Tempranillo Wine in Australia

The most successful of the red wines introduced into Australia over the past two decades

Mayford Wines in the Alpine Valleys region of Victoria are one of the pioneers of Australian Tempranillo. They started with a very small batch

Tempranillo is the premium red wine grape variety from the Rioja Region in Spain. It is also grown in many other regions of Spain.

In Spain the Tempranillo wine grape variety is the backbone of the wines of the Rioja and the Ribera del Duero regions in Northern and Central Spain. In these regions it is often blended with varieties such as Graciano, Grenache or Cabernet Sauvignon playing a minor role. It makes up about 60% of Ribera del Duero's famous Vega Sicilia, the Spanish equivalent to Grange.

Some Tempranillo wines are intended to be consumed while they are young, in which case they are referred to as being the joven style. The Spanish term crianza refers to aged wines. In very good years Spanish wineries make a reserva intended for extended ageing.

In Portugal the variety is used as a minor component in port, and increasingly in red table wines.

But now Tempranillo wine is being made in many Australian wine regions from the Granite Belt in Queensland to the King Valley in Victoria to McLaren Vale and the Barossa to Geographe and Margaret River in Western Australia.

You can try some Tempranillo as part of this 

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Tempranillo Around the world

Tempranillo is grown in many Spanish wine regions and is grown in Portugal under the name Tinta Roriz.

Other synonyms include Aragonez, Cencibel, Tinto Fino, Tinto Madrid, Grenache de Logrono, Tinto de la Rioja, Tinto de toro, Jacivera, Tempranilla, Ull de Llebre, Tinta Roriz, Tinto de Santiago.

Tempranillo is rapidly gaining followers around the world and plantings of the variety are growing rapidly as the chart below shows.  Most of the new plantings are in Spain where Temp is replacing the workhorse white wine variety Airen.

Elsewhere in the world the major plantings are in Argentina and California. In the latter region it is called Valdepenas and is regarded as a unsuitable for making fine wine.

Most of the Australian plantings are new.  For more detail see the article The Rising Tide of Tempranillo

Worldwide increases in plantings of Tempranillo outstripping all other wine grape varieties.

What makes this variety so exciting?

Well, it makes wines which have good colour and attractive fruit flavours along with low acid and low tannins. The middle palate is just full of interesting fruit flavours. This adds up to an easy drinking style of wine that matches very well with a range of foods.

The wine also goes well with American oak, a fact which many winemakers are exploring in Australia. In the vineyard the variety has a short growing season which makes it suitable for cooler areas.

Tempranillo's home, Rioja, is an inland region of Spain with a continental climate. (See this map for a thorough understanding of Spanish wine regions.) This has lead to some people speculating that it is quite suitable for inland Australian regions such The Canberra or Orange wine regions.

But experience has shown that this variety thrives in a wide range of viticultural environments.

