Andalucia Flashcards
Name the three mountain chains Sistem Betico consists of
- Cordillera Prebetica (mostly located in Murcia and Castilla-La Mancha)
- Cordillera Subbetica (northern range of Andalucia)
- Cordillear Penibetica (southern range of Andalucia)
Describe “Fino”
A fortified dry sherry made from the Palomino grape which has undego biological aging unde a “velo de flor”. This is one of the least acidic wines in the world.
What wine Sir Francis Drake attached and Cadiz and stole 3,000 bottles in 1587?
Sherry (English called it Sack)
What are three factors that base the classification of sherry after fermentation?
- Color
- Clarity
- Aroma
True or False
The base wine for sherry is often crafted at special winemaking facilities near the vineyards and not in the sherry cahthedrals
True
To mitigate the risk of oxidation and the growth of spoilage organisms during harves
Which mountain range in southern Andalucia is the highest on the Iberian Peninsula?
Sistema Betico
Describe Palo Cortado
A rare dry sherry crafted from the Palomino grape. The initial classificaiton designates this wine for biological aging, but after the sorbretabla stage it is fortified above 17% and redirected to oxidative aging.
Palo Cortado are removed from the flor sooner than Amontillado but the flavor, color and body of an Oloroso.
Name two rivers that delineate DO Montilla-Moriles
- Guadajoz to the northeast
- Genil to the southwest
What two characteristics will make wines to be destined and aged as Finos or Manzanillas?
- Paleness
- Finess
What are the primary grape variety of DO Montilla-Moriles and wine styles?
- Pedro Ximenez
- Still wine / Vinos Generosos / Vinos Dulce
- Sweetning agent for DO Jerez-Xeres-Sherry and DO Manxanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda
Both Finos and Olorosos lose water by evavoration.
Why do Finos lose alcohol as well?
It is a food source for the Flor
Finos must be re-fortified to a miniumum 15% before bottling
Which sherries are known to be the sweetest wines in the world, with some having more than 40% or 400 g/l of residual sugar
Pedro Ximenez (“PX”))
What is the soil type found in 90% of vineyard land in DO Jerez-Xeres-Sherry and DO Manzanilla-Sanlucar de Barrameda?
Albariza
Also found in DO Montilla-Moriles where it is called Albero
True or False
Wines aged in the northern seaside town of Sanlucar de Barrameda are the ones authorized to label DO Manzanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda
True
Which four international red varieties are most dominant in Andalucia?
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
- Cabernet Franc
- Syrah
How are Vinos Dulces Naturales (Naturally Sweet Sherries) made?
- Fermentation of the must halted buy the addition of grape spirit
- The wines are aged oxidatively
Describe “Cream” Sherry
A wine obtained by blending an oxidatively aged wine (typically Oloroso) with Pedro Ximenez which creates a full bodied wine with a sweetless level between 11.5-145 or 115-140 g/l
True or False
Traditional earthenware vessles in DO Montilla-Moriles, :”Tinajas” have capacity of up to 10,000 litres
True
What percentage of vineyard landscape Palmino Fino occupies in Sherry region?
95%
Name four types of Blen Sherries
- “Dry”
- Pale Cream
- Medium
- Cream
Which climatic conditions create the ideal environment for the development of Flor, a flim of surface yeasts that blooms atop some styles of sherry while aging in cask?
Easterly Levante and Westerly Poniente winds
What is general lifespan of flor in any given barrel?
7 - 8 years
Which two local and two international grape varieties are most popular in Andalucia?
- Pedro Ximenez
- Vijiriego
- Chardonnay
- Sauvignon Blanc
True of False
Both Palmino Fino and Pedro Ximenez are believed to be indigenous to Andalucia.
True
List three special categories (Age Designated Sherries)
- Vinos de Vejez Califcada (Sherry Wines of Certified Age)
- Vinos con Indication de Edad (Sherry Wines with Indication of Age)
- Anada (Vintage Sherry)
Which DO is exclusively dedicated to the production of raisins in DO Malaga?
DO Pasas de Malaga
When was DO Montilla-Morilles awarded its DO designation?
