Tempranillo
Encyclopedia
Tempranillo is a variety of black grape
widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. It is the main grape used in Rioja
, and is often referred to as Spain's "noble grape". Its name is the diminutive
of the Spanish
temprano ("early"), a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes. In the last 100 years it has been planted in Mexico
, New Zealand
, South America
, USA, South Africa
, Australia
, Turkey
and Canada
.
Tempranillo wines can be consumed young, but the most expensive ones are aged for several years in oak barrels. The wines are ruby red in colour, with aromas and flavors of berries, plum, tobacco, vanilla, leather and herb.
grape, but recent genetic studies tend to discount this possibility.
Spanish cultivation of Vitis vinifera, the common ancestor of almost all vines in existence today, began in earnest with Phoenicia
n settlement in the southern provinces. Later, according to the Roman
writer Columella
, wines were grown all over Spain, yet there are only scattered references to the name "Tempranillo". This is presumably because in many places, like the Valdepeñas
region, it was the main indigenous variety and assumed to be a different grape. One early reference to this grape is found in a verse attributed to the 13th century poet Alejandro
, referring to the Ribera del Duero region, in which he mentions the Castilian
grapes by name:
which roughly translates as:
Up until the 17th century Tempranillo-type vines remained confined to mainland Spain, where they were best suited to the slightly cooler climate of the northern provinces. Here the regions of La Rioja (Spain)
and Valdepeñas historically made them their most important variety and they still make up the majority grape of their finest blends.
The grape was brought to America, possibly as seeds, with the Spanish Conquistadors in the 17th century, where it has largely retained its genetic identity and still strongly resembles its Spanish ancestors. Due to its high susceptibility to pests and diseases (particularly phylloxera
which devastated stocks in the 19th century and still threatens the vines today), Spanish Tempranillo has long been grafted onto more resistant rootstock, resulting in a slightly different grape style to those grown today in Chile
and Argentina
. Despite its apparent fragility, Tempranillo travelled widely during the last century and, following much trial and error, has become established in a surprising number of countries worldwide.
In 1905, Frederic Bioletti brought Tempranillo to California
where it received a cool reception not only due to the encroaching era of Prohibition
, but also because of the grape's dislike of hot, dry climates. It was much later, during the 1980s, that Californian Tempranillo-based wine production began to flourish, following the establishment of suitably mountainous sites. Production in this area more than doubled since 1993.
Tempranillo is currently enjoying a renaissance
in wine production worldwide. This surge began partly as a result of the efforts of a 'new wave' of Spanish growers who showed that it was possible to produce wines of great character and quality in areas outside of the Rioja region. One of the results of this has been that Tempranillo varietal
wines are becoming more common, especially in the better-suited, cooler Spanish regions like Ribera del Duero
, Navarra and Penedès
. During the last decade, growers as far-flung as Australia
, USA and South Africa
have started significant Tempranillo plantations.
, located in Rioja
. He removed the cluster, leaving a heel which in turn produced two buds of white grapes. Galilea then contacted the Rioja government agency CIDA, who grafted the buds at their research station in February 1989.
CIDA concluded that apart from the leaves and fruit being a little smaller, the new plants were identical to normal Tempranillo in most respects, and confirmed this with DNA evidence. The most notable difference was that the grape skins were green-yellow rather than the usual blue-black, due to a natural mutation in a single skin colour gene. Similar mutations appear to have happened in many other grape varieties, such as Pinot Noir
and Grenache
.
The white Tempranillo grape reproduces asexually
through the one unique sarmentum and multiplication. This allows for identical genes, much like a clone. In fact, the genetic similarity between the red and white variety is of 97.8%. Both grapes share identical leaves, clusters and grape form, as well as the short ripening cycles and sensitivity to pests and diseases. The early ripening cycles makes possible its cultivation in any subzone of the Denominatin since the entire cycle can be completed even in the zones where ripening occurs later. The white tempranillo has a medium yield (7500 - 9000 kilograms per hectare), medium to high vine vigor and high alcohol content. Although it has many clusters, they are small and of medium weight. In one example it was reported to have a titratable acidity of 6.9 g/L.
CIDA, once the mutation had stabilized, expanded their collection to 100 vines in 1993, and started to make wine on an experimental scale. The first bottling of wine was in 2005, from a hectare of vines planted in 2000. It was fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged in oak barrels. The green-tinged wine had discreet aromas of flowers and tropical fruit such as pineapple, refreshing to drink but lacking a little in acidity. White Tempranillo is currently being distributed to growers having been registered with the State and approved for use in the Rioja D.O.Ca.
