Tempranillo is widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. It is the main grape used in Rioja. Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish temprano ("early"), a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes.
Tempranillo wines can be consumed young, or aged in oak barrels. The wines are ruby red in colour, with aromas and flavours of berries, plum, tobacco, vanilla, leather and herb.