Australian Wineries using Tempranillo

• 919 Wines Riverland
• A Rodda Wines Beechworth
• Adina Vineyard Hunter Valley
• Alejandro Riverland
• All Saints Estate Rutherglen
• Alpha Box and Dice McLaren Vale
• Amadio Adelaide Hills
• Amato Vino Margaret River
• Amelia Park Margaret River
• Anderson and Marsh Alpine Valleys
• Anderson Winery Rutherglen
• Andrew Peace Wines Swan Hill
• Angoves Winery Riverland
• Angullong Wines Orange
• Angus Plains Estate Langhorne Creek
• Anim Wines Southern Tasmania
• Aravina Margaret River
• Arete Barossa Valley
• Armstrong Wines Grampians
• Artemis Wines Southern Highlands
• Artwine Adelaide Hills
• Atika Yarra Valley
• Atlas Wines Clare Valley
• Atze's Corner Wines Barossa Valley
• Audrey Wilkinson Hunter Valley
• Aylesbury Estate Geographe
• Badgers Brook Yarra Valley Yarra Valley
• Bakkheia Geographe
• Banrock Station Riverland
• Barossa Valley Estate Barossa Valley
• Barristers Block Adelaide Hills
• Basalt Henty
• Bay of Shoals Kangaroo Island
• Beechworth Wine Estates Beechworth
• Bella Ridge Estate Swan District
• Bellwether Coonawarra
• Bent Creek Vineyards McLaren Vale
• Bent Road Granite Belt
• Between the Vines Adelaide Hills
• Big Easy Radio McLaren Vale
• Bike and Barrel Alpine Valleys
• Bilgavia Wines Hunter Valley
• Billy Button Alpine Valleys
• Bimbadgen Hunter Valley
• Bird in Hand Adelaide Hills
• Bittern Estate Mornington Peninsula
• Black and Ginger Grampians
• Bleasdale Langhorne Creek
• Blewitt Springs McLaren Vale
• Blue Poles Vineyard Margaret River
• Blue Rock Wines Barossa Valley
• Born and Raised Heathcote
• Brandy Creek Wines Gippsland
• Briar Ridge Vineyard Hunter Valley
• Bridgetown Winery Blackwood Valley
• Brinktop Southern Tasmania
• Brookland Valley Margaret River
• Brookside Perth Hills
• Brown Brothers King Valley
• Bullers Calliope Rutherglen
• Chambers Rosewood Rutherglen
• Bunkers Margaret River
• Bunnamagoo Mudgee
• Burge Family Winemakers Barossa Valley
• Burrendulla Mudgee
• Byrne and Smith McLaren Vale
• Calabria Family Wines Riverina
• Campbells Wines Rutherglen
• Cape Barren Wines McLaren Vale
• Capel Vale Geographe
• Capital Wines Canberra
• Caravino Swan Valley
• Carldenn Homestead Wines Perth Hills
• Casella Riverina
• Castelli Estate Denmark
• Caudo Vineyard Riverland
• Centennial Vineyards Southern Highlands
• Ceres Bridge Estate Geelong
• cf Geelong
• Chain of Ponds Adelaide Hills
• Chalk Hill Winery McLaren Vale
• Chalkers Crossing Hilltops
• Chapel Hill McLaren Vale
• Claymore Clare Valley
• Charlish & Co Adelaide Hills
• Cherabino Margaret River
• Chrismont King Valley
• Ciavarella King Valley
• Clarence House Southern Tasmania
• Clarnette Grampians
• Coal Valley Vineyard Southern Tasmania
• Colab and Bloom Adelaide Hills
• Collector Wines Canberra
• Comyns and Co Hunter Valley
• Corang Estate Hilltops
• Corymbia Swan Valley
• Coulter Wines Adelaide Hills
• Crabtree of Watervale Clare Valley
• D'Arenberg McLaren Vale
• Crittenden Estate Mornington Peninsula
• Cupitt's Winery Shoalhaven Coast
• Dalfarras Nagambie Lakes
• Dalwood Hunter Valley
• De Bertolis Rutherglen Estates Rutherglen
• De Iuliis Hunter Valley
• Del Rios Geelong
• Delatite Winery Upper Goulburn
• Di Giorgio Coonawarra
• Dimbulla Hunter Valley
• Dionysus Winery Canberra
• Doc Adams McLaren Vale
• Dodgy Brothers McLaren Vale
• Dogrock Winery Pyrenees
• Domaine De Binet Hunter Valley
• Domaine Naturaliste Margaret River
• Dominic Riverland
• Donovan Wines Grampians
• Dormilona Margaret River
• Dowie Doole McLaren Vale
• Drakesbrook Wines Peel
• Drayton Family Wines Hunter Valley
• Dryridge Estate Central Ranges Zone
• Eaglerange Wines Alpine Valleys
• Earthworks Barossa Valley
• Eloper Adelaide Hills
• Epsilon Barossa Valley
• Ernest Hill Wines Hunter Valley
• ess&see McLaren Vale
• Eunonywine Riverina
• Fairbrossen Perth Hills
