Taste of Texas: BBQ and Tempranillo Showdown
Texas Wine Collective – Carl’s Corner
Taste of Texas: BBQ and Tempranillo Showdown
Texans love barbeque, and they love Tempranillo, too. So, this Taste of Texas: BBQ and Tempranillo Showdown will combine the two. Wine Educator Carl Hudson will host this pairing in the Texas Wine Collective Event Center on Sunday, May 18, 2025, with one session beginning at 1:00 pm. Three different barbecued meats flavored with 3 different sauces will be paired with 6 Tempranillo wines, 3 from our TWC partners – Brennan Vineyards, Lost Oak Winery, and McPherson Cellars, and 3 from other producing areas (Spain, Oregon). Information on BBQ history and the Tempranillo grape variety will be provided, and a lively discussion is expected as we explore the flavors of Tempranillo and how they pair with certain meats and BBQ sauce ingredients.
Reservations and advanced ticket purchase is required –
see the website at www.texaswinecollective.com.
Our next Taste of Texas: Street Eats and Sips Sun, June 29th
The proposed food and wine menu for this popular event follows.
ɸ Boneless chicken wings tossed in a Korean BBQ sauce
Brennan Vineyards Tempranillo 2021 Texas
Melior de Matarromera Tempranillo 2022 Ribera del Duero DOC Spain
ɸ Chopped brisket sliders with pickles, onions, slaw
McPherson Cellars Tempranillo Moore Family Vineyards
Tokio Block 2022 Texas High Plains AVA
Ondarre Reserva Tempranillo 2019 Rioja DOCa Spain
ɸ Opa’s grilled Hatch Chili Brats served with
Fisher and Weiser Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
Lost Oak Winery Tempranillo 2023 Texas High Plains AVA
Abacela Winery Tempranillo Fiesta 2023 Umpqua Valley AVA Oregon
ɸ Bonus: Brownie Bites
Pairing barbecue and wine usually involves identifying complementary elements in the meat, the cooking method and/or the sauce and sides that will mesh with characteristics in the wines. While thinking about these key elements, consider regional practices that have influenced how BBQ or grilling meats varies across the United States. In Southern states, chicken or turkey is often cooked over hickory wood, imparting a rich, smoky flavor. A marinade of citrus juice and/or vinegar, spices, and mustard can be used to achieve a distinctive taste profile. In Texas, BBQ chicken or turkey often features robust flavors from rubs that contain chili powder, paprika, mustard, herbs, brown sugar, cumin, and, often, lots of black pepper. A whole chicken or a turkey breast is usually cooked at lower temperature for extended periods, resulting in tender, juicy meat.
Midwestern practices often involve brining to ensure moistness and tenderness followed by smoking with apple or fruitwood to add a subtle sweetness. On the West Coast, chicken and turkey are prepared with more diverse and innovative flavors often featuring Asian spices and ingredients like coconut milk, pineapple, and soy or pepper sauces. Each regional variation brings unique flavors and techniques, showcasing the versatility of chicken or turkey across different American culinary traditions.
Tempranillo is the fourth most widely planted red wine grape in the world and is most famous for making fine red wines in the Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Toro regions of Spain. It is also one of the key grapes grown in the Douro region of Portugal and used in production of Port wines and, these days, many dry red table wines.
Because of Tempranillo’s relatively mild flavor profile, it is often blended with other grapes to enhance flavor, color, and tannins: including Grenache, called Garnacha in Spain, Carignan, known as Mazuelo in Rioja, and Graciano. These varieties have been planted alongside Tempranillo in other regions where climate conditions are favorable. Grenache and Carignan are especially popular in southern France and Graciano is now gaining in popularity in Texas, Arizona, and South America. And it should come as NO surprise that winemakers are developing blends of Tempranillo with more traditional grape varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.
Tempranillo typically offers red fruit characteristics (think cherry) and an earthy minerality often associated with classic European wines (think dusty, almost chalky at the finish). When grown well and ripened sufficiently, typical notes of dried cherry, strawberry, tomato, sandy earth (think Texas road dust), leather, and tobacco are often found in Tempranillo bottlings. With these characteristics in mind, we chose to pair grilled boneless chicken wings tossed in Korean BBQ sauce with a Tempranillo from Texas and one from the famous region of Ribero del Duero in north-central Spain.
