# Created on 08/01/2024 9:45:45 AM

Tempranillo Wine in Australia

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

Tempranillo Grapes being crushed in Victoria's Alpine Valleys Wine RegionMayford 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

Tempranillo ws the most rapidly expanding wine grape grown in the 2000-2010 decadeWorldwide 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

Award winning tempranillo

At the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show in 2020 a total of 48 Tempranillo wines were judged. 6 gold medals, 6 silver medals and 30 bronze medals were awarded.


The gold medal winners were


  • Fox Creek 2020 Limited Release Tempranillo
  • Green Door  2019 El Toro Tempranillo
  • Hedonist Wines  2020 Tempranillo
  • Olivers Tarranga 2018 Tempranillo
  • The Pawn Wine Company 2018 En Passant
  • Wangolina 2017 A Series Tempranillo

In addition ten Tempranillo dominant blended wines were judged, for two gold medals, one silver medals and six bronzes.


  • Pindarie 2019 T.S.S. Tempranillo Sangiovese Shiraz 
  • Ricca Terra 2020 Bullets Before Cannonballs 

  • 919 Wines Riverland
  • A Rodda Wines Beechworth
  • 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
  • Aravina Margaret River
  • Arete Barossa Valley
  • Artemis Wines Southern Highlands
  • Artwine Adelaide Hills
  • Atika Yarra 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
  • Brooksideo Perth Hills
  • Brown Brothers King Valley
  • Brown Brothers King Valley
  • Bullers Calliope 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
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  • 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
  • Chalk Hill Winery McLaren Vale
  • Chalkers Crossing Hilltops
  • Chambers Rosewood Rutherglen
  • Chapel Hill McLaren Vale
  • Cherabino Margaret River
  • Chrismont King Valley
  • Ciavarella King Valley
  • Clarence House Southern Tasmania
  • Clarnette Grampians
  • Claymore Clare Valley
  • 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
  • Crittenden Estate Mornington Peninsula
  • Cupitt's Winery Shoalhaven Coast
  • D'Arenberg McLaren Vale
  • Dalfarras Nagambie Lakes
  • Dalwood Hunter Valley
  • De Iuliis Hunter Valley
  • Del Rios Geelong
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  • Dell'uva Wines  Barossa Valley
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  • Doc Adams McLaren Vale
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  • Domaine Naturaliste Margaret River
  • Dominic Riverland
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  • Donovan Wines Grampians
  • Dormilona Margaret River
  • Dowie Doole McLaren Vale
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  • Dryridge Estate Central Ranges Zone
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  • Earthworks Barossa Valley
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  • Ernest Hill Wines Hunter Valley
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  • Firebox Ridge Swan Hill
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  • First Ridge Mudgee
  • Fishbone Margaret River
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  • Fox Creek Wines McLaren Vale
  • Fox Gordon Barossa Valley
  • Freeman Vineyards Hilltops
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  • Galli Estate Heathcote
  • Gapsted Wines Alpine Valleys
  • Gargoyle Wines Barossa Valley
  • Gatt Barossa Valley
  • Gemtree Vineyards McLaren Vale
  • Gibson Barossa Valley
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  • Golden Grove Estate Granite Belt
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  • Grampians Estate Grampians
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  • Granite Ridge Wines Granite Belt
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  • Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy McLaren Vale
  • Hanging Rock Macedon Ranges
  • Happs Margaret River
  • 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
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  • Henschke Eden Valley
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  • Marions Vineyard Northern Tasmania
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  • Mayford Wines Alpine Valleys
  • Mazza Geographe
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  • Merindoc Heathcote
  • Millbrook Winery Perth Hills
  • Mimosa South Coast Zone
  • Miners Ridge Grampians
  • Ministry of Clouds McLaren Vale
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  • Monterra Wines McLaren Vale
  • Morrisons of Glenrowan Glenrowan
  • Mount Avoca Pyrenees
  • Mount Broke Wines Hunter Valley
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  • Mount Majura Canberra
  • Mount Pleasant Hunter Valley
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  • Mr Mick Clare Valley
  • Mr Riggs Wine Company McLaren Vale
  • Mt Bera Adelaide Hills
  • Mt Billy Southern Fleurieu
  • 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
  • Nuova Scuola South Burnett
  • O'Leary Walker Clare Valley
  • Oates Ends Margaret River
  • Oatley Wines Mudgee
  • Obsession Wines Tumbarumba
  • Olive Farm Swan District
  • 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
  • Poachers Canberra
  • Pokolbin Estate Hunter Valley
  • Pondalowie Bendigo
  • Project Wine Langhorne Creek
  • Quarry Hill Wines Canberra
  • 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
  • Rusty Fig Wines South Coast Zone
  • Rutherglen Estates Rutherglen
  • Rymill Coonawarra Coonawarra
  • Saint Aiden Wines Geographe
  • Salena Estate Riverland
  • Saltram Barossa Valley
  • Sam Miranda Wines King Valley
  • Samson Tall Tempranillo
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  • Sieber Barossa Valley
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  • Sixty Eight Roses Riverland
  • Skigh Margaret River
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  • Snake and Herring Margaret River
  • Sons of Eden Barossa Valley
  • South by South West Margaret River
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  • St Hallett Barossa Valley
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  • 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 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 Orchids Blackwood Valley
  • Willoughby Park Denmark
  • Willow Bridge Estate Geographe
  • Willunga 100 Wines McLaren Vale
  • Wilson Vineyard Clare Valley
  • Windowrie Estate Cowra
  • Windsors Edge Hunter 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
Last Update 29 May 2023

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.

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.

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