Catalonia (Catalunya) Flashcards
Who is the world’s largest producer of sparkling wine?
Who is the other major producer of the same region?
Freixenet
Codorníu
What DO almost entirely surrounds Priorat?
Montsant DO
What is Subirat Parent?
Synonym for Malvasia
2 DO’s of Balearic Islands?
Styles and grapes
Pla i Llevant
Binissalem Mallorca
Blanco (Blanc): min. 50% Moll (Prensal Blanc) OR min. 50% Moscatel
Rosado (Rosat)
Tinto (Negre): min. 50% Manto Negro
Vino Espumoso (Escúmos): min. 50% Moll for white sparkling wines, rosé sparkling wines may be made from any variety
What is Vino de Pueblo?
Village category in Priorat for estate-grown wines from twelve villages, including Gratallops “Gra-tie-yope”.
La Morera de Montsant Gratallops Bellmunt del Priorat Escaladei Porrera Poboleda La Vilella Baixa La Vilella Alta El Lloar Masos del Terme de Falset Solanes del Terme de El Molar Torroja del Priorat
***there are officially 11 due to Escaladei being administratively within the boundaries of La Morera de Montsant and as there are more noteworthy wines from Escaladei than from La Morera it is often (rightfully) separated off as its own.
Age requirement for:
Cava/Cava de Guarda
Cava de Guarda Superior
Reserva
Gran Reserva
Cava del Paraje
Cava / Cava de Guarda: min. 9 months on the lees from the day of tirage.
Cava de Guarda Superior: min. 18 months on the lees from the day of tirage. (Reserva was previously 15 months, prior to the 2021 harvest)
Reserva: 18 months on the lees from the day of tirage. (previously 15 months, prior to the 2021 harvest)
Gran Reserva: min. 30 months on the lees from the day of tirage (Brut, Extra Brut, and Brut Nature only)
Cava de Paraje Calificado (Cava de Paratge Qualificat): min. 36 months on the lees from the day of tirage.
What are the requirements for Cava de Paratge Qualificat (Paraje Calificado)?
- Single-estate categories for hand-harvested wines.
- Vines must be at least 10 years old.
- Minimum 36-month on lees
- Minimum TA is 5.5 g/l.
- No acidification
- Must be vintage-dated.
- Cava del Paraje Calificado must be vintage-dated and may only be Brut, Extra Brut, or Brut Nature.
What is llicorella?
Poor, stony soils derived from underlying black slate and quartz, characterizes the best vineyards in Priorat. Composed of this schistose mica and quartzite, it allows roots to stretch deep to find water, and its reflective black-red surface radiates heat back onto the vines, similar to the Mosel’s blue slate.
What did Miguel Torres introduce to Catalonia in the 1960’s?
Stainless steel fermentation.
What are the five original “Clos” wines of Priorat? When were they first produced? When did they split?
Boy band containing Hodor (Mogador), Jerry Orbach, Chris Martin, mouse rat (erasmus), dopey the dwarf
Barbier’s Clos Mogador Palacios' Clos Dofi Clos Erasmus Clos de l’Obac Clos Martinet
First produced in 1989. After the 1991 vintage, the project split and the wines moved in seperate production.
What is Priorat’s climate?
Mediterranean.
What are the two recommended red grapes that dominate Priorat and it’s surrounding regions?
Garnacha and Cariñena
What DO in Catalonia produces a large amount of wine for Cava production and communion wines for Christian Churches? Also historically known for rancio/mistella wines and still made in small quantities today.
Tarragona DO
What is the Raïmat estate?
A subzone within Costers del Segre DO. Originally an arid, infertile land, Manuel Raventós (owner of cava producer, Codorniu) purchased in 1914. Over 60 years the land was transformed through canal construction and agricultural restoration, begin to produce its first commerical vintage.
How is Penedès divided?
Three distinct altitude zones:
—Baix-Penedès (hottest lowest vineyards; by the coast; more sturdier grapes like Grenache, Carignan, and Monastrell are planted in the lower vineyards.
—Medio-Penedès- Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo) thrives
—Alt-Penedès (one of Europe’s highest altitude winegrowing regions.) perfectly suited to cultivation of the white Parellada grape
What are the three recommended white grapes for Cava?
Red grapes?
Blanco: Parellada, Macabeo, Xarel-lo
Tinto: Pinot Noir, Monstrell, Garnacha Tinta, Trepat (only used for rose)
What does each of three main grapes bring to Cava?
Macabeo, dominates most Cava blends, late budding promising good insurance against spring frost.
Xarel-lo brings distinctive slavor and aromatics; rather vegetal smell of Xarel-lo that often distinguishes so many Cavas (occasionally too much flavor) and is best planted in lower altitudes. Also brings power and ageability.
Parellada yields appely wine of real crispness, if not allowed to over produce.
What is the only Spanish DO that covers a style instead of a region?
Cava DO
What is imprinted on a cork from a bottle of Cava?
A four-pointed star
What is the birth place of Cava?
Sant Sadurni d’Anoia “Sant sar da NEE yah NOY ya”
12 DO’s of Cataluna?
Alella Empordà Cava Conca De Barberá Costers Del Segre Montsant Penedès Pla De Bages Priorat Tarragona, Terra Alta Catalunya
What is Pansà Blanca and what DO is it the speciality?
Synonym for Xarel-lo in Allela DO used for still white wines as well as contributing to Cava production.
Where is Emporda DO? What do the produce?
located in the northeastern corner of Spain (part of Catalonia), bordering Banyuls in Roussillon. The focus is on Cariñena rosados, along with Garnacha and international varietals.
What is Samsó?
Confusing Catalan name used for Carignan/Mazuela mainly, but also used for Cinsault in parts of Catalunya, (though more commonly as Sinsó.)
What town has the greatest concentration of notable bodegas in Priorat?
Falset, a high-altitude one-horse town that is the gateway to Priorat but lies just outside it.
Where would you find Gratallops?
Village in Priorat DOCa within Catalonia
Gratallops it’s most well know “Vino de Puebla” and has a mix of local and french grapes grown on llicorella soils.
Where are Balearic Islands? What culture is most associated with?
A chain off the coast of Catalonia, is an autonomía closely associated with Catalan culture.
Define the following Priorat classifications:
Vi de Finca
Vi de Paratge
Vi de Vinya Classificada
Vi de Gran Vinya Classificada
Velles Vinyes
Vi de Finca: (Single vineyard, independent of Vi de Vinya): 100% Sourced from designated parcel. Only allowed for wines that also qualify for Catalan “Vi de Finca”.
Vi de Paratge: 100% Sourced from a single zone.
Vi de Vinya Classificada: Quality vineyard designation given to single parcel wines by the Consell.
Vi de Gran Vinya Classificada: Top-Quality vineyard designation given to single parcel wines by the Consell.
Velles Vinyes: Vineyard designation given to vineyards planted prior to 1945 (75 year old vines).
