Tempranillo Grape Essentials
If bold, richly flavored red wines are your preferred style, then Tempranillo should be a part of your collection. These beautiful wines can act as a gateway for New World enthusiasts interested in exploring the complexity and elegance of Old World options.
Tempranillo ranges in styles and price points from the mid-teens to hundreds of dollars, so there's an example to fit most occasions.
The history of the variety in winemaking dates back as far as 1807. However, it is believed the Phoenicians were cultivating it over 3,000 years ago. Other records state Tempranillo was brought to Spain by French monks on a pilgrimage from Burgundy to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Other studies suggest that the grape originated in Rioja or Navarra in northern Spain, making it a true native of the country it helped propel to the world wine stage.
Some say that Tempranillo is related to Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc, but these claims have never been proven.
Tempranillo is Spain's most important native grape variety and is often compared to Cabernet Sauvignon. It is the main grape in famous Spanish regions like Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Toro. It is called Cencibel, Ull de Llebre, Tinta de País, Tinto Fino, Tinta de Toro, and other names in different parts of Spain.
Styles of Tempranillo
Tempranillo comes in a broad range of expressions depending on where it's grown and how it is vinified (made into wine). The wines are typically medium-to-full-bodied with relatively high tannin content and moderate acidity, which will vary greatly depending on climatic conditions.
The grape emphasizes savory flavors more than most other grape varieties, exhibiting notes of fresh tobacco leaf, leather, baked earth, dried herbs, spice, and fruit flavors of plum, cherry, tomato, dried fig, and orange peel.
It's called Tempranillo because it ripens earlier than other grapes, such as its frequent blending partner Garnacha, hence the name ('temprano' means 'early' in Spanish). The ending '-illo' is a diminutive form in Spanish, a nod to the small size of the individual berries.
Tempranillo has relatively thick, rugged skins that can provide intense color and tannin, depending on the winemaker's preferred expression. You can find light and fruity versions of Tempranillo and bold and dark versions from warmer regions like Toro or Ribera del Duero.
Viticulture and Winemaking
Tempranillo requires a climate that offers cooling breezes to maintain balanced acidity. In Spain, many vineyards are planted at higher elevations or strategically placed along the Atlantic coast, where cool ocean air helps keep temperatures low and the fruit ripening slowly.
Tempranillo grown in warm years or hot climates can produce wines with low acid, so well-monitored harvest times are essential to ensure the wines are balanced. The vines are traditionally trained 'en vaso' as a bush vine with no trellising, though trellising has increased with new plantings to achieve higher yields.
Tempranillo is often blended with other grape varieties and rarely makes a single-varietal wine. Like Cabernet Sauvignon's role in crafting Bordeaux's famous blended cuvées, Tempranillo is usually the star of the DOCa Rioja bottlings made with Garnacha, Mazuelo, or Macabeo.
Traditionally, Tempranillo-based wines are aged in American oak barrels, which can impart flavors of vanilla, dill weed, and coconut. However, it responds sublimely to being aged in French oak, too. In Rioja, the famed Reserva and Gran Reserva wines showcase the variety's impressive age-worthiness and long-lived, evolving complexity.
Tempranillo is nearly a one-country grape and is Spain's most widely planted and revered red variety. A few areas outside Spain also cultivate the grape, including Portugal, Australia, Argentina, southern France, and the United States.
Food + Wine
Tempranillo is wonderfully versatile with food, though it reaches its apogee when paired with Jamón Ibérico– as the saying goes, "what grows together, goes together"! Almost any kind of lamb dish goes very well with Tempranillo, including braised lamb shanks, lamb cutlets, or roast lamb, and traditional pork dishes like chorizo, morcilla, or pork meatballs (albondigas) work very well, too.
Aged sheep's milk cheeses, Moroccan fare, and dishes with red peppers or paprika spice also find a home with Tempranillo. And don't rule out dry-rubbed barbecue, pizza, and Mexican food. Delicious!
Other Names for Tempranillo
Tempranillo may be called by different names depending on the region in which it is grown. In some parts of Spain, the grape is sometimes referred to as Ull de Llebre, Cencibel, Tinto Fino, or Tinta del Pais, as well as up to eighty other names. In neighboring Portugal, it is called Aragonez or Tinta Roriz. Regardless of the name, it is the same species of black grape variety widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in Spain.
Did you know?
The leaves of the Tempranillo vine turn a bright red hue late in the fall, providing a viewing frenzy for Spaniards and tourists.
Tempranillo vines are easily identifiable by their leave’s deep lobes and jagged edges.
Tempranillo is one of the main varieties used in the production of Port wine in Portugal’s Douro Valley, where it is called Tinto Roriz. It is known mainly as Aragonez elsewhere in Portugal.
The total area planted to Tempranillo increased almost fivefold between 1990 and 2010, and in 2020, it became the third-most planted variety in the world behind Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Tempranillo is one of the main varieties used in the production of Port wine in Portugal’s Douro Valley, where it is called Tinto Roriz. It is known mainly as Aragonez elsewhere in Portugal.
The total area planted to Tempranillo increased almost fivefold between 1990 and 2010, and in 2020, it became the third-most planted variety in the world behind Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
World Tempranillo Day
World Tempranillo Day is the second Thursday in November. Join the world in celebrating this wonderfully savory, versatile, and flavorful flagship grape of Spain! #TempranilloDay
This article benefitted from content contributed by my friend and wine mentor, Nathan Frye.
‘Pomagrana’ is a chillable red or ‘rosado’ wine from Spain. Its brilliant shade of fuchsia-red is reminiscent of the color of pomegranate juice. At just 11% alcohol, it’s light and bright on the palate, making it an excellent choice for brunch or early afternoon enjoyment. Before pulling the cork, pop it in the refrigerator or set it in a wine chiller for a fabulously refreshing tasting experience.