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International Tempranillo Month
November means Tempranillo Time!
Celebrating Tempranillo Month means celebrating Ribera del Duero, where winemakers craft wine from vines up to a century old. Each sip tells a story of resilience, passion, and flavor that won’t be forgotten. It’s also the reason we celebrate International Tempranillo Day every November. From Vineyard to glass: ready why Ribera’s Tempranillo is unforgettable.
Verdejo Food & Grilling Playbook
Great White Meets Grill Tonight
Verdejo is a white wine with bright acidity, almond and hazelnut notes, lime, grapefruit, melon, and herbs along with a variety of textures ranging from light and bright on the palate to weighty and mouth-filling. Verdejo has tons of potential and the building blocks for perfect pairings.
Younger brighter so-called joven-style Verdejos love green herbs, leafy salads and lime-driven ceviches. Fuller-bodied, lees-aged are perfect to pair with citrus and herb-spiked grilled dishes. Complex oak-aged Verdejos sidle up to robust spices, heartier and richer flavors.
We have an amazing pocket guide with inspiring suggestions just around the corner.
Tempranillo Grilling Playbook
Ribera Tempranillo is a bit of a catch-all.
This mighty grape is also king when it comes to pairing it with anything charred, crisped, caramelized, spicy, fruity, and savory. The grape can show ripeness, filled with muscular fruit, lively acidity, dark cherry, blackberry bramble, dried fig, vanilla and cassis. During the aging process, medium tannins become elegant, complexity layered and notes of forest and leather take flight.
The fact Ribera Tempranillo is grown at various altitudes, in different soils, and made in several styles assures its compatibility with everything from heavily spiced spring lamb to herby, edgy veggies.
Matching grilled foods and Tempranillo is a delicious pursuit that gets even better with a little know-how. Start with our amazing article and pocket guide to grilling by clicking the button below.
"Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.”
André Simon
The Ultimate Pairing Couple
Break Bread with a Cool Cat and the King
In Ribera del Duero, Tempranillo has been evolving in this unique growing region for 1,000 years. Across the valley and over the river, Verdejo, the signature grape of Rueda, thrives as Spain’s number one white wine. Collectively, the two areas are known as Spain’s most prestigious wine regions.
Understanding what makes the wines so special is also key to finding their perfect food pairings.
Luckily for wine and food lovers, the winemaking teams in Ribera and Rueda make it easy. You are one click away from reading our Ultimate Food Pairing Guide.
Cheese with Tempranillo
By Laura Werlin
- Joven Tempranillo appreciates younger, herbaceous, earthy styles of cheese, lightly smoked, fruity, mild with a citrus finish like the Spanish Cabra Romero, Manchego and San Simón.
- Reserva align with medium to rich cheeses with supple, fruity, savory, layered umami, piquant, nutty and fudgy bold picks like Idiazabal, Zamorano, Mahón, Beecher’s Flagship and Ibores.
- Gran Reserva, go for chewy and dense with balanced sweetness, savory, cellar-like cheeses with a deeper richer finish like Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, Mature Manchego and Pt. Reyes Bay Blue.
Use our pairing guide to navigate the best cheese pairings.
Cheese with Verdejo
By Laura Werlin
- Joven Verdejo – Young patio style wines, fresh, crisp, with lively acidity that pairs well with mild and creamy, floral nose, citrus finish cheeses like Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog, Fresh Chevre and MitiCaña Caña de Cabra.
- Lees-Aged Verdejo – Medium textures and cream beginning to develop on these wines that pair great with semi-soft, chalky, lactic, buttered citrus, elegant, butty, mushroomy, layered flavored cheeses like Manchego and Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam.
- Oak-Rested (typically on Lees) Verdejo – Wines with more developed textures, creaminess, body and weight that works nicely with semi-firm cheeses that can be robust with hints of toast, earthy rustic assets, alpine herbs, nutty with more complex sugar like Roncal and Roth Grand Cru Reserve.
Use our pairing guide to navigate the best cheese pairings.