Separately, and not to be confused with the white mutant strain, the Pago del Vicario winery, in Ciudad Real in La Mancha, is producing an unusual "blanc de noir"-style wine from black tempranillo grapes. The pale steely yellow "Blanco de Tempranillo" is produced by using grapes picked slightly early than their usual harvest time, and minimizing the amount of time the juice is in contact with the skins.
wine making goes back over 2,000 years as evidenced by the 66-meter mosaic of Bacchus, the god of wine that was unearthed relatively recently at Baños de Valdearados. Substantial quantities are also grown in the Penedès, Navarra and Valdepeñas regions. The grape plays a role in the production of wines in two regions of Portugal
, central Alentejo
and Douro
. In Alentejo Central it is known as Aragonez and used in red table wine blends of variable quality, while in the Douro it is known as Tinta Roriz and mainly used in blends to make port wine
.
, Chile
, and Mexico
where low yield high quality plants produce fine 100% tempranillos like Encino. It was introduced to Uruguay in 1994 by Los Cerros de San Juan Vineyards and Winery, where the first marketable harvest took place in 1999. Fermentation is in American oak barrels. There are also some plantings in Neiba, Dominican Republic
.
Tempranillo came to California bearing the name Valdepenas and it was grown in the Central Valley at the turn of the century. Since the climate of the Central Valley was not ideal for the grape, it was hard for the varietal to flourish. It could not reach its true potential and was used as a blending grape for jug wine
. California has since started to use this varietal again for fine wines. The grape was introduced in Oregon
by Earl Jones of Abacela Vineyards and Winery in the Umpqua Valley
. Tempranillo is Abacela's main varietal and it has also been produced in New Mexico
, where Tularosa Vineyards was the first winery to label the wine as Tempranillo in 2001. Inwood Estates Vineyards in Texas also has their Cornelious, along with some other blends using Tempranillo.
Tempranillo is also grown in many Australian wine
regions including McLaren Vale
, the Adelaide Hills
, Wrattonbully
and in Western Australia. There are now over 200 Australian wineries making wine from this variety.
Tempranillo has recently been introduced by some wine producers in Thailand.
notes,
In the Ribera del Duero the average July temperature is around 21.4° Celsius
(70.5° Fahrenheit
), though temperatures in the middle of the day in the lower valley can jump as high as 40 °C (104 °F). At night the region experiences a dramatic diurnal temperature variation
with temperatures dropping by as much as 16 °C (30 °F) from the daytime high. The Tempranillo grape is one of the few grapes that can adapt and thrive in continental Mediterranean climates like this.
The lower acidity associated with low-altitude growth is most often remedied by blending with higher acid grapes, such as Graciano in Rioja. Pests and diseases are a serious problem for this grape variety, since it has little resistance to either. The grape forms compact, cylindrical bunches of spherical, purplish black fruit with a colourless pulp. The fruit is very dark in colour and forms a bead-like sphere, hence its Catalan
name of Ull de Llebre ("Eye of the Hare
").
The tempranillo root absorbs Potassium
easily, which facilitates pH levels of 3.6 in the pulp and 4.3 in the peel when it reaches maturity. When it absorbs too much potassium the must is salified (increased levels of salt) which slows the disappearance of malic acid
resulting in a higher pH. The peel does not present any herbaceous characters. The grape is very susceptible to inclement weather, contracting when there is a drought and swelling when there is too much humidity. The swelling has a negative effect on quality since it affects the color of the wine. The effects of the weather are attenuated in places with limestone
because of the effect of the clay and humidity in the roots; the effects are worse in sandy areas, as well as for vines that are less than twelve years old, as the roots are generally too superficial.
Often making up as much as 90% of a blend, Tempranillo is less frequently bottled as a single varietal. Being low in both acidity and sugar content, it is most commonly blended with Grenache
(known as Garnacha in Spain), Carignan (known as Mazuela in Spain), Graciano
, Merlot
and Cabernet Sauvignon
. Blending the grape with Carignan makes a brighter and more acidic wine. Tempranillo is the major component of the typical Rioja blends and constitutes 90-100% of Ribera del Duero wines. In Australia, Tempranillo is blended with Grenache and Syrah. In Portugal, where it is known as Tinta Roriz, it is a major grape in the production of some Port wine
s.
