It may be time to invest in a global diary of grape varietal days! Throughout the year there are numerous National and International days of many grape varieties of wine, giving wine lovers the opportunity or excuse they need to open a bottle of a particular type of wine and share their experiences online and with other fellow wine lovers. It appears that this Thursday the 14th of November we'll be toasting the  wildly diverse "Tempranillo" Grape. We've picked a few of our most tempting Tempranillos below so you too can raise a glass.

This year International Tempranillo Day is smack in the middle of International Merlot Day and Beaujolais Nouveau Day. It was first organised back in 2011 by a wine group called "TAPAS" (Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society) They decided that every year on the second Thursday of November, Tempranillo would be drank and celebrated. The second Thursday was chosen so that International Tempranillo Day would never clash with other holidays, for instance, All Souls Day and Thanksgiving, or other wine days such as Merlot Day or Beaujolais Day.

Tempranillo is a rather old grape, it's been growing in the Phoenician Peninsula since 1100BC!! Today it is predominantly grown in Spain and is quite a national treasure, responsible for many of the fine wines of Rioja and Ribera del Duero. It's planted in over half a million acres of the world’s vineyards, making it the fourth most planted wine grape, and it's also grown in many more countries such as Mexico, Italy, Chile, Australia, Turkey, China and Thailand to name a few. That in itself is reason to celebrate this grape.

Tempranillo is a black grape and its' name is is derived from the word temprano, which in Spanish means “early.” It goes by more than a dozen different names around the world, depending on where it’s cultivated.  Some of its aliases are 'Ull de Llebre' or 'Ojo de Llebre' in Catalonia, 'Tinto Fino' in the Ribera del Deuro, 'Tinto del Pais' in other parts of Spain, 'Aragonez' or 'Tinto Roriz' in Portugal and there's a possibility it may even be the grape variety 'Valdepenas' in California.

The tempranillo grape is durable and has an array of different styles. From soft and fruity to big and bold it has a style to suit anyones palate. It's medium to full bodied and is often descried as more savoury than sweet due to aromas of tobacco and leather, however there are fruit flavours such as cherry present. It pairs well with all types of food due to its savoury qualities but can also be drank on its own.

Here's some of our tempting award winning tempranillos, and we've knocked a few bob off, giving you yet another reason to celebrate International Tempranillo Day.

Vega Vella Crianza Tempranillo 2015 - Silver Medal 2019 DWWA 

An abundant presence of dark fruits and spices, which give way to flavours of dark chocolate and toast. It is a complex wine, due to the combination of the unique qualities of each grape variety. 80% Tempranillo, 10% Grenache, and 10% Graciano.

Cornelio Dinistia Crianza Tempranillo 2016 - Silver Medal 2019 DWWA  

Intense cherry with garnet edging, clean and bright. Ripe red and black fruit, compote, chocolate notes, spices, herbal touches and fine toasted wood. Pleasant memory of red and black fruits with long stay and perfect evolution. Round tasty and soft on the palate.

Cornelio Dinistia Emperador Reserva 2014 -  Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2018 Gold Medal

A complex, elegant and unctuous wine with a well balanced structure. Polished tannins and complex spices that provide a long persistence. 100% Tempranillo

Cornelio Imperial Autor 2015 - Gold 2019 DWWA

Ripe fruit with very fine toasted fla­vours in perfect harmony with powerful tannins, clove and vanilla. Complex, elegant, unctuous and well structured in the mouth. 100% Tempranillo.