Figure 1. Tempranillo grapes growing on the vineii
Like many countries throughout the world, Spain has a
particular grape variety which thrives in its soil and climate. This “noble grape” of Spain is
Tempranillo. The Tempranillo grape is a
dark grape rich in flavor. It is
specifically a black grape with thick skins full of tannins[i].
The name Tempranillo is a diminutive
term of the Spanish word for “early”[ii]. This grape is so named because it ripens
several weeks before other grapes grown in its region. Although Tempranillo is
grown all over the world, including France, Argentina, South Africa, and Portugal, it is mostly grown in Spain,
particularly the Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Cataluna regions[iii]. In fact, more than 70,000 hectares are grown
worldwide, though most of this area is in Spain[iv]. In these regions, a cold climate and
well-drained soils provide the best growing conditions for the grape, and help
to develop its distinct flavor profile.
Figure 2. Map of Spain and its wine regions. (“Laura’s
Libations- Your Everyday Sommelier”. 2009.
<youreverydaysommelier.blogspot.com>
Figure 3. Bottle of Tempranillo
(Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg VA)
It’s flavor profile is aromatic, spicy, and
full-bodiedii; more descriptive terms of this wine’s distinctive
flavor include leather, violets, dark cherry, licorice, and plumiii. More general descriptors for this wine would
be raspberry, berry, truffle, and herbaceous. The aroma of this wine includes
tobacco, plum, berry, leather, and vanilla[i]. The aromas and tastes of Tempranillo are
undoubtedly influenced by the fact that it is often stored in oak to allow the
wine to maturei. In fact, it is recommended by many wine experts to
store Tempranillo in oak, because it enhances and positively affects the wine’s
flavor profile. When aged, this grape
variety can even taste like sandalwoodiii.
As
with any grape, location affects the flavor of the wine. In the Rioja region of Spain, where oak
maturation is used, Tempranillo is produced as a medium-bodied wine, though
with more acid tastes than tanninsii. New wines produced in this region are
dark. These new wines have a robust,
primarily fruity flavor. In this region,
it is often blended with Garancha, Mazuelo, and Graciano varieties (in fact,
Tempranillo is often blended in every region it’s grown). In contrast, Ribera
del Duero (another major region for Tempranillo) does not use oak as often to
mature the wine. Wines from this region
are often darker or richer in color than the Tempranillo of Rioja. Wine from this region is also more powerful.
As
stated earlier, Tempranillo is also (though less famously) grown in other
countries. In Portugal, this grape is
known as “Tinta Roriz” or “Aragonez” in Alenteioi. It is actually
the second most planted grape in the Douro region. Tempranillo from Portugal
generally has a good color and backbone, is medium to full-bodied, and
fragrant. It has only moderate acidity compared to the Tempranillo of the Rioja
region. One reason the Tempranillo grape
can grow well in Portugal could be because of the same general latitude it has
compared to Spain (since they are bordering neighbors), and so the Portuguese
climate is very similar to that of Spain.
Tempranillo
is produced as a variety wine, though it is often blended with other wines in
the area, such as Grenache. It is also
used in Port wines in Portugaliii.
When served, it is recommended that Tempranillo is served in a red
Bourdeaux wine glassv. Before the wine is even produced, care is
taken to ensure the grapes are harvested at the right time. To avoid the possibility of picking the
grapes too early, the grapes are only harvested after they have reached a
sweetness level of 24 Brixi.
This ensures the wine will not taste too acidic, and that there is
plenty of sugar to aid in the fermentation process.
There
are many different advised food pairings with Tempranillo, making it a diverse
wine. Some find that chicken, pork loin,
and lamb go well with this wine, particularly Tempranillo grown in the Rioja
regioni. Other sources have supported this idea that Tempranillo
goes well with poultry and pork, and have even suggested that grilled or
barbequed meats would go well with the winev. John Boyer, a Professor at Virginia Tech and
wine expert, suggests drinking Tempranillo while eating beef stew and pastas with
red saucesiii. Generally, the
consensus between multiple sources is that Tempranillo goes well with several
varieties of cheese, including specifically Harvarti and Cheddar.
Tempranillo
is a grape full of distinct fruity flavors.
It is not a wine for beginners; it is too robust, to full-bodied to be
fully appreciated by an inexperienced palate.
