As mentioned in previous Texas Wine Posts, you’ll soon become accustomed to hearing about Tempranillo in Texas. Originally a Spanish varietal, the Tempranillo grape is commonly used in Rioja and Ribera del Duero. (Primarily in Northern Spain.) But it also does particularly well in the Texas Hill Country. (No surprise as the climate and soils are very similar to that of Northern Spain.)

In 2010 we introduced two rather rich and full-bodied Tempranillos from Inwood Estates and Fall Creek Vineyards. This month we have another Tempranillo for you. It comes at the suggestion of Brian Phillips, beverage director and sommelier at Haddington’s in Austin a fairly new Rustic American Tavern serving upscale pub food and an array of hand-crafted cocktails and specialty beer and wine. Phillips recently served me a glass of this at the restaurant and I was amazed at its full, rounded flavor as well as its levity. (Almost like a Pinot Noir.) It stood on its own as a great sipping wine. This selection is very different than the other Tempranillos we’ve shared in the past, and it’s worth discovering for yourself.

This month’s Texas Wine of the Month is: Pedernales Cellars Tempranillo 2009. Pedernales Cellars is a small family vineyard and winery in Stonewall owned and operated by the Kuhlken Family. The grapes for this wine are hand-harvested from the family’s Kuhlken Vineyard just a few miles down the road and the wine is made in the same manner as “old world” Riojas of Spain. For those aficionados out there, the family uses the method of open-top fermentation with manual punch-downs. The wine is then aged 12-18 months in 50% French and 50% American oak.

Why does Phillips like it? “This Tempranillo is well balanced and has a bright and slightly tart finish because of its great acidity,” says Phillips. “That and the moderate alcohol balances the leathery, sweet tobacco and dark berry flavors commonly found in Tempranillos.”

And, it’s great balance makes it a very food friendly option that would go well with any grilled steak, game, or poultry.  This would also be a great way to sample a progression of Texas Tempranillos. Try all three–Inwood, Fall Creek, and Pedernales–and taste the difference. You won’t be disappointed.

Winery: Pedernales Cellars

Price: ~$30

Availability: Select retail shops and restaurants in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and New Braunfels and at the winery

Tagged: Brian Phillips, Fall Creek Vineyards, Haddington's Austin, Inwood Estates, Pedernales Cellars, Texas Tempranillo

The big buzzword in Texas grapes is “Tempranillo.” Just ask any major winemaker in the state from Ed Auler of Fall Creek Vineyards to Gary Gilstrap of Texas Hills Vineyards and you’ll hear the same thing: Tempranillo is the signature grape for Texas.

This month’s Wine of the Month is Inwood Estates “Cornelious” Tempranillo, 2007, a perfect specimen of a Texas Tempranillo. This wine comes highly recommended by Ross Burtwell, chef/owner of the Cabernet Grill in Fredericksburg. “In my opinion, this is one of the most outstanding red wines being produced in Texas,” says Burtwell. “This could be considered ‘the quintessential’ Texas red.”

Burtwell has made a name for himself by serving big, Texas-style dishes at his rustic-American restaurant. He’s a true believer in using the best of what local farmers and purveyors can provide. But where many restaurants claim to be committed to a sustainable menu, they usually stop short with their wine list. Not Burtwell. In addition to locally sourcing his food menu, he remains 100% committed to serving only Texas wines.

Pronounced ‘tem-pruh-NEEyo,’ this full-bodied black grape is a native of Spain and is typically the main grape used in Spanish Rioja wines. As savvy grape growers and winemakers have noticed the similarities in Texas High Plains and Hill Country soils to that of Northern Spain, they have planted more and more of this hearty varietal across the state.

“This is one of those wines we pour for people that say that Texas wines don’t measure up to California or old world wines,” says Burtwell. “I love the look on their faces when they taste this Tempranillo. They soon realize that Texas has certainly come a long way in winemaking.”

Inwood Estates Winemaker Dan Gatlin quickly caught on to the strength of Tempranillo in Texas. Though the winery is based in Dallas, Gatlin grows his grapes in the High Plains with the help of Neil Newsome, one of the state’s largest growers for a number of different Texas wineries.

“I find the nose on this wine is full of red fruit aromas with black cherry and a touch of anise,” says Burtwell. “It has good tannins without overdoing it making this wine perfect for a big plate of red meat, which is the way we like to serve it at the restaurant. A perfect combination would be to pair this wine with our Certified Angus Beef Ribeye Steak topped with some of our roasted garlic-serrano béarnaise.”

At around $40, this wine is no cheap, last-minute grab off the grocery store shelf. But once you’ve tried it, particularly with food, you’ll understand there is indeed something special about this Texas Tempranillo.

Winery: Inwood Estates Vineyards

Retail Price:  ~$40

Availability: Central Market as well as select wine across the state.

Tagged: Cabernet Grill, Dan Gatlin, Inwood Estates "Cornelious" Tempranillo 2007, Ross Burtwell, Texas Tempranillo