Saturday, 9th November this year marks International Tempranillo Day – a day we are most definitely celebrating! As big advocates of the Spanish variety, we’ve used it in a range of our wines, most recently the Fairview Extrano and Fairview Broken Barrel.

When reflecting on bringing Tempranillo to Fairview, Charles shares the story:

“I was eager to introduce Tempranillo to our vineyards, and so in 2003, I planted vines in Darling. 3 years later, the fruit the vines were bearing looked a bit odd, and upon further investigation, we discovered the nursery had accidently given us Tinta Amarela – a variety used to make port! We eventually replanted vines in Paarl, and now have one of  the Tempranillo mother blocks in South Africa” 

Whether you are a new or long-standing fan of the robust grape variety, here are a few things you need to know:

Grape Variety: Tempranillo 
Origin: Spain
Style: Dry red wine
Colour Profile: Ruby red
Flavour Profile: Red fruit (cherry), cinnamon spice; firm tannin structure
Key Regions: Rioja – Spain, Portugal, USA
Food pairing: Tapas, cured meats. Tempranillo is one of the most food friendly wines!

Tempranillo (also known as Ull de Llebre, Cencibel, and Tinta del Pais in Spain, Aragonez or Tinta Roriz in Portugal, and several other synonyms elsewhere) is a black grape variety widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain

Traditionally, Tempranillo is best known as the dominant grape of red Rioja, Spain’s most famous wine. It is popular for providing the framework and ageing ability to many blends, and the flavour of Tempranillo is essentially savoury rather than sweet. For this reason, it pairs with a wide diversity of food.

We love it here at Fairview because it fares particularly well in the heat thanks to its Spanish heritage, and while it is still a stranger of sorts to most, keep an eye on this variety – we’re certain it will be popping up on more and more trendy wine lists in the years to come! Happy International Tempranillo Day!

Fairview Extrano and Broken Barrel are both available on our online shop. Click here.

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