By Malvina Demaj Last Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Tempranillo

(tem-pruh-ni-low)
DEFINITION

Tempranillo

Tempranillo is a black grape variety native to Spain, the backbone of the red wines Rioja and Ribera Del Duero. Tempranillo produces savory, medium to bodied wines with cherry, plum, tobacco and leather flavors. It has a relatively neutral profile, so it is often blended with other varieties like Grenache and Carignan, or aged in American oak so that the wine takes on the flavor of the barrel. In Portugal, it is part of the blend used to produce port wine.

Did you know? Tempranillo derives its name from "temprano", meaning early, as it ripens weeks before most Spanish grapes.

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