Type of Wine: Medium to full-bodied red with moderate acidity and low tannins.

Origin:Tempranillo traces it roots to the great Ribera del Duero region of Spain and is the main grape used to make Rioja wine. As one of Spain’s “noble” varieties, it is even referred to as the “Cabernet Sauvignon” of Spain. Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish term “Temprano” meaning early, a reference to the fact that it ripens weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes. Like most of the great grape varieties, its origin traces back to Ancient Greece and Italy. More recently, it is believed that Tempranillo was introduced to the United States by the Spanish Conquistadors.

Color: Tempranillo is a wine that is dark in color, owing to its thick skins. Its deep, ruby red color intensifies with extended barrel aging.

Description: These thick-skinned grapes offer a fruit forward wine with tastes if blackberries, plums, tobacco, leather and herbs. The nose can be aromatic when disciplined viticulture practices are utilized.

Aging:Tempranillo is capable of handling a fair amount of oak extraction, and when made this way, produces wines of immense power and structure.

Best Location: As in Spain, Tempranillo will thrive in sunny and hot vineyards, intensifying on long hot summer days. It responds well to individual "terroirs" and thereby exhibits various expressions.

Planting: The grapes were planted with northern and eastern exposures. These aspects provide the benefit of a cool down period from the intense summer heat. These cooler temperatures allow for the “grapes to rest” and not deplete the vines of their acids and flavor compounds through avoiding over-respiration.

Food Pairings: When you are in Spain and drinking Rioja, the natural pairing is red meat, rich cheese and essentially anything else that a big California Cabernet would pair with. In our minds, big thick grilled steaks served with roasted vegetables are ideal, or Iberico Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, olive oil and crust bread.

See our general thoughts on food and wine pairings  

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