Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Tempranillo

Top flavour pairings and Tempranillo recipes, revealed through the hidden methmatics of flavour.

Tempranillo instantly conjures the evocative embrace of raspberry and the kiss of tannin, but beneath its sourness lies a complex symphony of subtle flavour notes, such as oak, leather, and hints of cherry that give it remarkable depth. And the culinary wizardry begins when we seek out pairings that allow these notes to truly sing.

To map these harmonies, we analysed thousands of ingredients, breaking each one down across 150 flavour dimensions, identifying which notes complement and contrast. Our analysis reveals, for example, how baharat's cinnamonic tones infuse with Tempranillo, and how black pudding's ferrous notes create a surprising synergy with its bright sweetness.

An ingredient's flavour profile is determined by its core characteristics (e.g. woody, acidic, and herbal) enhanced by layers of subtle aroma notes (outer bars). When pairing ingredients, aim for a mix of core traits to build balance, and select complementary aroma notes to create harmony.

The Flavour Code

To understand how flavour notes harmonise, we analysed more than 50,000 popular ingredient combinations. By exploring these pairings, we identified specific flavour notes that frequently occur together, indicating they share a harmonious relationship.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Raspberry Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of raspberry is strongly associated with the flavour of iron. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a ironny flavour, such as black pudding, when pairing with the berry-like notes of Tempranillo.

The recipe below provides inspiration for pairing Tempranillo with black pudding.

Harmonious Flavours Of Tempranillo

Just as our statistical analysis showed that raspberry and beefy flavour accents are commonly paired, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavour notes present in Tempranillo. E.g. the tannic notes of Tempranillo are often used with mouldy and burnt flavours.

The aromas associated with the various accents of Tempranillo can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of baharat offers many of the aromas complementary to Tempranillo, including cinnamon and clove aroma notes. Because the flavour profile of baharat has many of the of the features that are complementary to Tempranillo, they are likely to pair very well together.

The chart above shows the unique profile of baharat across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with Tempranillo.

Recipes That Pair Tempranillo With Baharat

Linked Flavour Notes

Looking at the accents that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of Tempranillo, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.

The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of Tempranillo, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the accents complementary to Tempranillo.

Which Fruit Go With Tempranillo?

Choose fruit that carry its fruitiness or ground its fig sweetness. Lemon and lemon zest offer vibrant, clean counterpoints, their verdant freshness lifting the palate. Orange add a gentle, oniony brightness, while preserved lemon introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace fruit that harmonise with Tempranillo's tartness. The addition of peppadew, with its subtle capsicum notes, can complement the sour apple beautifully, while lemon sole lends a mild pepper aroma.

How Flavonomics Works

We've pioneered a unique, data-driven approach to decode the intricate art of flavour pairing. Our goal is to move beyond intuition and uncover the science of why certain ingredients harmonise beautifully. This rigorous methodology allows us to provide you with insightful and reliable pairing recommendations.

Our analysis begins with over 50,000 carefully selected recipes from acclaimed chefs like Galton Blackiston, Marcello Tully, and Pierre Lambinon. This premium dataset ensures our model distils genuine culinary excellence and creativity.

Each ingredient from these recipes is deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, creating a unique numerical "flavour fingerprint." This quantification allows us to apply advanced analytical methods to identify complex patterns between flavour notes.

We identify popular ingredient combinations that frequently appear in our recipe database. Regression analysis is then performed on these pairings to statistically validate and pinpoint truly harmonious flavours.

These insights drive our predictive model, which allows us to take any ingredient (e.g., Tempranillo), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.