• Farmer and the Scientist Heathcote
• Feathertop Alpine Valleys
• Ferguson Falls Winery Geographe
• Fifth Estate Geographe
• Fighting Gully Road Beechworth
• Firebox Ridge Swan Hill
• First Creek Hunter Valley
• First Drop Barossa Valley
• First Ridge Mudgee
• Fishbone Margaret River
• Happs Margaret River
• Four Winds Vineyard Canberra
• Fox Creek Wines McLaren Vale
• Fox Gordon Barossa Valley
• Fratin Brothers Grampians
• Freeman Vineyards Hilltops
• Galafrey Mount Barker
• Galli Estate Heathcote
• Gapsted Wines Alpine Valleys
• Gargoyle Wines Barossa Valley
• Gatt Barossa Valley
• Gemtree Vineyards McLaren Vale
• Gibson Barossa Valley
• Gill Wine Estate Murray Darling
• Glandore Estate Hunter Valley
• Golden Grove Estate Granite Belt
• Goon Tycoons Margaret River
• Graham Stevens Wines McLaren Vale
• Grampians Estate Grampians
• Granite Hills Macedon Ranges
• Granite Ridge Wines Granite Belt
• Green Door Wines Geographe
• Hackersley Geographe
• Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy McLaren Vale
• Hanging Rock Macedon Ranges
• Hare's Chase Barossa Valley
• Harewood Estate Denmark
• Harris Organic Wines Swan Valley
• Hastwell and Lightfoot McLaren Vale
• Hay Shed Hill Wines Margaret River
• Heart of Gold Bendigo
• Heath & Co Currency Creek
• Heathcote Winery Heathcote
• Hedonist McLaren Vale
• Heirloom Vineyards McLaren Vale
• Hemera Estate Barossa Valley
• Henschke Eden Valley
• Hently Farm Wines Barossa Valley
• Heritage Estate Granite Belt
• Hesketh Wines Barossa Valley
• Hewitson Barossa Valley
• Hickinbotham of Dromana Mornington Peninsula
• Hidden Creek Granite Belt
• High Country King Valley
• Hill River Estate Clare Valley
• Hither and Yon McLaren Vale
• Hollick Wines Coonawarra
• Hollydene Estate Mudgee
• Honey Moon Vineyard Adelaide Hills
• Hotham Ridge Winery Peel
• Houlaghans Valley Wines Gundagai
• Hugh Hamilton McLaren Vale
• Hugo Wines McLaren Vale
• Hungerford Hill Hunter Valley
• Il Cattivo Currency Creek
• In Praise of Shadows McLaren Vale
• Inkwell McLaren Vale
• Innocent Bystander Yarra Valley
• Iron Gate Hunter Valley
• Ironbark Hill Estate Hunter Valley
• Island Brook Margaret River
• Ivybrook Farm McLaren Vale
• Jack Estate Coonawarra
• Jaeschke's Hill River Clare Estate Clare Valley
• jb Wines Barossa Valley
• Jericho Adelaide Hills
• Jester Hill Wines Granite Belt
• Jilly Wines New England
• Juniper Estate Margaret River
• K1 by Geoff Hardy Adelaide Hills
• Kaesler Barossa Valley
• Kalleske Wines Barossa Valley
• Kangaroo Hills Macedon Ranges
• Keith Tulloch Wine Hunter Valley
• Kellermeister Wines Barossa Valley
• Kellivale Geographe
• Kelman Vineyard Hunter Valley
• Kennedy Heathcote
• Killiecrankie Bendigo
• Kings Landing Frankland River
• Kirrihill Estates Clare Valley
• Koomilya McLaren Vale
• Krinklewood Hunter Valley
• Kurrrajong Estate Hunter Valley
• La Bise Adelaide Hills
• La Cantina King Valley King Valley
• La Kooki Margaret River
• La La Land Murray Darling
• La Linea Adelaide Hills
• Lake George Canberra
• Lambert Estate Barossa Valley
• Landaire Padthaway
• Landhaus Estate Adelaide Hills
• Larnook McLaren Vale
• Lazzar Wines Mornington Peninsula
• Leogate Estate Hunter Valley
• Lethbridge Wines Geelong
• Lillypilly Estate Riverina
• Lindsay Wine Estate Barossa Valley
• Linear Adelaide Hills
• Lion Mill Vineyards Perth Hills
• Lobethal Road Wines Adelaide Hills
• Lockwood Vineyards Hilltops
• Lockwood Wines Hilltops
• Logan Wines Mudgee
• Love + Glory McLaren Vale
• Macaw Creek Wine Mount Lofty Ranges Zone
• Main and Cherry Adelaide Hills
• Mallee Estate Riverland
• Mansfield Wines Mudgee
• Many Hands Yarra Valley
• Margan Family Hunter Valley
• Marions Vineyard Northern Tasmania
• Marq Margaret River
• Matriarch and Rogue Clare Valley
• Maximus Wines McLaren Vale
• Mayer Yarra Valley
• Mayford Wines Alpine Valleys
