Tempranillo: Spain’s Backbone Grape Across the World

Spanish cultivation of Vitis vinifera, the common ancestor of almost all vines in existence today, began in earnest with Phoenician settlements in the southern provinces. Later, according to the Roman writer Columella, vines were grown all over the Iberian Peninsula, establishing a long viticultural tradition. Within this context, Tempranillo emerges as an old grape dating back to at least the ninth century, where there were only scattered references to the name. This is presumably because, in many places, such as the Valdepeñas region, it was the dominant indigenous variety and simply assumed to be a different grape.

The Reigning Riesling

When the Wegmans in Central Park first opened, there was a pergola with high tables set between the cheese deli and the produce. On Thursday and Friday nights and Saturday afternoons the wine and cheese staff would share wonderful tales of that week’s wine and a perfect whatever nibblie was served that day. This “Perfect Pairings” gained a following and many wine drinkers came out.