Tempranillo is known by other names in certain regions. These include:
Aldepenas, Aragones, Aragonêz (Portugal), Aragonez Da Ferra, Aragonez de Elvas, Arganda, Arinto Tinto, Cencibel (Castile La Mancha, Madrid, Aragón, Extremadura, Murcia), Cencibera, Chinchillana (Extremadura), Chinchillano, Chinchilyano, Cupani, Escobera (Extremadura, S. America), Garnacho Foño (S.America), Grenache de Logrono, Jacibiera (Castile La Mancha, S. America), Jacivera, Juan Garcia, Negra de Mesa, Ojo de Liebre, Olho de Lebre, Sensibel, Tempranilla, Tempranillo de la Rioja, Tempranillo de Perralta, Tempranillo de Rioja, Tempranillo de Rioza, Tinta Aragones, Tinta de Santiago, Tinta de Toro, Tinta Do Inacio, Tinta Monteira, Tinta Monteiro, Tinta Roriz (Portugal), Tinta Roriz Da Penajola, Tinta Santiago, Tinto Aragon, Tinto Aragonez, Tinto de la Ribera, Tinto de Madrid (Toledo, Cantabria, Salamanca, Soria, Valladolid, Madrid), Tinto del País (Castile/Leon, Rioja), Tinto de Rioja, Tinto de Toro (Zamora), Tinto del Toro, Tinto Fino (Castile/Leon, Madrid, Valencia, Extremadura, Rioja), Tinto Madrid, Tinto Pais, Tinto Ribiera, Tinto Riojano, Ull de Llebre (Catalan for "Eye of the Hare"), Valdepeñas (also in California), Verdiell (Catalonia), Vid de Aranda (Burgos), Tinta Santiago (S. America) and Tinta Montereiro (S. America).
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. It is the main grape used in Rioja
Rioja (wine)
Rioja is a wine, with Denominación de Origen Calificada named after La Rioja, in Spain. Rioja is made from grapes grown not only in the Autonomous Community of La Rioja, but also in parts of Navarre and the Basque province of Álava. Rioja is further subdivided into three zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja...
, and is often referred to as Spain's "noble grape". Its name is the diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
of the Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
temprano ("early"), a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes. In the last 100 years it has been planted in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, USA, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Tempranillo wines can be consumed young, but the most expensive ones are aged for several years in oak barrels. The wines are ruby red in colour, with aromas and flavors of berries, plum, tobacco, vanilla, leather and herb.
History
Until recently Tempranillo was thought to be related to the Pinot NoirPinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
grape, but recent genetic studies tend to discount this possibility.
Spanish cultivation of Vitis vinifera, the common ancestor of almost all vines in existence today, began in earnest with Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n settlement in the southern provinces. Later, according to the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
writer Columella
Columella
Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella is the most important writer on agriculture of the Roman empire. Little is known of his life. He was probably born in Gades , possibly of Roman parents. After a career in the army , he took up farming...
, wines were grown all over Spain, yet there are only scattered references to the name "Tempranillo". This is presumably because in many places, like the Valdepeñas
Valdepeñas
Valdepeñas is a municipality in the province of Ciudad Real, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It is also the seat of the judicial district that covers the localities of Moral de Calatrava, Santa Cruz de Mudela, Viso del Marqués, Torrenueva, Castellar de Santiago and...
region, it was the main indigenous variety and assumed to be a different grape. One early reference to this grape is found in a verse attributed to the 13th century poet Alejandro
Alejandro
Alejandro is the Spanish form of the name Alexander.It may also refer to:* Alejandro de Humboldt National Park , a national park in Cuba...
, referring to the Ribera del Duero region, in which he mentions the Castilian
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
grapes by name:
Ally fallaría ommes las bonas cardeniellas
e las otras mejores que son las tempraniellas
which roughly translates as:
There, everyone acknowledges the Cardeniellas, which are good,
and the Tempraniellas, which are better"
Up until the 17th century Tempranillo-type vines remained confined to mainland Spain, where they were best suited to the slightly cooler climate of the northern provinces. Here the regions of La Rioja (Spain)
La Rioja (Spain)
La Rioja is an autonomous community and a province of northern Spain. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and Nájera.-History:...
and Valdepeñas historically made them their most important variety and they still make up the majority grape of their finest blends.