1945
True or False
Vines were still cultivated during Moorish occupation in Andalucia
True
Describe Manzanilla
A fortified dry sherry crafted from the Palomino grape which has undergoe biological aging and which must be produced and matured in the more humid coastal town of Sanlucar de Barameda. Aromatic and light with a hint of Chamonille (which Manzanilla means in Spanish)
What alcohol level wines destined to be Fino or Manzanilla fortified to?
15 - 15.5%
(fortified above 17%, flor will die)
True or False
Andalucia is Spain’s largest and most populated autonominous community
False
The second largest
Name the prime white and red grape varieties of DO Malaga
- White: Pedro Ximenez/Pedro Ximen, Moscatel de Malaga/Moscatel de Alejandria
- Red: Rome
True or False
The capital city of Sevilla has the highest average annual temperature of any city on mainland Spain
True
Describe “Medium” (as related to sherry)
A wine obtained by blending (typically) Amontillado with Moscatel, Pedro Ximenez or RCGM to a sweetness level 0.5-11.5% or 5 - 115 g/l
Further divided into Medium Dry 95 - 45 g/) l or Medium Sweet (45-115g/l)
What alcohol level Olorosos are fortified to?
Minimum of 17%
to ensure the flor does not develop
When were DO Jerez-Xeres-Sherry and DO Manzanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda?
1933
Describe Moscatel (de Alejandria)
A naturally swee wine made from at least 85% overripe or sun-dried Moscatel grapes whose fermentation has been halted by the addition of grape spirit.
Out of 17 towns that make up DO Montilla-Moriles, what two factors make the two towns, Montilla and Moriles stand out?
- Elevation
- Soil
Planted at the highest elevation within the DO on Albariza soil
What are three classification of must according to press fraction in sherry?
- Primera yema
- Segunda yema
- Mosto prensa
When was DO Malaga received its DO designation?
1933 (the same as DO Jerez-Xeres-Sherry / DO Manzanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda
Which century did Sherry wine producers develop “criaderas y soleras” system to manage a surplus of of wine stemming from muliple generous harvests?
Durin 18th cenutry
Describe Mosto Prensa
- The press fraction that receives the most pressure
- Extracts coarser more inelegant juice
- Used for distillation, not sherry production
Why are bodega windows orietend northeast and southwest axis?
To have westerly Poniente winds enter and block easterly dry Levante winds.
What is Vinos de Color?
To deepen the pigment of dry sherry wine
It is created by first producing Arrope, a dark syrup obtained by heating grape must over as low fire until it reduces to one fifth its volume and then added to Palomino Fino must in a 1:3 ratio and aged in a solera
Sweetining agents may be added to dry sherries to create a variety of sytles of cream sherries
Describe Oloroso
A dry sherry produced from the Palomino grape. it is fortified to 17% and undergoes oxidative aging.
True or False
Fino, Amontillado and Oloroso wines in DO Montilla-Moriles can be labelled as “Sherry”
False
What will be produced from flor aging (2)?
- Aldehydes (oxidized alcohol)
- Fusel oils (higher alcohols)
What are the three prime soil types of DO Malaga?
- Limestone
- Clay
- Decomposed Slate
What is the pruning method (training system) in the sherry-producing areas?
The majority of vineyards are pruned via Vara y Pulgar
Describe Primera yema
- Mostly the free run juice
- Represents approx 65% of the total volume
- Used for Fino sherries
What are three grape varieties dominate the landscape of Andalucia?
- Palomino Fino
- Pedro Ximenez
- Moscatel
In what year DO Jerez-Xeres-Sherry was officially awarded Denominacion de Origen status?
1933
Manznilla-Sanllucar de Barramed received ii a separate DO in 1964
Who is believed to have brought vine to Andalucia?
The Phoenicians (1100 BCE)
What is DO that crafts dry still wines from both indigeneous and internanal varieties?
DO Sierras de Malaga
Which Andalucian area have some of the highest vineyards in Europe?
Granada where the highest peak in Spain Pico de Mulhacen is located.
Who taught local tribes in Andalucia how to prune vines as far back as 600 BCE?
The Greeks
What four factors ensure the palest, clearest, most aromatic and least bitter wines for sherry?
- Free run juice
- Grapes growin in Albariza soil
- Old vines
- Wines made with excellent hygiene and care
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