• Mazza Geographe
• McHenry Hohnen Margaret River
• McPherson Wines Nagambie Lakes
• Merilba Estate New England
• Merindoc Heathcote
• Millbrook Winery Perth Hills
• Mimosa South Coast Zone
• Miners Ridge Grampians
• Ministry of Clouds McLaren Vale
• Montalto Vineyards Mornington Peninsula
• Monterra Wines McLaren Vale
• Mordrelle Adelaide Hills
• Morrisons of Glenrowan Glenrowan
• Mount Avoca Pyrenees
• Mount Broke Wines Hunter Valley
• Mount Burrumboot Estate Heathcote
• Mount Charlie Winery Macedon Ranges
• Mount Majura Canberra
• Mount Pleasant Hunter Valley
• Mount Trio Vineyard Porongurup
• Mountain Ridge Central Ranges Zone
• Mr Mick Clare Valley
• Mr Murphy Adelaide Hills
• Mr Riggs Wine Company McLaren Vale
• Mt Bera Adelaide Hills
• Mt Billy Southern Fleurieu
• Quarry Hill Wines Canberra
• Murrumbateman Canberra
• Muster Wine Company Barossa Valley
• Myattsfield Vineyard and Winery Perth Hills
• Nannup Estate Blackwood Valley
• Nashdale Lane Wines Orange
• Nashwauk McLaren Vale
• Nepenthe Adelaide Hills
• New Era Adelaide Hills
• Next Crop Wines Langhorne Creek
• Ngeringa Adelaide Hills
• Nick O'Leary Canberra
• Nick Spencer Wines Tumbarumba
• Nikola Estate Swan Valley
• Noble Red Heathcote
• Nocturne Margaret River
• Nuova Scuola South Burnett
• O'Leary Walker Clare Valley
• Oates Ends Margaret River
• Oatley Wines Mudgee
• Obsession Wines Tumbarumba
• Olive Farm Wines Swan Valley
• Olive Hills Estate Rutherglen
• Olivers Taranga McLaren Vale
• Orbis McLaren Vale
• Otellia Coonawarra
• Oxenbury Farm McLaren Vale
• Pandemonium Estate Swan Valley
• Pankhurst Wines Canberra
• Paracombe Wines Adelaide Hills
• Paul Conti Wines Greater Perth Zone
• Paul Nelson Wines Denmark
• Paulmara Estate Barossa Valley
• Paxton McLaren Vale
• Peacetree Estate Margaret River
• Peel Ridge Peel
• Pengally Lane Wines Bendigo
• Peppergreen Estate Southern Highlands
• Pertaringa McLaren Vale
• Pete's Pure Murray Darling
• Peter Drayton Wines Hunter Valley
• Peter Lehmann Barossa Valley
• Pfeiffer Wines Rutherglen
• Piano Piano Beechworth
• Pikes Clare Valley
• Pindarie Wines Barossa Valley
• Plan B Frankland River
• Plantagenet Mount Barker
• Poachers Canberra
• Pokolbin Estate Hunter Valley
• Polpero Mornington Peninsula
• Pondalowie Bendigo
• Project Wine Langhorne Creek
• Quattro Mano Barossa Valley
• Quoin Hill Pyrenees
• Ravenscroft Wines Granite Belt
• Red Earth Estate Western Plains
• Red Edge Heathcote
• Reilly's Wines Clare Valley
• Remarkable View Winery Southern Flinders Region
• Renzaglia Central Ranges Zone
• Ricca Terra Riverland
• Ridgemill Estate Granite Belt
• Risky Business Margaret River
• Riverbank Estate Swan Valley
• Romantic Vineyard Pyrenees
• Ros Ritchie Upper Goulburn
• Rosabrook Margaret River
• Rosenvale Barossa Valley
• Ross Hill Wines Orange
• Samson Tall McLaren Vale
• Rusty Fig Wines South Coast Zone
• Rymill Coonawarra Coonawarra
• Saint Aiden Wines Geographe
• Salena Estate Riverland
• Saltram Barossa Valley
• Sam Miranda Wines King Valley
• Samuels Gorge McLaren Vale
• Sanguine Estate Heathcote
• Sapling Yard Canberra
• Savina Lane Granite Belt
• SC Pannell McLaren Vale
• Serafino Wines McLaren Vale
• Serrena Que Estate Granite Belt
• Sevens Select Riverland
• Seville Hill Yarra Valley
• Sfera Limestone Coast Zone
• Sherrah McLaren Vale
• Shingleback McLaren Vale
• Smallfry Wines Barossa Valley
• Shut the Gate Clare Valley
• Sieber Barossa Valley
• Silver Spoon Wines Heathcote
• SinglefileWines Denmark
• Sittella Swan Valley
• Sixty Eight Roses Riverland
• Skigh Margaret River
• Slowfox Wines Mudgee
• Snake and Herring Margaret River
• Sons of Eden Barossa Valley
• South by South West Margaret River
• Spook Hill Wines Riverland
• St Hallett Barossa Valley
• St Ignatius Vineyard Pyrenees
• Stakehill Estate Peel
• Stanton and Killeen Wines Rutherglen