Brennan Vineyards Tempranillo 2021 Texas
Machine harvested fruit was destemmed, crushed, and fermented in SS tank at 65-85oF with 25 days skin contact. The fruit was sourced from Newburg Vineyard, Comanche County, and Lahey Vineyards, Terry County, Texas High Plains, thus the Texas appellation. Pump-overs during fermentation were done to improve extraction of color, flavor, and tannins from the grapes. After fermentation, the wine was racked to neutral French and American oak barrels and aged 24 months. Aromas of ripe cherry fruit with strong hints of toasty oak lead into flavors of black cherry, blackberry, black currant, and plum boosted by notes of pipe tobacco, seasoned leather, vine ripe tomato, and dark potting soil. The tannins were mellowed by the aging process to be moderately soft and dusty leading to a smooth, lush finish. Pair with bacon-spinach artichoke dip, grilled or smoked bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, chicken fajitas with avocado cream sauce, BBQ turkey or chicken, and pretty much anything with chocolate or cherries for dessert.
Melior de Matarromera Tempranillo 2022 Ribera del Duero DOC Spain
This 100% Tempranillo is sourced from selected vineyards. The grapes were hand harvested, destemmed, sorted, crushed, and fermented in SS tanks. After a short 4-6 month aging period in new oak barrels the wine was bottled at 14.5% ABV and aged an additional 12 months in bottle before release. This wine displays a bright cardinal-red color with purple hues and aromas of fresh-picked cherry and strawberry fruit. The palate offers ripe berry flavors with hints of baking spices, sweet tobacco, cocoa powder, and coffee. There is richness on the finish at 14.5% ABV accompanied by youthful, medium-firm tannins.
Ribero del Duero is located in north central Spain southeast of the Rioja region and shares a reputation for terrific Tempranillo wines. Running through the region is the important Duero River flowing westward into Portugal (where it becomes the Douro River, the area famous for Port wine production). Vineyard areas are mostly on flat elevated plateaus that range from 2,500-3,000 ft in elevation with silty, sandy soils over a limestone base (sounds a lot like the Texas High Plains, huh?).
In the early 1900s, Samuel Greenberg, a Jewish community leader in Tyler, started smoking turkey and chicken to fill a need for kosher barbecue. Typically, it is the turkey breast that is cooked while for chicken the whole bird is usually smoked and served as an option in Texas BBQ restaurants. Brining the bird in a seasoned saltwater solution will enhance the flavor and help keep the meat from drying out while cooking. Dry spice rubs are often applied to poultry several hours before cooking and rubbing the seasoning under the skin ensures deeper flavor penetration.
Grilling and smoking offer distinct approaches to BBQ chicken and turkey. Grilling uses high temperatures, usually between 350°F and 400°F. This direct heat method, often best for legs and thighs, produces crispy skin while keeping the meat juicy inside. Smoking uses low, consistent temperatures (225°F to 250°F) over several hours, infusing the meat with a rich, smoky flavor. Hardwood varieties like hickory, apple, cherry, oak, and mesquite add unique flavors. Smoking requires more time and patience but results in tender, flavorful meat.
When one thinks of BBQ in Texas, beef most often comes to mind, particularly brisket. Long ago it was common to pit cook whole, half, or quarter cuts of beef for community or ranch celebrations, and people ate the cut of smoked meat they were served. In the late 1950s the meat packing industry began to separate cuts of beef and ship them in boxes to customers. Black’s BBQ in Lockhart, City Market in Luling, and Smitty’s Market in Lockhart have all played a role in developing brisket as a key part of Texas BBQ. As a result of Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS) established in the 1950s, almost any grocery or restaurant can order IMPS item #120, a box of beef brisket. Steve Olson, a cattle rancher in upstate NY, played an important role in updating the IMPS specifications to include only boneless brisket since earlier specifications included the top-edge bone that punctured newly developed cryo-vac packaging. So, specs for brisket changed and the boneless cut we know today became standard.
Early mentions of smoked beef brisket in Texas came from newspaper advertisements for Jewish grocery markets in El Paso and Corpus Christi. Because of Kosher food requirements, it makes sense that Jewish immigrants would focus on brisket from the forequarter as a revered part of their cuisine. It is likely these early purveyors served smoked brisket on a plate rather than on butcher paper like we see today in many of the famous Central Texas BBQ meccas that only began listing smoked brisket on their menus some 40 years later.
Story adapted from a Texas Monthly article by Daniel Vaughn, 24-Jan-2014
McPherson Cellars Tempranillo Moore Family Vineyards Tokio Block 2021 Texas High Plains AVA
Kim McPherson and Spenser Igo produced this 100% Tempranillo with grapes sourced from the Tokio block of Tempranillo, part of the 52 acres of grapes grown by Richard and Dianne Moore, in vineyards at nearly 4,000 ft elevation located near the village of Tokio west of Brownfield in Terry County. The grapes went through a 3-day cold soak before a temperature-controlled 11-day fermentation in SS tank. After an overall 40-day maceration, the wine was racked into French oak barrels (23% new); and aged 14 months. Clinton “Doc” McPherson, Kim McPherson’s father, helped pioneer the Texas Wine Industry and made early plantings of Tempranillo on the Texas High Plains. This smooth, easy-drinking, well-balanced wine has aromas and flavors of ripe red cherry, notes of buttered croissant and vanilla from oak aging, and a supple finish with soft dusty tannins.
