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Tempranillo's Role As A New Varietal Wine In Australia
by: Darby Higgs
Tempranillo is the premium red wine
grape variety from the Rioja region in Spain. It is now challenging
Sangiovese as the up and coming star of the red varietal wine scene
in Australia.
New plantings throughout Australian wine regions over the past
five years are just coming into bearing. In fact on a percentage
basis Tempranillo is growing in popularity more rapidly than any
other variety.
What makes this variety so exciting? Well, it makes wines which
have good colour and good fruit flavours along with low acid and
low tannins. This adds up to an easy drinking style. The wine also
goes well with American oak.
In the vineyard the variety has a short growing season which makes
it suitable for cooler areas. In Spain the 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 Graciano
or Cabernet sauvignon playing a minor role. It is a component of
Ribera del Duero's famous Vega Sicilia, the Spanish equivalent to
Grange.
In Portugal the variety is used as a minor component in port, and
some red table wines. Elsewhere in the world the major plantings
are in Argentine and California. In the latter region it is called
Valdepenas and is regarded as a unsuitable for making fine wine.
Tempranillo has taken off in Australia only in the past few years.
Brown Brothers have been a pioneer of the variety, but there are
now over 50 producers in about half of Autralia's sixty wine regions.
Although McLaren Vale has the highest number of producers variety
is widely planted throughout the mainland Australian wine regions.
The highest rated Tempranillo in James Halliday's Wine Companion
2005 is from Manton's Creek Vineyard in the Mornington Peninsula.
Casella Wines, the makers of the hugely successful [yellowtail]
range are also interested in the variety. They received a silver
medal for a 2003 Tempranillo at the Australian Alternative Varieties
Wine Show 2004.
The obvious food match 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, some prawns and a few slices of Chorizo
sausage may just what is needed.
The Spanish also love jamon, dry cured ham. Many bars in Spain
have dozens of 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 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. Sheep milk cheeses, roast stuffed peppers and vegetable
casseroles would also be enhanced by a glass or two of these fine
wines.
What then can we expect in future from Tempranillo in Australia?
It is an interesting fact is that the variety is being tried in
many wine regions. Virtually all of the plantings in Australia are
new and the vineyard managers and winemakers are just starting to
climb the learning curve. Some enthusiasts say Tempranillo is the
next big thing in Australian red wines; others think that the Italian
variety Sangiovese will triumph. The next few years will tell, in
the meantime there will be some interesting wines to try.
About The Author
Darby Higgs is manager and editor of Vinodiversity a web based guide
to Australian wine made with less common wine varieties.
http://www.vinodiversity.com
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