18. Spain

Question 1

Overview

Answer 1

• Climates may vary
  o Maritime à Green Spain
  o Continental à Meseta
  o Mediterranean à Andalucía, Central Mediterranean
  (Cataluña, Valencia, Murcia)
• Grapes à Airén (most planted grape for brandy industry), Tempranillo (grown widely), Garnacha, Bobal, Macabeo, Monastrell
• Ageing categories (total ageing / barrel time)
• For reds à Generic, Crianza (24 months / 6 months), Reserva (36 months / 12 months), Gran Reserva (60 months / 18 months)
• For whites à Generic, Crianza (18 months / 6 months), Reserva (24months / 6 months), Gran Reserva (48 months / 6 months)

Question 2

Galicia

Answer 2

o Cool maritime / Granite soils

o Rías Baixas DO
§ Albariño (96%), Loureira, Treixadura, Caiño Blanco
§ High-volume (inexpensive) to small batches (premiumpriced)

o Ribeiro DO
§ Mainly whites, Treixadura most planted grape

o Ribeira Sacra DO
§ Most reds, steep slopes, Mencía is the most important grape

o Valdeorras DO
§ Good and very good quality Godello

o Monterrei DO
§ Inexpensive wine sold in bulk -> Mencía and Godello

Question 3

Castilla y Léon

Answer 3

o Meseta -> full continental, 500-1000 m, wide diurnal

o Bierzo DO
§ Slate and fertile silty loam (plains), old vines
§ Mencía
§ Alicante Bouschet -> blending
§ High-volume (inexp) -> small batches (prem)

o Toro DO
§ Sandy soils, old vines (ungrafted)
§ 75% Tinta de Toro, remainder Garnacha
§ High-volume (inexp) -> small batches (prem)\

o Ribera del Duero DO
§ most 100% Tempranillo
§ C.S, Merlot, Malbec, Garnacha and Albillo Mayor -> blending
§ French oak popular
§ Good to outstanding, mid to super-premium-priced

o Rueda DO
§ Verdejo, SB
§ High-volume (inexp) -> small batches of mid-priced
wines

Question 4

Rioja

Answer 4

o Moderate continental

o 3 zones -> Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental

o Most red wines (90%)
§ Tempranillo ->most
§ Garnacha (Rioja Oriental, warmer)
§ Graciano, Mazuelo, Maturana, CS

o Viura (Macabeo) main white grape
§ Malvasia + Garnacha Blanca -> blending

o Significant producer of good (inexp) -> outstanding (small batches)

New legislation
§ Vi de Zona -> Vini, ageing, bottling must take place within zone
§ Vi de Municipio -> Vini, ageing, bottling must take place within named municipality
§ Viñedo Singular -> (Single Vineyard)

o Ageing requirements in barrel à stricter

Question 5

Navarra

Answer 5

o Moderate continental

o Navarra DO -> 5 subregions
§ Baja Montaña, Valdizarbe, Tierra Estella à northern part
§ Ribera Alta (middle)
§ Ribera Baja (south) à warmer, drier, flatter

o Tempranillo (most planted grape), Garnacha (most planted), international grapes (CS, Merlot, Chardonnay)

o High-volume (inexpensive) to small batches (prem-priced)

Question 6

Aragon

Answer 6

o Warm continental
o Garnacha-> old bush vines
o Calatayud, Cariñena, Campo de Borja -> altitude
§ Garnacha
o Somontano -> international grapes (CS, Chardonnay, Gewurz)
o Most of production -> high-volume, inexp, early-drinking
o Small, Q-focused wineries -> small batches

Question 7

Catalunya

Answer 7

o Warm Mediterranean (inland continental influences)
o Catalunya DO-> umbrella DO

Penedès DO
§ White (most) -> Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Parellada, Chard
§ Merlot -> most
§ High-volume (inexp) to small batches (prem)

Priorat DOQ
§ Hot Continental / Llicorella / Costers (terraces)
§ Garnacha + Cariñena
§ Most red
§ Whites -> Garnacha Blanca + Macabeo
§ Small batches -> prem to super-prem

§ New legislation:
* Vi de Vila
-> Grapes must come from one of Priorat’s 12 sub-zones.
* Vi de Paratge
-> grapes grown within a single paratge or named site,
= lieu dit
* Vinya Classificada
-> single vineyard of particular merit within a Paratje
= cru
* Gran Vinya Classificada
-> single vineyard of exceptional merit within a Paratje,
= grand cru.

Montsant DO
§ Similar to Priorat (complete ring around) -> topog less extreme
§ Small batches -> mid to super-premium prices

Costers del Segre DO
§ Continental
§ Saline soils / Raventós (Raimat)
§ Grapes for Cava and still wines -> 200-700 m
§ Wide international + local grapes -> permitted
§ Mid-priced wines -> good to very good

Question 8

Valencia and Murcia

Answer 8

Valencia DO
§ Largest DO -> has subzones
§ Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), Temp, C.S, Monastrell -> reds
§ Merseguera + Macabeo -> whites
§ Vast majority of the wines -> early-drinking (inexp)
§ Individual producers -> good to very good (mid-priced)

Utiel Requena DO
§ Hot continental
§ Black grapes -> most
§ Bobal
§ Acceptable to very good, inexp to mid-priced

Alicante DO
§ Warm Mediterranean
§ Monastrell -> most
§ High-volume (inexp) to small batches (prem)

Jumilla DO
§ Hot continental
§ Sandy soils, bush vines
§ Monastrell -> most
§ High-volume (inexp) to small batches (prem)

Yecla DO
§ Hot continental
§ Sandy soils, bush vines
§ Monastrell ->most
§ High-volume (inexp) to small batches (prem)

Question 9

Castilla-La Mancha

Answer 9

o S part of Spain’s Meseta -> extreme continental
o Vinos de Pago

La Mancha DO
§ Largest DO in Spain
§ Low densities, bush wines, no irrigation
§ Airén
§ Cencibel (Tempranillo)
§ early drinking

Valdepeñas DO
§ Continental
§ Cencibel -> early-drinking style

Question 10

Basque Country

Answer 10

o Txacoli -> Hondarribi Zuri
o Inexp and early-drinking style

Question 11

Serra de Gredos

Answer 11

o Vinos de Madrid, Mentrida, Cebreros, Castilla y León VT
o old Garnacha (600-1,200 m) -> higher acid
o Whites -> Albillo Real
o Good to very good and mid to premium-priced

Question 12

Balearic Islands

Answer 12

o Warm Mediterranean
o Local grapes (Manto Negro and Callet) and international grapes
o Field blends are common
o Inexpensive and early-drinking style

Question 13

Canary Islands

Answer 13

o Subtropical
o Listan Negro, Malvasía, Listan Blanco (Palomino)
o Field blends
o Valle de Orotava DO -> cordón trenzado (braided vines, long ropes)
o Lanzarote -> flat, dark volcanic ash, Malvasia Volcánica, low y