Tempranillo grapes Spain: description, photos, reviews

There is a huge variety of grape varieties. This crop is grown all over the world in a wide variety of climates. In this article, we will tell you about the characteristics of the Spanish Tempranillo grape. And also we will consider all the rules for planting this variety and caring for it.

Tempranillo grapes: description and characteristics

Tempranillo grapes: photo of the variety

The Tempranillo grape is the main grape in Spain, and serves as the main one for the production of the vast majority of Spanish red wines. It is widely grown in other countries (USA, Portugal, Argentina, Australia). This variety was sewn quite well in the southern regions of our country, although it is not cultivated too actively.

The buds on the plant begin to bloom rather late, however, the ripening of the shoots occurs soon enough. A shoot at a young age, as a rule, has an open crown, the edges are painted in a raspberry shade. The first leaves with five lobes are green with a yellowish tinge. They have a border, in the lower part they have a rather fluffy surface. The vines have elongated internodes. The foliage of this variety is quite large, the surface is slightly wrinkled. The leaf has deep cuts, large teeth and a lyre-shaped notch in the petiole. Flowers of this variety have both sexes, average density. Tempranillo has good pollination.

Tempranillo grape bunches are compact in size, slightly elongated in shape, at the same time cylindrical and conical in appearance. Berries of Tempranillo grapes are round, slightly flattened. The fruits are colored deep purple with a bluish tinge. The berries are located close to each other.

The chemical composition of the Tempranillo variety is rich in substances useful for the body. For example, grapes contain anthocyanins in the seed. Anthocyanin is a coloring agent that can directly affect the brightness, fruitiness of the wine, as well as its appearance. The skin of the berries is rather thin, has a slight coating. The inside of the berry has a rather dense, juicy texture. The pulp has no color, the smell is neutral. The size of the berries is average, about 16 - 18 millimeters in diameter, and weighs about six to nine grams. Tempranillo grape seedlings have different synonyms, and can be called Aragones, Tinto, etc.

The official homeland of the Tempranillo grape variety is the Spanish region of Rioja. At the end of the 20th century, an interesting species of the same variety was discovered, which had green fruits with a yellowish tinge. Twenty years later, it was also officially approved for use in winemaking.

It should be noted that the thicker the skin of the grapes, the brighter and deeper color the wine has. This is especially true if hot weather prevailed during cultivation.

Despite the fact that most of Spain's red wines are made from the Tempranillo grape variety, there has been a lot of talk about the origin of this variety. For a long time it was believed that the variety was originally from the French region of Burgundy. But after numerous studies, scientists still proved that the variety is absolutely autochthonous (local) and it appeared about a thousand years ago. Today, seventy-five percent of the wine vines found in the Ebro Valley are Tempranillo grapes.

Tempranillo grapes: photo of the variety

The Tempranillo grape variety is quite fruitful, one plant is capable of producing about five kilograms of fruit. The plant belongs to the middle and late varieties in terms of ripening. However, this variety tends to produce results even earlier than other local vineyards. It is necessary to periodically remove the bunches from each vine in order to control the yield. If you do not do these restrictions, then the wine will be watery, not saturated and too simple in taste and aroma.

The success of growing Tempranillo grapes is highly dependent on many factors: temperature, ground height, exposure, soil composition. The best climate for Tempranillo grapes is Mediterranean. The presence of slopes, up to one kilometer in height, also has a good effect on the result. If the ground level is lower than seven hundred meters, or the surface is flat, then the grapes behave differently.

Good balanced acidity in wines can be achieved if night temperatures are around eighteen degrees Celsius. And a sufficient amount of sugar and a good level of tannins (astringency) are obtained at hot forty-degree daytime temperatures.

If Tempranillo grapes are grown on flat terrain, then the acidity level becomes much lower. Also, under such conditions, there is a lack of sunlight, and this provokes the spread of fungal diseases. It also depends a lot on temperature. For example, spring frosts are undesirable for Tempranillo. The plant is able to survive low temperatures (maximum -18 degrees).

Although the vine is quite capricious, but the winemakers are very sensitive to the Tempranillo variety. Also in wine blends with this variety are other popular varieties: Carignan, Grissiano, Garnacha. On the basis of these varieties, both red dry wines and fortified sweet wines are made.

