Tempranillo

Organic Tempranillo

Black (red) grape variety native to Spain that produces full-bodied red wines. Fantastic food pairing wine with good tannic structure. Earth, clay, marinated peppers, caramelized eggplant, and spice aromas. Dryish wine with medium body. Flavor profile differs by region, ranging from sour cherry and watermelon rind, to blackberry and blueberry with violet background and good minerality. Grown in a variety of regions in Spain with generally hot, dry climate.

From Wine Enthusiast, here are 5 things that you may not know about the beautiful native Spanish grape that produces our fabulous organic Tempranillo wines:

It’s very, very old. Tempranillo is indigenous to Spain and dates back to before the time of Christ. It’s been grown on the Iberian Peninsula since the Phoenicians settled it in 1100 B.C.

It’s an early bird. Tempranillo is derived from the word temprano, which in Spanish means “early.” Among red varieties in Spain, it’s considered an early ripener.

It has many monikers. Tempranillo goes by more than a dozen different names around the world, depending on where it’s cultivated. It’s called Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero, Tinta de Toro in Toro, Ull de Llebre in Catalonia, Cencibel in La Mancha and Tinto Roriz in Portugal.

It’s cloned. There are about 500 clones of Tempranillo in Spain alone; Tinto Fino and Tinta de Toro are the best-known.

It has a white mutant. Although rare, albino Tempranillo does exist in Rioja. It’s an approved wine grape; it yields a citrusy, rather simple wine akin to Viognier in weight, flavor and overall style.

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