Ondarre Reserva Tempranillo 2019 Rioja DOCa Spain
This traditionally made Rioja is sourced from vineyards situated on south-facing slopes at an altitude of 1,800 ft above sea level. The soils are mostly clay-based with high iron and chalk content and the vines average 25 years old. Clay helps retain moisture which nourishes the vines during the warm and sunny Spanish summers. The wine offers black cherry and wild strawberry aromas and flavors along with leather, vanilla, baking spices, black olives, and bittersweet chocolate. This is all enveloped in a smooth texture with well-integrated tannins and a lingering, slightly dusty finish. The fruit was hand-harvested, fermented in SS tanks, and bottled at 14% ABV. As required for a Reserva designation, the wine was aged 16 months in French and American oak barrels (1/3 new) and an additional 24 months in bottle before release. During barrel aging the wine was racked four times to gently remove sediment and enhance flavor compounds development by introducing oxygen. This produced a softer wine with rich varietal fruit character.
The Rioja region is perhaps the most famous in Spain and has been recognized with the highest category in Spanish wine classification, DOCa (or Denominación di Origen Calificada). Rioja vineyard areas range in elevation from near 2,000 ft down to 1,000 ft along the valleys of the Ebro River system as it meanders eastward eventually flowing into the Mediterranean Sea in Catalonia. The elevation, soil-types, and climate match well with the Texas High Plains, the source of most of the Tempranillo grown in Texas.
Tempranillo grows well in many Iberian wine regions that look a lot like places in Texas, especially the High Plains. Tempranillo is thriving in other parts of the wine world that have similar climates: northern Arizona, Yakima Valley in Washington, Umpqua Valley in southern Oregon, McLaren Vale and Northeast Victoria districts in Australia, and elevated regions in Argentina, Chile, and Mexico.
Tempranillo was introduced in Oregon’s southern Umpqua Valley AVA nearly 30 25 years ago by Earl and Hilda Jones as they established Abacela Vineyards and Winery in 1995. The warm climate with sandy soils and optimal diurnal temperature ranges are near ideal for growing Tempranillo.
Sausage has always been an important part of the Texas BBQ scene and we wanted to highlight that today. Bratwurst-style sausages were brought to the Lone Star State by German, Czech, and Polish immigrants and are celebrated at numerous Wurstfest events each year. The "brat" part of the name comes from an Old High German word meaning "meat without waste," while the "wurst" part means "sausage." Centuries ago, bratwursts were a means of survival for many German and middle European peoples. During harsh winter months, not even the smallest scraps of meat could be wasted, so they were gathered, chopped, blended, encased, and preserved into bratwurst sausages. The same process continues today and has become a delicacy consumed throughout Germany and around the world.
Today, most commercial bratwursts are produced using cuts from good quality poultry, pork, and beef. One business that keeps this tradition alive is Opa’s Smoked Meats in Fredericksburg, the source of bratwursts for this event. In 1947, one hundred years after the founding of Fredericksburg, Opa’s began as a local butcher shop, meat locker, and smokehouse. Today, the family continues Opa’s brand of smoked meats and sausages using authentic German recipes and Old World herbs and spices, preserving a part of this area’s German heritage.
On south Washington Street Opa’s Meat Shop and Deli Market provides an attractive and pleasant place to view, sample, and purchase Opa’s products, including meats, cheeses, freshly prepared sandwiches, condiments, beverages, and many other specialty products. Although Opa’s is old-fashioned when it comes to product quality and customer service, the kitchens and deli market are top-of-the-line modern. Opa’s continues to grow and improve while maintaining their commitment to quality, flavor, and customer satisfaction here in Fredericksburg for over 65 years.
Lost Oak Winery Tempranillo 2023 Texas High Plains AVA
Winemakers Jim Evans and Angela Chapman highlight the Texas High Plains terroir in this Tempranillo sourced 79% from Triple D Vineyards near Tokio and 21% from Bingham Family Vineyards near Meadow, both in Terry County, TX. The fruit was machine harvested; fermented in SS tanks; underwent malolactic transformation; aged 9 months in mostly American oak barrels (8% new); and was bottled @ 14% ABV, 0% RS (dry). The wine is a vibrant red hue with aromas of red cherry, red currant, dark cocoa, toasted coconut, and hints of white peppercorn. The flavors are lively with more cherry, purple plum, mulberry, and baking spices. Gentle, ripe tannins with a hint of Texas dust and notes of baked cherry pie, soft leather, and oaky grill smoke carry to the finish.
