Today we celebrate the birthday of Tempranillo — one of Spain’s defining grape varieties.
It’s a wine of contrasts: discipline and sensuality, depth and lightness. Just like Spain itself: warm, proud and full of character.
The name comes from temprano, meaning “early”: Tempranillo ripens sooner than most, as if eager to share its flavour with the world. Small dark berries with colourless pulp create wines with soft tannins and aromas of ripe cherry, tobacco and when aged in oak a touch of vanilla.
Tempranillo is a true Spaniard. Genetic studies have confirmed its origin: despite past theories of French ancestry, this grape was born here. Across the Iberian Peninsula it takes on many local names — Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero, Cencibel in La Mancha, Ull de Llebre in Catalonia, Aragonês in Portugal — yet its essence remains the same: expressive, sun-kissed and full of life.
The first written mentions date back to the 16th century. After the phylloxera crisis devastated French vineyards, Spain — and Tempranillo with it — entered a renaissance. The marquises de Murieta and de Riscal-de Alegre returning from Bordeaux introduced the French barrel-ageing method and created a new style of Spanish wine: mature, velvety and noble.
Today Tempranillo covers nearly a quarter of Spain’s vineyards and remains its beating heart. Sensitive to soil and climate, it shows a different face in every region: soft and cherry-vanilla in Rioja, powerful and dark-fruited in Ribera del Duero.
By character Tempranillo is a southern gentleman: never loud, yet full of depth and quiet confidence. It pairs beautifully with meat, aged cheese, roasted vegetables and jamón — but even on its own, it tells a complete story.
Tempranillo is more than a grape. It’s Spain in its purest form — mature, passionate and alive. Join us at Salu and discover the finest expressions of this remarkable variety.
📍 Calle San José, 6, Benalmádena
📞 +34 951 71 57 36
#restaurant #benalmadena #restaurante #benalmádena #wine #málaga #vino #viño #víno #benalmadenapueblo #benalmadenacosta #benalmadenabeach #benalmadenamarina #tempranillo #tintofino #redwine #redwinelover #spanishwine
2 weeks ago