Tempranillo

Here is an overview of principal California American Viticultural Areas, (AVAs), the U.S. equivalent of appellations, associated with Tempranillo. For a deep dive into specific regions, please visit our Regional Guides.

The grape was brought to America, possibly as seeds, by 17th-century Spanish Conquistadors. It largely retains its genetic identity and still strongly resembles its Spanish ancestors. Due to its high susceptibility to pests and diseases (particularly phylloxera, which devastated stocks in the 19th century and still threatens the vines today), it did not take off in the way the Mission grape did. And aborted efforts have never been motivating for local vintners. As recently as the year 2000, when American writer Paul Lukacs published his authoritative “American Vintage,” mention of “Tempranillo” appears just once, in the context of a sentence concerning experimentation. Five years later, in his encyclopedic “A History of Wine in America,” California academic Thomas Pinney writes merely that “Tempranillo … has aroused some interest,” lumping it into a larger category of grape varieties he refers to as “exotica.”

No interest? Or wrong locations? Tempranillo needs cool and few California Tempranillo vineyards have been planted at the higher altitudes or the cooler locations, with climates alternating dramatically between warm days and cold nights that one typically finds in Rioja. Except for cooler climate plantings in California’s Santa Barbara region, most Tempranillo vineyards are still found in fairly warm areas, like California’s Central Valley, and the Livermore, Lodi and Paso Robles appellations.

Although Tempranillo is grown in 36 of California’s 58 counties, the best expressions are concentrated in just a handful of areas: Lodi, Paso Robles/San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Napa. Climatically, and historically, producers who are committed to quality are sadly not the state’s focus. Most Tempranillo is still planted in warmer spots where volume is the primary driver.

Although it is true that over 80% of Tempranillo in the world comes from Spain, one does find the variety emigrating and expatriating. Below is a list of principal areas of the world associated with premium Tempranillo

• Spain: Rioja (Alta, Alavesa, Orientale), Navarra, Ribera del Duero, Toro, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia 
• Portugal: Alentejo, Douro, Dão, Tejo, Lisboa
• Other European countries: France, Switzerland, Malta, Turkey
• Other Countries: Australia (Riverina, Riverland, Barossa, McLaren Vale, Heathcote), New Zealand (Hawkes Bay)
• The Americas
  • Argentina: Mendoza, San Juan, La Rioja
  • Mexico: Guadalupe Valley/Baja California
  • USA (beyond CA): Oregon (Umpqua Valley, Rocks of Milton Freewater), Washington State (Walla Walla), Texas, Arizona, New Mexico
  • Canada: British Columbia