Abacela Winery Tempranillo Fiesta 2021 Umpqua Valley AVA Oregon
The fruit for this 100% Tempranillo was machine harvested from the estate’s Fault Line Vineyard, sorted, crushed, and fermented in SS tanks. The wine aged 18 months in a mix of oak barrels (57% French, 43% American) of which 4% new, 9% 2 yr, 14% 4 year, and 73% older, neutral barrels. 2,800 cases were bottled at 13.8% ABV. The wine offers a deep garnet color with a pale rim and aromas of black cherry, cassis, cocoa, and violet petals.
The texture of the wine is sleek and silky with flavors of black currant, cherry, plums, roasted coffee beans, and notes of mocha, soft baking spices, and suede leather. The finish is lush with medium rich, velvety tannins and hints of black tea and fresh tobacco. Pairings for this wine would include coffee/cocoa powder/pepper-rubbed beef steaks, game birds and venison, pork tenderloins, and grilled Texas sausages.
Umpqua Valley in southern Oregon lies east of the Pacific coastal range along the Umpqua River. Vineyard elevations range from 130 ft near the river to 1,000 ft on river terraces and bench lands featuring alluvial soils of sand and gravel mixed with clay and/or silty loam. These Abacela wines are typically awarded 90+ ratings.
Although Tempranillo is planted in many locations across the Lone Star State, it seems to do best planted in sandy loam soils over a limestone base on the Texas High Plains, where high elevation promotes more productive photosynthesis and supports significant diurnal temperature variations that grapevines favor. The cooling effect of dropping from daytime highs of 90-100oF down to nighttime lows of 50-60oF allows vines to take a break from their process of photosynthesis and “rest” during cooler nighttime temperatures. This helps vines integrate natural sugars and flavor components in the grapes. Such a resting period is key to the concept of “hangtime” which allows for greater physiological ripeness, preservation of more natural grape acidity, and enhancement of various flavor components.
The name Tempranillo derives from the word “temprano”, meaning “early”. This early nature of the variety can cause some issues here in Texas. Tempranillo buds early often making vines susceptible to frost damage from springtime cold temperature events. There are many different clones of Tempranillo, and Texas grape growers continue to experiment looking for clones that work best in particular vineyard locations and growing conditions, especially ones that bud and bloom later to help prevent spring frost damage.
Tempranillo also ripens early, often ready to harvest before most other red varieties and alongside later maturing white varieties. When winemakers are focused on white wine harvests and white wine production, seeing bins of red Tempranillo grapes arrive on the crush pad can cause some measure of frustration as shifts in techniques and equipment are needed to make red wines. However, Tempranillo produces delicious wines in Texas and winemakers most often shrug off the inconveniences involved.
In closing, I encourage you to Support Texas Grape Growers and Winemakers by seeking out your favorite Tempranillos and enjoy a Taste of Texas with BBQ and grilled meats, rich cheeses, TexMex cuisine, and even sweets that contain cherry and/or chocolate ingredients.
And as Always, Drink Well My Friends.
Learn more from these references:
(1) Spanish-Origin Grape Varieties in Texas Climates, by Carl Hudson, Ph.D., CSW, posted on Texas Wine Lover Website, 19-Feb-2021 (https://txwinelover.com/2021/02/spanish-origin-grape-varieties-in-texas-climates/)
(2) Tempranillo, Wine Folly, by Madeline Puckette, James Beard Award-winning author and Wine Communicator of the Year, co-founder of Wine Folly, https://winefolly.com/grapes/tempranillo/
(3) Tempranillo, also known as Ull de Llebre, Cencibel, Tinto Fino, Tinta de Toro, and Tinta del Pais in Spain, and Aragonez or Tinta Roriz in Portugal, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tempranillo# . .
(4) Tempranillo, A Guide to Basics, by Brian Freedman, 18-Nov-2022, https://www.foodandwine.com/tempranillo-wine-guide-6829997. This informative article mentions most favorably three Texas High Plains Tempranillo bottlings: Ron Yates Friesen Vineyards 2017, Pedernales Cellars 2019, and Bending Branch Newsom Vineyards 2017.
(5) Tempranillo Grape Variety, Neighbors, and Blending Partners, by Carl Hudson, Ph.D., CSW,