Castilla-La Mancha's Grapes: Airén, Tempranillo

Airén

Airen is Spain’s most widely grown grape. This variety is also planted at such a low vine density that its vineyards cover more ground than any other white wine variety in the world! Airen is used not only for producing varietal wine but also as a blending grape and an ingredient for Spain’s brandy. Heavily planted in La Mancha, its native region, and Valdepenas, it was traditionally blended with Cencibel (Tempranillo) in central Spain to produce light red wines. Increasingly now, however, it is made, under temperature control, into inexpensive, crisp, dry, fruity or rather neutral, medium-bodied white wine for early consumption. This thick-skinned grape, whose vines are trained into low bushes, have great resistance to drought, hence its popularity in central Spain, where this is a constant problem to grape growing. Airen is also found around Madrid and Andalucia, where it’s called Lairen.

Tempranillo

Tempranillo is Spain�s answer to Cabernet Sauvignon and one of the most important black grapes used for making Rioja. It takes its name from temprano, Spanish for �early�, because it usually ripens early � and certainly a good two weeks before Rioja�s other important grape Garnacha. This relatively short growing cycle makes Tempranillo able to thrive in the often harsh climate of Rioja�s higher, more Atlantic-influenced zones Rioja Alta and Rioja Altavesa. Although it produces deep-coloured wines, it doesn�t have a particularly strong flavour identity and is quite low in acidity so, alone, the wines lose their fruit and liveliness after a few years. This is the reason a high proportion is blended with juicier, more perfumed varieties (which in Rioja are Garnacha, Mazuelo, Graciano and Viura) to produce wonderful wines capable of ageing. It prefers deep calcareous or sandy clay soil and does best on slopes. In Spain, it�s known by many synonyms, including Tinto Fino, Tinto de Toro and Cencibel, although recent research by winemakers now suggests its namesakes are in fact different clones. Elsewhere, it�s grown in Portugal�s Alentejo as Aragonez and in the Douro as Tinta Roriz, as well as in Argentina and southern France.