea. Primitivo is a variety of black-skinned wine grape. The mixture is planted in over 10 percent of California vineyards. DNA fingerprinting revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grapes Crljenak Kaštelanski and Tribidrag, as well as to the Primitivo variety traditionally grown in Puglia (the ‘heel’ of Italy), where it was introduced in the 18th-century.