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
which devastated stocks in the 19th century and still threatens the vines today), Spanish Tempranillo has long been grafted onto more resistant rootstock, resulting in a slightly different grape style to those grown today in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Despite its apparent fragility, Tempranillo travelled widely during the last century and, following much trial and error, has become established in a surprising number of countries worldwide.
In 1905, Frederic Bioletti brought Tempranillo to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where it received a cool reception not only due to the encroaching era of Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, but also because of the grape's dislike of hot, dry climates. It was much later, during the 1980s, that Californian Tempranillo-based wine production began to flourish, following the establishment of suitably mountainous sites. Production in this area more than doubled since 1993.
Tempranillo is currently enjoying a renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
in wine production worldwide. This surge began partly as a result of the efforts of a 'new wave' of Spanish growers who showed that it was possible to produce wines of great character and quality in areas outside of the Rioja region. One of the results of this has been that Tempranillo varietal
Varietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
wines are becoming more common, especially in the better-suited, cooler Spanish regions like Ribera del Duero
Ribera del Duero
Ribera del Duero is a Spanish Denominación de Origen located in the country's northern plateau and is one of eleven 'quality wine' regions within the autonomous community of Castile and León...
, Navarra and Penedès
Penedès
Penedès is a natural and historical region of the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. It is located in the south of the Principality of Catalonia between the pre-coastal mountain range and the Mediterranean sea...
. During the last decade, growers as far-flung as Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, USA and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
have started significant Tempranillo plantations.
White mutant
In 1988, Jesús Galilea Esteban found a cluster of white grapes on one of the Tempranillo vines in his vineyard, Murillo de Rio LezaMurillo de Río Leza
Murillo de Río Leza is a village in the province and autonomous community of La Rioja, Spain....
, located in Rioja
La Rioja (Spain)
La Rioja is an autonomous community and a province of northern Spain. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and Nájera.-History:...
. He removed the cluster, leaving a heel which in turn produced two buds of white grapes. Galilea then contacted the Rioja government agency CIDA, who grafted the buds at their research station in February 1989.
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
and Grenache
Grenache
Grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, the south of France, and California's San Joaquin Valley. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively...
.
The white Tempranillo grape reproduces asexually
Asexual reproduction
Asexual reproduction is a mode of reproduction by which offspring arise from a single parent, and inherit the genes of that parent only, it is reproduction which does not involve meiosis, ploidy reduction, or fertilization. A more stringent definition is agamogenesis which is reproduction without...
through the one unique sarmentum and multiplication. This allows for identical genes, much like a clone. In fact, the genetic similarity between the red and white variety is of 97.8%. Both grapes share identical leaves, clusters and grape form, as well as the short ripening cycles and sensitivity to pests and diseases. The early ripening cycles makes possible its cultivation in any subzone of the Denominatin since the entire cycle can be completed even in the zones where ripening occurs later. The white tempranillo has a medium yield (7500 - 9000 kilograms per hectare), medium to high vine vigor and high alcohol content. Although it has many clusters, they are small and of medium weight. In one example it was reported to have a titratable acidity of 6.9 g/L.
CIDA, once the mutation had stabilized, expanded their collection to 100 vines in 1993, and started to make wine on an experimental scale. The first bottling of wine was in 2005, from a hectare of vines planted in 2000. It was fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged in oak barrels. The green-tinged wine had discreet aromas of flowers and tropical fruit such as pineapple, refreshing to drink but lacking a little in acidity. White Tempranillo is currently being distributed to growers having been registered with the State and approved for use in the Rioja D.O.Ca.
Separately, and not to be confused with the white mutant strain, the Pago del Vicario winery, in Ciudad Real in La Mancha, is producing an unusual "blanc de noir"-style wine from black tempranillo grapes. The pale steely yellow "Blanco de Tempranillo" is produced by using grapes picked slightly early than their usual harvest time, and minimizing the amount of time the juice is in contact with the skins.
