The grape varietal Tempranillo helped make Spain famous as a wine-producing country. It is Spain’s leading red-wine grape and the principal variety in celebrated regions such as Rioja and Ribera del Duero.
The name Tempranillo comes from the Spanish word temprano, meaning “early,” because the grape ripens several weeks before many other Spanish red varieties. It produces wines that can be deeply colored and full-bodied, with common flavors including plum, strawberry, vanilla and spice. Its relatively neutral aroma also makes it well suited to blending and oak aging.
Tempranillo is known by different names across the Iberian Peninsula. In Portugal it is commonly called Tinta Roriz or Aragonez, where it contributes to some table wines and Port blends. In Spain, regional names include Tinto Fino, Tinta del País and Cencibel.
In 2015, about 87% of the world’s Tempranillo vineyard area was in Spain. That concentration, along with the grape’s central role in Rioja and other famous appellations, explains its strong association with Spanish wine rather than with Portugal or another producer.