This very important variety of black grape is used to make a wine called Rioja. It's name means "early" in Spanish and it refers to the fact that this grape ripens very early in the season. In general it grows best in very high altitudes. It is a vine that produces a very black cluster of fruit and the resulting wine vintage usually has a lovely deep red color as a result.



It is often compared to the Pinot Noir grape because it looks and tastes similar but it is in no way related to it. This variety ripens several weeks earlier than most grapes. Tempranillo is a very versatile wine that is can be drunk while it is still young or it can be equally delicious after it has been aged for a few years in old barrels.

The wine that is created from the Tempranillo grape is very much noted for that beautiful ruby color but it also is a very complex wine to the practiced palette. This interesting wine tastes of sour cherries and plumb but it also smells of vanilla, leather, herbs and berries. The wine also has a tobacco like back taste some years which is very desirable.

The Tempranillo grape was brought to California in the 1900s where it is often used as a component in varietal wines. It was originally brought to The New World when Spanish conquistadors brought it to South America from Spain. In California the Tempranillo grape and the wine it produces is also known as Valdepenas.

The best and most famous region in Spains are Rioja and Ribera del Duero (where it is known as Tinto Fino and Tinto del Pais) It can also be found in Argentina, France (in the Languedoc) and the United States. It is also a mainstay in vinyards in Portugal where it is used in blends to make port wine.

Tempranillo is also grown in many Australian wine regions. There are now over 100 Australian wineries making wine from this variety of red wine grape. There is also a mutation of this grape called that is white but it rare and only grown in the Rioja region of Spain. Mostly it is used for making blends and often these wine blends are 90% the Tempranillo grape.

This is one of those grapes that is known by a great variety of other names. They include Aragonez Da Ferra, Aragonez Da Ferra, Aragonez de Elvas, Arganda, Arinto Tinto, Cencibel Aragonez de Elvas, Arganda, Arinto Tinto, Cencibel, Tinta Santiago, Tinto Aragon, Tinto Aragonez, Tinto de la Ribera, Tinto de Madridm Tinta Roriz Da Penajola, Tinta Santiago, Tinto Aragon and Tinto Aragonez.

There are hundreds of more names but these ones are some of the most commonly used for referring to wines made with the Tempranillo varietal grape.