As a rule, wines from Tempranillo grapes are very bright, fruity, rich. They have a bright raspberry hue in aromatics. Very often such wines are aged in oak barrels for a long time. This greatly affects the taste of the drink. The tones of a cigar box, spices, freshly made leather appear. This is highly appreciated by wine lovers. In Spain, Tempranillo is a national product. There are even special holidays in his honor (2nd Thursday in November). Also, a large amount of juice is made from this variety.

Tempranillo grapes: pros and cons

Tempranillo grapes: photo of the variety

Wines made from Tempranillo grapes are in great demand among wine buyers, and this is perhaps its main advantage. In addition, the Temranillo grapes give a fairly consistently good harvest. The variety has the ability to adapt well in different southern zones.

The main disadvantages of the Tempranillo grape variety are due to its high requirements for growing conditions. This variety is not well adapted to dry conditions and is also too often attacked by strong winds. Tempranillo is often affected by mildew, oidium, gray rot, as well as phyloxera and leafhoppers.

How to properly plant the Tempranillo grape variety

Tempranillo grapes: photo of the variety

The Tempranillo grape variety will feel good and show a decent result exclusively in the southern part of Russia. In these parts, frost should not be stronger than -18 degrees. The continental climate is good for Tempranillo.

Hot days will allow the berries to accumulate the required amount of sugar, and lower temperatures at night will create the necessary level of acidity. Tempranillo grapes are quite selective to the composition of the soil.

Soil that contains too much sand is not suitable for Tempranillo grapes.Soils containing limestone are best suited for good growth of the Tempranillo grape variety. Also, a prerequisite is a sufficient amount of precipitation (their level should be at least 450 millimeters per year). The Tempranillo variety is bad for the wind. The land for growing Tempranillo grapes is selected with protection from wind gusts.

As for fertilizing, it is best to give preference to organic fertilizers.

Tempranillo grape care rules

Tempranillo grapes: photo of the variety

In order to ensure the correct growing conditions for the Tempranillo grape variety, eliminate the risk of recurrent low temperatures. If low temperatures still occur even in warm climates, you need to be prepared in advance to provide the vines with covering material.

It is necessary to periodically water your vineyards, as well as monitor the condition of the plant's near-stem circle. There should be no weeds, as it is a good breeding ground for harmful insects and diseases. If there is a steady sultry weather, then the vines, along with the bunches, need to be covered and a shade created.

If you fulfill all the necessary requirements for growing Tempranillo in your southern climate, then there is a considerable chance to repeat the qualities that Spanish winegrowers receive.

Wherever Tempranillo is grown, Tempranillo vines have a goblet-like appearance. The brush is in a fairly free position, this helps the berries to accumulate the right amount of bright berry tones. By winter, six to eight eyes are left on the vines. In the summer, you need to carefully study the level of yield, it should not be too high, because the bunches will not be able to fully ripen.

Tepranillo grapes must be fed, this is done in autumn with organic fertilizing. To do this, a trench is dug, which I place on one side of the root. The trench should be about fifty centimeters deep, and the width is usually eighty centimeters. The length of the groove depends on the size of the bush. As a rule, growers create a trench in which three to four buckets of humus can easily be placed. A prerequisite: the organic fertilizer must be completely overheated before applying! After fertilizing the furrows, compact the top dressing and sprinkle with soil.

As a rule, this amount of fertilizer should be sufficient for three years. In the year when the time comes to feed Tempranillo again, do not forget that the fertilizer is now applied from the opposite side of the root. If you want, make the trench deeper and longer, then you can bring in five to six buckets of humus.

How to protect Tempranillo grapes from harmful insects and diseases

Tempranillo grapes: photo of the variety

If the weather conditions are not very favorable, then there is a risk that the Tempranillo grapes will be affected by diseases caused by the fungus. In spring and summer, preventive treatments with fungicides should be carried out. This is to ensure that gray mold, powdery mildew and mildew do not harm your plants.

Since this variety is quite often attacked by leafhoppers and phylloxera, it is necessary to periodically process the plants with Karbofos, Kinmix. This procedure can be repeated after a couple of weeks.

Do not forget that if you want to grow the Tempranillo grape variety on your site, then you should choose seedlings only from reliable suppliers.