Tempranillo

The thick skinned Tempranillo grape is far and away Spain’s most recognized grape variety. Rioja is considered its home, where for years Tempranillo has been the star of world-renowned and exceptionally crafted red wines. From its home in Spain, Tempranillo has travelled the globe so that it is now widely planted in Australia, Argentina and Portugal. In Portugal, Tempranillo goes by a different name (Tinto Roriz) and is used as part of the Port blend.

Tempranillo requires warm climates to ripen fully. When full ripeness is achieved, Tempranillo produces dark wines that are rich with cherry, strawberry, dill and spice flavours. The use of new oak is also common when producing Tempranillo-based wines, as the vanilla scents from the oak compliment many of Tempranillo’s traditional characteristics.