Yes, Tempranillos outside of Spain!  It all started because Earl Jones found that certain Spanish wines made from the Tempranillo grape enhanced the spicy meats and peppery foods he enjoyed.

Not much Tempranillo was being produced in the U.S. in the 1980s, so Jones studied climate zones and determined that the area around Roseburg, Oregon, best matched the Tempranillo growing region in Spain.

He started Abacela Winery in the 1990s and made his first commercial Tempranillo in 1997.  In 2000 Abacela's '98 Estate Tempranillo won a double-gold medal and beat all 19 Spanish Tempranillo entries at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

Nearly a decade later, the data shows about 2000 acres of Tempranillo to be planted in more than 15 U.S. states with the biggest production in Oregon and Washington. 

Earl Jones will be leading this seminar and help us smell, swirl, sip and learn about some of the Northwest's best.