A Little Spanish Flare!

The most exciting part to exploring a new wine region is coming across wines and varietals that are new to you. Until moving to Roseburg, I had never tasted Tempranillo and had only heard of it maybe once or twice. Coming from a wine region where the grape is not widely planted, I was intrigued by its popularity here and how that all came to be.
Tempranillo is a variety of black grape widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. It is the main grape used in Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's "noble grape". In the last 100 years it has been planted in South America, South Africa, Australia, the US and Canada. Tempranillo wines can be consumed young, but the most expensive and highly coveted are the ones are aged in oak for several years. The wines are deep ruby red to almost purple in color, with aromas and flavors of berries, plum, tobacco, vanilla, leather and herbs.
Tempranillo comes from the Spanish word temprano meaning "early" which is suggestive of the grapes early ripening characteristic. The fact that it flourishes in cooler climates and at higher altitudes is the biggest reason it is not prolific in most parts of California and why it does so well here in the Umpqua Valley. Earl Jones of Abacela Winery can be credited for figuring all this out. It was his love of Spanish Tempranillo and the wines ability to pair beautifully with so many of the foods Earl enjoyed most, that led him on his quest to find just the right spot to grow this grape. After much research and deliberation Earl and his wife Hilda moved to the Umpqua Valley and started growing Tempranillo being the fist to introduce this grape to Oregon!
At this time there are only a handful of local wineries producing it as a stand alone varietal. Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards, Delfino Vineyards, Chateau Nonchalant and Abacela Winery. All of these wineries grow and produce several different varieties but at Abacela, Tempranillo is their main focus. And this focus has paid off big with so many awards and accolades for so many of their Tempranillo’s it is impossible to list them all. The most prestigious award by far was taking gold at last April’s Tempranillos al Mundo competition. This competition considered “the world series” of Tempranillos was held in Stockholm Sweden and judged by Spanish and international wine judges. The gold medal Abacela received was the only gold medal awarded to any Tempranillo produced outside of Spain! Certainly Abacela Winery is not new to very prestigious awards, most notably with their Albarino (another Spanish variety) and their Reserve Syrah receiving high praise and points from well respected wine periodicals, but this gold for their Tempranillo was the fulfillment of their dreams.
To have committed vintners living here realizing their dreams is the magic that makes our region so special. As the Umpqua Valley strives for the understanding and respect we so deserve, receiving awards in the international arena are tremendously meaningful. Every recognition of the quality of our local wines moves us one step closer to realizing our potential as “the next big wine region“…