Tempranillo Wine and Cheese Pairings

Pairing Cheese with Tempranillo - Tempranillo wines pair well with a fairly broad range of cheese types, and not surprisingly, with many of the Iberian types. Sheep milk cheeses seem to be the best types to complement the tobacco and spice flavors of this varietal. Cheeses with a higher salt content generally pair well as do many wash rind cow’s milk cheese. Avoid blue cheese.

About Tempranillo - Indigenous to Spain, the Tempranillo grape is mainly grown in the Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Penedes regions throughout Spain. Ruby red in color and deeply flavored many incarnations of Tempranillo do with aging. This varietal features predominant flavors of dark cherries, spice, tobacco and berries. Generally low in acid levels and alcohol content, Tempranillo is often blended with other grapes varietals to create sensuous, richly flavored wines.