CELEBRATE TEMPRANILLO DAY Lodi

LOCAL SIP Celebrate Tempranillo Day NINE LODI VINEYARDS WILL BE POURING THE SPANISH VARIETAL NOVEMBER 12-13

BY NORA HESTON TARTE

Tempranillo wines are made from black grapes. The varietal originated in Spain and is named for the Spanish temprano. It translates to “early” in English and refers to the grape’s tendency to ripen several weeks ahead of its neighboring Spanish red grapes. In most cases, the grapes lend themselves to a full-bodied red wine that is more dry and less sweet. The alcohol content is average, landing most commonly between 13.5 and 15 percent. Other regions are known for the grape, which prefers a hot climate, including Rioja, Mexico, Argentina, Texas, Peru, Chile, and of course Lodi.

Similar to the Tour of Albarino hosted in August, the Tour of Tempranillo welcomes local wineries to celebrate the varietal with weekend specials just a few days after the national holiday is observed on November 10.

Bokisch Vineyards, for example, will offer a side-by-side tasting of the 2018 Tempranillo, 2018 Bokisch Family Estate Tempranillo, and 2016 Gran Reserva Tempranillo, to compare and contrast. Heritage Oak Winery in Acampo will serve a complimentary tasting of three wines over the weekend: 2018 Tempranillo, 2019 Tempranillo, and 2018 Olé! Blend.

At Jeremy Wine Co. the experience will allow tastes straight from the barrel as participants get to try the vino at two stages of the winemaking process. A hot bacon wrapped date stuffed with goat cheese is the perfect accompaniment to Drava Wines’ lineup, which includes sips of 2017 Tempranillo from Silvaspoons Vineyard, 2019 fellow Rioja varietal Graciano from Ripken Vineyards, and a barrel tasting of 2021 Tempranillo from Clements Hills. A 10 percent discount will be applied if you decide to take home both bottles. A vertical tasting of the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 Tempranillo from McConnell Estates Winery is free to those participating in the weekend event and includes extra discounts.

Other participants include Riaza Wines, Fields Family Wines, Twisted Barrel, and Van Ruiten Family Winery, for a total of nine participating vineyards.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: LodiSpanishWineTour.com