• Stella Bella Margaret River
• Stockman's Ridge Orange
• Stuart Wines Yarra Valley
• Summit Estate Granite Belt
• Surveyor's Hill Winery Canberra
• Sutherland Estate Yarra Valley
• Swingingbridge Orange
• Switch Currency Creek
• Symphonia King Valley
• Symphony Hill Wines Granite Belt
• Tahbilk Nagambie Lakes
• Talijancich Swan Valley
• Tallagandra Hill Canberra
• Tallavera Grove Winery Hunter Valley
• Tar and Roses Nagambie Lakes
• Tarzali Strathbogie Ranges
• Taylors Clare Valley
• TeAro Barossa Valley
• Tempus Two Hunter Valley
• Tenafeate Creek Wines Adelaide Plains
• Tessera Adelaide Hills
• The Islander Estate Vineyards Kangaroo Island
• The Lane Vineyard Adelaide Hills
• The Little Wine Company Hunter Valley
• The Overflow Queensland Zone
• The Pawn Wine Company Adelaide Hills
• The Stoke Kangaroo Island
• Three Dams Estate Heathcote
• Tim Adams Clare Valley
• Tim Gramp Clare Valley
• Tinklers Hunter Valley
• Tipperary Estate South Burnett
• Tobin Wines Granite Belt
• Tokar Estate Yarra Valley
• Tonon Vineyard and Winery Perth Hills
• Toppers Mountain New England
• Torzi Matthews Eden Valley
• Trahna Rutherglen Wines Rutherglen
• Trelawney Clare Valley
• Trifon Estate Goulburn Valley
• Troll Creek Barossa Valley
• Tscharke Barossa Valley
• Tuck's Ridge Mornington Peninsula
• Tulloch Hunter Valley
• Two Dragons Wine Currency Creek
• Tynan Wines New England
• Ulithorne McLaren Vale
• Upper Reach Vineyard Swan Valley
• Vanden Murray Darling
• Vanguardist Clare Valley
• Vinaceous Various
• Vinden Estate Hunter Valley
• Vinifera Wines Mudgee
• Vino Volta Swan Valley
• Vinous Australia Geelong
• Wallington Wines Cowra
• Wangolina Mount Benson
• Way Wood Wines McLaren Vale
• Weathercraft Beechworth
• Welshmans Reef Vineyard Bendigo
• West Cape Howe Wines Denmark
• Whitfield Estate Denmark
• Wild Orchid Blackwood Valley
• Willoughby Park Denmark
• Willow Bridge Estate Geographe
• Willunga 100 Wines McLaren Vale
• Wilson Vineyard Clare Valley
• Windowrie Estate Cowra
• Windsong Wines Langhorne Creek
• Windsors Edge Hunter Valley
• Windy Creeek Estate Peel
• Wines By Farquhar Barossa Valley
• Wines by KT Clare Valley
• Wirra Wirra McLaren Vale
• Witchmount Estate Sunbury
• Wood Park King Valley
• Woodgate Wines Manjimup
• Woodstock McLaren Vale
• Woody Nook Margaret River
• Wrattonbully Vineyards Wrattonbully
• XO Wine Co Adelaide Hills
• Yacca Paddock Vineyards Adelaide Hills
• Yalumba Wine Company Eden Valley
• Yangarra Estate McLaren Vale
• Yarra Yering Yarra Valley
• Zappa Wines New England
• Zonte's Footstep McLaren Vale

Tempranillo and food

The obvious food pairing with Tempranillo wine is to go with Spanish style dishes. A lighter bodied Tempranillo would go well with tapas, those delightful little snacks that originally were designed for accompanying sherry. A little plate of olives, a few marinated mushrooms, some prawns and a few slices of Chorizo sausage may be just what is needed.

The Spanish also love jamon, dry cured ham. Many bars in Spain have dozens of country style hams hanging up and there is always a ham in a special rack ready to be thinly carved for a snack to accompany a glass of wine.

Sheep farming is a major industry in the Rioja and the Ribera del Duero regions. Hence grilled and especially roast lamb are local specialties, as well as the ideal accompaniment to Tempranillo.

Daring Pairings By Evan Goldstein. This book is loaded with pairing ideas and recipes for a range of less common wines including Tempranillo

Evan Goldstein in his excellent book Daring Pairings suggests Rack of Lamb with Creamy Rice and Parsnips as a food pairing idea for this wine

Sheep milk cheeses, roast stuffed peppers and vegetable casseroles would also be enhanced by a glass or two of these fine wines.

Buy some Tempranillo wine from this online wine merchant