Sailing treacherous, unchartered waters while exploring the unknown can be a grueling job, so when Christopher Columbus embarked on his famous journey to the New World, he brought along a little something to smooth over the rough times. History tells us that Columbus brought red wine with him from the Toro region of Spain, where the most popular grape grown is called Tinto de Toro. This grape is a variant of the more popular varietal, Tempranillo, the “noble grape” for which Spain’s Rioja wines are famous. Tempranillo continued its exploration of the New World with the Conquistadors, who brought the seeds with them, and eventually made its way to California over a century ago, and has been flourishing there since the 1980s.

Despite its rich history in the New World, and the fact that it’s one of the most widely-grown varietals in the world, Tempranillo is still a relatively unknown varietal in America. Penelope Gadd-Coster, a 20-year winemaking veteran and the sparkling wine producer for J Wine, seeks to bolster the reputation of this under-appreciated grape. With the creation of Coral Mustang Wines, Penelope seeks to share her love affair with Tempranillo with the entire world (or at least the New World).

Penelope comes well-prepared, having been mentored by the “Dean of American Winemaking,” André Tschelistcheff, whose other students include the famous Robert Mondavi! Andre taught Penelope, “If you’re making Chardonnay, it should taste like Chardonnay grapes!” imparting her with the oft-overlooked wisdom that one of the most important goals of winemaking is to bring out the true character of the grapes. With Coral Mustang, Penelope aims to do just that with Tempranillo, and has future plans to do so with Tempranillo grapes from a wide variety of different vineyards.

For now, Coral Mustang Wines offers some amazing Tempranillo selections from Vista Creek Vineyards, including a couple Rosés (speaking of underappreciated wines!), all available on WineQ:

• 2004 Vista Creek Tempranillo ($23.99) - Bright aromas of blueberry and cherry fruit are enhanced by Chinese five spice and soy. Leather, smoke, and vanilla round out the experience. The taste lingers on the tongue with roasted nuts, vanilla, and blackberry. This tantalizing Tempranillo won a Silver Medal in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition!
• 2005 Vista Creek Tempranillo Rosé ($11.99) - The beautiful color of this Tempranillo Rosé is complemented with the aromas of rose, lime, and red raspberry. The lingering finish is fresh with citrus and berries.
• 2006 Vista Creek Tempranillo Rosé ($14.99) - This wine takes after its older sister, the 2005, with flavors of rose, lime, red raspberry with a citrus and berry finish.

The “Coral” in Coral Mustang comes from Penelope’s middle name and also, along with the seahorse that adorns the label, represents her love for the ocean. At times, she’s considered becoming a marine biologist. However, after trying her Tempranillos, you’ll be glad she’s spent years in winemaking to earn the second half of the name, Mustang, a term of respect often used to describe a person who rises through the ranks of their profession. Be sure to check out Coral Mustang’s blog, Tempranillo Tango, while you’re enjoying the Tempranillo from your next Q shipment!