Old world production
Tempranillo is native to northern Spain and widely cultivated as far south as La Mancha. The two major regions that grow Tempranillo are Rioja in North Central Spain and Ribera del Duero, which lies a little further to the south. Ribera del DueroRibera del Duero
Ribera del Duero is a Spanish Denominación de Origen located in the country's northern plateau and is one of eleven 'quality wine' regions within the autonomous community of Castile and León...
wine making goes back over 2,000 years as evidenced by the 66-meter mosaic of Bacchus, the god of wine that was unearthed relatively recently at Baños de Valdearados. Substantial quantities are also grown in the Penedès, Navarra and Valdepeñas regions. The grape plays a role in the production of wines in two regions of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, central Alentejo
Alentejo Central
Alentejo Central is a NUTS3 subregion of Alentejo Region, in Portugal. Alentejo Central is composed entirely of the Évora District minus the municipality of Mora, but including one municipality of the Portalegre District, Sousel....
and Douro
Douro
The Douro or Duero is one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, flowing from its source near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province across northern-central Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Porto...
. In Alentejo Central it is known as Aragonez and used in red table wine blends of variable quality, while in the Douro it is known as Tinta Roriz and mainly used in blends to make port wine
Port wine
Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...
.
New World production
The varietal is extensively grown in ArgentinaArgentine wine
The Argentine wine industry is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in Spain...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
where low yield high quality plants produce fine 100% tempranillos like Encino. It was introduced to Uruguay in 1994 by Los Cerros de San Juan Vineyards and Winery, where the first marketable harvest took place in 1999. Fermentation is in American oak barrels. There are also some plantings in Neiba, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
.
Tempranillo came to California bearing the name Valdepenas and it was grown in the Central Valley at the turn of the century. Since the climate of the Central Valley was not ideal for the grape, it was hard for the varietal to flourish. It could not reach its true potential and was used as a blending grape for jug wine
Jug wine
Jug wine is a term in the United States for inexpensive table wine typically bottled in a glass jug.Historically, jug wines were labeled semi-generically, often sold to third parties to be relabeled, or sold directly from the winery's tasting room to customers who would often bring their own bottles...
. California has since started to use this varietal again for fine wines. The grape was introduced in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
by Earl Jones of Abacela Vineyards and Winery in the Umpqua Valley
Umpqua Valley
Umpqua Valley may refer to:* The valley of the Umpqua River in the U.S. state of Oregon* Umpqua Valley AVA, an American Viticultural Area in Oregon...
. Tempranillo is Abacela's main varietal and it has also been produced in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, where Tularosa Vineyards was the first winery to label the wine as Tempranillo in 2001. Inwood Estates Vineyards in Texas also has their Cornelious, along with some other blends using Tempranillo.
Tempranillo is also grown in many Australian wine
Australian wine
The Australian Wine Industry is the fourth largest exporter of wine around the world, with 760 million litres a year to a large international export market and contributes $5.5 billion per annum to the nation's economy...
regions including McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is a wine region approximately 35 km south of Adelaide in South Australia. It has a population of about 2,000 and is internationally renowned for the wines it produces. The region was named after either David McLaren, the Colonial Manager of the South Australia Company or John...
, the Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Hills
The Adelaide Hills are part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is unofficially centred on the largest town in the area, Mount Barker, which has a population of around 29,000 and is also one of Australia's fastest growing towns.- History :The...
, Wrattonbully
Wrattonbully
Wrattonbully is a wine region and farming district in South Australia's South East, between the Padthaway and Coonawarra regions, between the Riddoch Highway and the Victorian border....
and in Western Australia. There are now over 200 Australian wineries making wine from this variety.
Tempranillo has recently been introduced by some wine producers in Thailand.
Viticulture and uses
Tempranillo is a black grape with a thick skin. It grows best at relatively high altitudes, but it also can tolerate a much warmer climate. With regard to Tempranillo's production in various climates, wine expert Oz ClarkeOz Clarke
Robert "Oz" Clarke is a British wine writer, television presenter and broadcaster.-Biography:Clarke’s parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He was brought up near Canterbury with a brother and a sister. Clarke became a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and subsequently won a choral...
notes,
In the Ribera del Duero the average July temperature is around 21.4° Celsius
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
(70.5° Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
), though temperatures in the middle of the day in the lower valley can jump as high as 40 °C (104 °F). At night the region experiences a dramatic diurnal temperature variation
Diurnal temperature variation
Diurnal temperature variation is a meteorological term that relates to the variation in temperature that occurs from the highs of the day to the cool of nights.-Temperature lag:Temperature lag is an important factor in diurnal temperature variation...
with temperatures dropping by as much as 16 °C (30 °F) from the daytime high. The Tempranillo grape is one of the few grapes that can adapt and thrive in continental Mediterranean climates like this.