However, for those who have more advanced palates, or for those who have
tried many wines, Tempranillo is definitely a wine with strong, distinct
flavors that are easy to discern from other wines. It is the wine that Spain grows well, and is
definitely a robust wine to grow and produce proudly.
Tasting
the Wine
Figure 4. Wine
label of Tempranillo
In
order to better understand the wine myself, I tried a bottle for myself. I purchased a bottle of 100% Tempranillo from
the Vintage Cellar (in Blacksburg, VA) for $11.99. This wine is a Senda 66 Tempranillo, the
vintage year 2010, and the alcohol level 14%.
It was produced in Castilla-la Mancha, a sub region in the La Mancha
wine region of Spain (Figure 2 above shows a map of Spain including this
region).
Although
this wine was not produced in the main regions which feature Tempranillo, it
was still bottled in Spain, which overall grows Tempranillo as its noble grape. Because it was grown in the country which is
known for this grape, I would expect this wine to go well with foods that are
typically recommended for Spanish Tempranillos.
Therefore, I would pair this wine with red meat or a pasta with a
tomato-based sauce. Tomato sauces or
dishes with tomato might help bring out the cherry flavors commonly found in
the wine. Most meats prepared in Spanish
styles I would expect would go well with this food, since Old World wines are
often produced to complement the foods of the region. Because this wine was grown in a region a
little farther south than the regions famous for the grape, this wine may not
be at its full potential in terms of body or dark cherry flavors.
This
wine was rich. It had a full, intense
aroma of fruit, particularly of cherries.
It smelled jammy. You could smell
how full-bodied this wine was. Although
the smell was not very complex, it was definitely intensely fruity. The taste, however, revealed more flavors I
could not discern from the smell. The
taste reaffirmed that the wine was full-bodied and rich, and the taste of
cherries and other red berries was apparent.
I could also taste some spice in this wine, suggesting the wine might
have been aged in oak barrels. Without
food, this wine was hot; you could definitely taste the alcohol in this wine. However, it had a good balance between sugar
and acid (not too sweet, not too acidic).
It was not bitter, and the tannins did not overwhelm the wine.
Not
only did I try this wine without food, but I also drank this with dinner. For dinner, I had flava beans with pita,
olives, and mild feta cheese. These foods are found in the Mediterranean and
the Middle East; therefore, theoretically it might complement this Spanish wine
well. As predicted, this wine was very
drinkable with this food. The food cut
out the heat of the wine, and accentuated the fruity, jammy flavors and spicy
notes.
Having
tried this wine, especially with food, I can suggest other foods which might go
well with it. Smelling the empty bottle
(weeks after I have consumed the wine), I can detect hints of meat. The bottle actually smells like a pot roast
or stew. Therefore, I would suggest
pairing this wine with red meats, slow-cooked with root vegetables. I would suggest a pot roast with beef,
carrots and onions, cooked with the red wine itself, or a beef stew with barley
and the aforementioned vegetables. These
foods immediately came to mind upon further reflection and smelling the wine
after its consumption. As stated before,
these red meat dishes (slow cooked in a red wine, beef stock mixture) could
bring out the fruity flavors of the wine and the beefy flavors of the
dish. The protein from the meeting and
carbohydrates from the barley would help to cut the heat from this hot
wine. The vegetables and simple
traditional flavors might also bring out earthy elements not yet detected in
the wine, or the help accentuate the spice that is evident in this wine.
In
any case, investigating this wine has helped me develop my palate further by
exploring this wine and contemplating its flavors and aromas.
[i]
Theron, Charl. No date. “Wynboer: A Technical Guide for Wine Producers “Is
Tempranillo the next superstar of the new wine world?”. WineLand 2000.
Available world wide web <http://www.wynboer.co.za/recentarticles/200607current.php3>,
March 19.
[ii]
Wine Access, Inc. 2013. “Tempranillo”. Available world wide web <
http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/tempranillo/ >, Feb. 11
[iii]
Boyer, John.
Drink This Now. 2
nd Ed. Wiley, John & Sons,
Inc. 2010.
[iv]
espavino.com. No date. ““The Vine Variety Tempranillo”. Available world wide
web <http://www.espavino.com/spain_grapes/tempranillo.php>, March 19.
