Tinta Roriz, official name for the Spanish vine variety tempranillo in northern Portugal. (aragonez is more common in the south.) Thanks to recent popularity, it has become Portugal’s most planted variety by quite a margin with total plantings of 21,150 ha/52,240 acres by 2012. It is particularly important in the Douro Valley, where it vies with touriga franca as the most planted variety, particularly in the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior. It is relatively easy to grow in the Douro but has a tendency to over-produce and performs best in those years when yields are inherently low. Varietal wines are also made in Dão, and in the Alentejo where it is known as Aragonez. Here it is sometimes bottled as a varietal but is often blended with the local trincadeira. It has also gained ground in the Dão region (where it is also known as Tinta Roriz), and in other parts of Portugal.
