Tempranillo (also known as
Ull de Llebre,
Cencibel, and
Tinta del Pais in Spain,
Aragonez or
Tinta Roriz in Portugal, and several other synonyms elsewhere) is a black
grape variety widely grown to make
full-bodied red wines in its native
Spain. Its name is the
diminutive of the
Spanish temprano ("early"), a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes. Tempranillo has been grown on the
Iberian Peninsula since the time of
Phoenician settlements. It is the main grape used in
Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's
noble grape. The grape has been planted throughout the globe in places such as
Mexico,
New Zealand,
California,
Washington State,
South Africa,
Texas,
Australia,
Argentina,
Portugal,
Uruguay,
Turkey,
Canada, and
Arizona.