The lower acidity associated with low-altitude growth is most often remedied by blending with higher acid grapes, such as Graciano in Rioja. Pests and diseases are a serious problem for this grape variety, since it has little resistance to either. The grape forms compact, cylindrical bunches of spherical, purplish black fruit with a colourless pulp. The fruit is very dark in colour and forms a bead-like sphere, hence its Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
name of Ull de Llebre ("Eye of the Hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...
").
The tempranillo root absorbs Potassium
Potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
easily, which facilitates pH levels of 3.6 in the pulp and 4.3 in the peel when it reaches maturity. When it absorbs too much potassium the must is salified (increased levels of salt) which slows the disappearance of malic acid
Malic acid
Malic acid is an organic compound with the formula HO2CCH2CHOHCO2H. It is a dicarboxylic acid which is made by all living organisms, contributes to the pleasantly sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms , though only the L-isomer exists...
resulting in a higher pH. The peel does not present any herbaceous characters. The grape is very susceptible to inclement weather, contracting when there is a drought and swelling when there is too much humidity. The swelling has a negative effect on quality since it affects the color of the wine. The effects of the weather are attenuated in places with limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
because of the effect of the clay and humidity in the roots; the effects are worse in sandy areas, as well as for vines that are less than twelve years old, as the roots are generally too superficial.
Often making up as much as 90% of a blend, Tempranillo is less frequently bottled as a single varietal. Being low in both acidity and sugar content, it is most commonly blended with Grenache
Grenache
Grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, the south of France, and California's San Joaquin Valley. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively...
(known as Garnacha in Spain), Carignan (known as Mazuela in Spain), Graciano
Graciano
Graciano is a Spanish red wine grape that is grown primarily in Rioja. The vine produces a low yield that are normally harvested in late October. The wine produces is characterized by its deep red color, strong aroma and ability to age well...
, Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
and Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
. Blending the grape with Carignan makes a brighter and more acidic wine. Tempranillo is the major component of the typical Rioja blends and constitutes 90-100% of Ribera del Duero wines. In Australia, Tempranillo is blended with Grenache and Syrah. In Portugal, where it is known as Tinta Roriz, it is a major grape in the production of some Port wine
Port wine
Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...
s.
Synonyms
Aldepenas, Aragones, Aragonêz (Portugal), Aragonez Da Ferra, Aragonez de Elvas, Arganda, Arinto Tinto, Cencibel (Castile La Mancha, Madrid, Aragón, Extremadura, Murcia), Cencibera, Chinchillana (Extremadura), Chinchillano, Chinchilyano, Cupani, Escobera (Extremadura, S. America), Garnacho Foño (S.America), Grenache de Logrono, Jacibiera (Castile La Mancha, S. America), Jacivera, Juan Garcia, Negra de Mesa, Ojo de Liebre, Olho de Lebre, Sensibel, Tempranilla, Tempranillo de la Rioja, Tempranillo de Perralta, Tempranillo de Rioja, Tempranillo de Rioza, Tinta Aragones, Tinta de Santiago, Tinta de Toro, Tinta Do Inacio, Tinta Monteira, Tinta Monteiro, Tinta Roriz (Portugal), Tinta Roriz Da Penajola, Tinta Santiago, Tinto Aragon, Tinto Aragonez, Tinto de la Ribera, Tinto de Madrid (Toledo, Cantabria, Salamanca, Soria, Valladolid, Madrid), Tinto del País (Castile/Leon, Rioja), Tinto de Rioja, Tinto de Toro (Zamora), Tinto del Toro, Tinto Fino (Castile/Leon, Madrid, Valencia, Extremadura, Rioja), Tinto Madrid, Tinto Pais, Tinto Ribiera, Tinto Riojano, Ull de Llebre (Catalan for "Eye of the Hare"), Valdepeñas (also in California), Verdiell (Catalonia), Vid de Aranda (Burgos), Tinta Santiago (S. America) and Tinta Montereiro (S. America).
See also
- List of Port wine grapes
- International Grape Genome ProgramInternational Grape Genome ProgramThe International Grape Genomics Program is a collaborative genome project dedicated to determining the genome sequence of the grapevine Vitis vinifera...
- International varietyInternational varietyAn International variety is a grape variety that is widely planted in most of the major wine producing regions and has widespread appeal and consumer recognition. These are grapes that are highly likely to appear on wine labels as varietal wines and are often considered benchmarks for emerging wine...
- List of Portuguese grape varieties