Tempranillo

Tempranillo is the grape variety that forms the backbone of some of the finest red wines from Spain and Portugal. Almost every red wine from Rioja and Ribera del Duero has Tempranillo at its core, and in Portugal the variety is widely used in the Douro Valley both for table wines and fortified wines (Port). Tempranillo vines have been successfully adopted in the New World, especially in California, Argentina and Australia.

Synonyms include:

Spain: Cencibel, Tinto Fino, Tinto del Pais, Tinto de Toro, Tinto Madrid, Ojo de Liebre, Ull de Llebre.
Portugal: Aragones, Aragonez, Tinta Aragoneza, Arinto Tinto, Tinta Roriz, Tinta de Santiago.

Food matches for Tempranillo wines include:

• Roasted red peppers stuffed with rice and morcilla blood sausage
• Brazilian pork and bean stew (feijoada)
• Roast lamb with redcurrant jelly