Tempranillo reminds me of the old peasant in Cervantes's classic tale of Don Quixote. Fancying himself as a noble knight, the old man set out to impress the fair maiden Dulcinea by tilting at the famous windmills of La Mancha. Seeing them as threatening giants, the aging peasant/knight fearlessly attacked the established windmills in a hopeless quest to gain favor and respect.

Since early in the 20th century, Tempranillo has tilted at the windmills of the established California grape varieties in a futile attempt to gain favor with the state's winemakers and consumers. Brought to California's central valley by Fredrick Bioletti in 1905 as Valdepenas, the grape was at a disadvantage from the start. First, with Prohibition lurking just around the corner, growers were reluctant to plant any wine grapes let alone a variety few had any knowledge of. This led to the second problem - the central valley. Tempranillo favors a milder climate with aw arm growing season and cool fall so the grape was not well suited for the hot, dry conditions in the central valley. As a result, the variety never reached is full potential and was most often used as a blending grape for jug wine.

While Tempranillo failed to gain respect in California, it was, and still is, the great wine grape of Spain. First cultivated by the Phoenicians who settled in what is now the southern provinces of Spain, Tempranillo spread throughout the region to become the country's main indigenous variety by the 17th century. Tempranillo reaches its zenith in north central Spain where it produces the classic wines of the Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions. In Portugal, Tempranillo is known as Tinta Roriz and is a major component in the country's renowned port wines.

Tempranillo (Temp-rah-NEE-yoh) can be a finicky grape to grow. In favorable conditions, vines can yield as much as 8 to 10 tons of fruit per acre but drought conditions will cause excessive shrivel while humidity causes swelling which affects color and quality. Since Tempranillo means "early" in Spanish, the grape ripens earlier that most other red varieties - as expected. Very dark purple, thick-skinned, spherical grapes grow in compact cylindrical clusters that have an irritating tendency toward low acidity and high pH levels at harvest. The grape also has limited resistance to vineyard pests and diseases.

Some consider Tempranillo wines to be Spain's answer to Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are usually medium or full-bodied with rich, dark color and graceful, complex structure. Rarely "fruit bombs", Tempranillo shows flavors and aromas of ripe blackberry and plum with layers of leather, mineral, tobacco, cedar and licorice. The grape's thick skin results in wines with firm, round tannins giving them exceptional aging potential. Some California winemakers will blend small amounts of Carignan, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Grenache to pick up the acidity and balance the wine. Too much oak can overpower the wine so many winemakers will age Tempranillo for a year or more in two or three year old French or American oak barrels.

Tempranillo's tilting at windmill days are over. It will never slay the giants of California red wine varieties but it has gained respect over the past several years for making an elegant niche wine for the adventuresome consumer.