Best known as the basis for Rioja – in which it plays a starring role – Tempranillo is grown all over Spain and Portugal, although most recently it’s expanded beyond the Iberian Peninsula with plantings as far-flung as Australia, California and Argentina.
A dark red grape variety, the wine takes its name from temprano in Spanish, a nods to the fact that it ripens earlier than its counterparts. Because it’s often blended with other grapes – making up to 90 per cent of some bottles – it doesn’t have the same fame as better-known cousins such as Merlot or Pinot Noir, but its lack of recognition is wholly undeserved.
