Cataluňa Flashcards
How far back do human settlements go in Cataluňa
200,000 years - cave paintings
Roca del Moros
UNESCO heritage site
Who brought grapevines to Cataluňa
Greeks and Phoenicians
Between whom were battles fought in 2c in Cataluňa
Romans and Carthagians
What is the Via Augusta
Roman road constructed 1c
Connected Cadiz to Narbonne via Carthagena
1500km
Tarragona - v important
Wine exports
Name 3 other powers that controlled Cataluňa after the romans
Visigoths
Moors
Francs
What was the Marca Hispanica
790
Spanish Marches
Self rule to Iberian countries
Frankish king Charlemagne
Acted as a buffer zone between the Franks and the Moors
Which monks kept viticulture
Cisterian
Which 2 regions were united in the marriage of Petronila to Ramon Berenguer IV
Aragon and Barcelona
When was the ‘Catalan’ identity first recognised
1117-1125?
Italian document around invasion of Balearics
What was the main Catalan port of 15c
Barcelona
What happened when King Martin I died without issue
Barcelona integrated into Aragon
Ferdinand of Antequera becomes Ferdinand of Aragon
What is Cartoxia d’Escaladei
Carthusian Monastery of Scala Dei
1194
Birthplace of wines and winemaking in Cataluňa
Priorat
King Alfonso sent 2 knights to find a place for the Carthusian site. They met a shepherd who told them legend of a staircase …which then appeared!
Solitary and silent order
When did Cataluňa first gain autonomy
1469
Given from Ferninand and Isabella
When did Cataluňa place itself under French rule
1640
What was the war Cataluňa fought against the Bourbons
War of Spanish Succession
What were the Neuva Planta decrees
1716
King Philip
Spanish territories inc Cataluňa incorporated into Bourbon Kingdom
What was the primary source of income for Cataluňa in 18c
Wine!
Who was Josep Raventos i Fatjo
Cordoniu founded by family in 1551
Penedes
First sparkling wine in 1872
Inspiration from travel in Champagne
Trad method
Called cava much later 20c
What was the Renaixenca
19c
Rebirth of Catalan nationalism
Autonomous region in 1979
Nation 2006
What was the Spanish region with the fastest growing economy in 1960s
Cataluňa
Industry and tourism
Which 7 DOs of Catalonia were first recognised in 1970s
Alella
Conca de Barbera
Emporda
Penedes
Priorat
Tarragona
Terra Alta
What is the Caganer
The Crapper
Figurine in Nativity
What is the Tio de Nadal
Uncle Christmas Log
Children look after log
Christmas presents
Who was Antonio Gaudi
Catalan architect
Modernista
Sagrada Familia
Where is Cataluňa located
N= France and Andorra E= Med S= Valencia W= Aragon
Name the 4 provinces of Cataluňa
Lerida
Gerona
Barcelona
Tarragona
Which city is the capital of Cataluňa
Barcelona
Where is Barcelona in size of major Spanish cities
2nd behind Madrid
What is the main climate of Cataluňa
Mediterranean
North - cooler and wetter (Pyrennes)
Sea breezes
What is rainfall like in Cataluňa
600m
Higher in North
Lower in South
Mostly spring and autumn!
What are the 3 main topographical features of Cataluňa
Catalan Pirineos
Cordilleras Costeros-Catalanas
Central Catalan depression
What is the highest peak in Cataluňa
Pica d’Estats
3,143m
What are the 2 longest rivers in Cataluňa
Ter and LLobregat
Ebro passes through…..
Ca-ter-longer-bra
What is the dominant soil type in Cataluňa
Alluviums, limestone and clay
DO Penedes has v free draining soil
What is llicorella
Soil type in DOQ Priorat
Some in Montsant and Conca de Barbera
Shallow, copper coloured slate/shale
Poor, stony soils derived from the underlying slate and quartz, called locally llicorella, support only the most meagre of crops.
Is Cataluňa best known for International or indigenous varieties
Indigenous
Some international in blends
What are the main white grapes of Cataluňa
Xarel-lo
Parellada
Macebeo
Garancha Blanca
Chardonnay and Sauv Blanc
What are the main red grapes of Cataluňa
Garnacha Tinta
Mazuelo
Tempranillo
Syrah and Cab Sauv
Co-operatives play a minor role in Cataluňa T or F
False
Co-ops important since 19c
Cesar Martinell
architect
Wine cathedrals for co-ops
Explain the role of the INCAVI
Institut Catala de la Vinya i ei Vi
Catalan wine Institute
Promoting wine knowledge
Wines of Cataluňa are mostly single varietal. T or F
False - mostly blended
DO Priorat has wine quality designated by place of origin T or F
True
What are the characteristics of DO Cataluňa
1999
Covers all region
Blanco 49%, Tinto 41%, Rosado 10%
Grapes - variety!
42,431ha
Espumoso??
CR Encourages quality
controversial do created in the early 21st century for blends of wines made from anywhere in the region. The big bottlers such as torres were the chief proponents and are the chief beneficiaries.
What are the characteristics of DO Cava
1986
Espumoso 100%
Clay and Limestone
500mm
800m
33,110ha
Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Parallada
CAVA
What was the first name for Cava
Xampany/Champan
The term Cava was adopted by the Spanish in 1970 when they agreed to abandon the use of the potentially misleading term Champaña. The word originates in cataluña, which produces most but not all Cava, where it means ‘cellar’.
What is a girasol
Most remuage is now carried out automatically in a girasol or gyropalette, a Spanish invention which enables hundreds of bottles to be handled at a time.
Name 3 improvements to Cava production in 1970s
Girasol
New yeasts
Improvements to presses
Which 7 Autonomous region are included in DO Cava
Cataluňa
La Rioja
Valencia
Aragon
Navarra
Extremadura
Pais Vasco
What % of Cava production is in Penedes
95%
Which 3 grapes are nomally used for Cava
Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parallada
Can you make Cava rosado
Yes
8% of production
min 25% of red
What are the 7 levels of Cava sweetness
Brut Nature
Extra Brut
Brut
Extra Seco
Seco
Semi-seco
Dolce
Why would the Cava producers add dosage
Extra sweetness
Complexity - sometimes use solera for extra
What is the minimum lees aging for Cava
9/12
What % of DO Cava is ‘Premium’ ageing designation
13%
Name the aging labels and the min length of lees ageing
Cava=9/12
Reserva= 15/12
Gran Reserva=30/12
Paraje Calificado= 36/12
Name the 10 requirements for Cava de Paraje Calificado
Vine >10yrs
Manual harvesting
Single vineyard
Lower than standard yields
Vinfied on estate
Vintage labelled
Lees aged for >=36/12
One of Brut sweetness levels
Tasted and approved
Traceable
When were the first Cava de Paraje Calificados released
2017
7 companies
9 estates
10 cavas
What is CORPINNAT
Collective of Penedes producers
Terroir driven
100% organic
hand harvested
aged min 18/12, 30/12, 60/12
disagreement with DO Cava
The best Cavas have increasingly been produced by smaller, more artisanal firms such as Recaredo and Gramona. But the perceived mass-market image of the appellation has led to a growing disenchantment among better quality producers. By 2014 a number of them in Penedès—including Raventòs i Blanc, Albet i Noya, Mas Comptal, Loxarel, Colet, and Mas Bertran—had left the appellation altogether and joined the DO penedès
What is min and average pressure of Cava
4 min
5-6 average
What are costers
Riverbanks
DO Emporda - date
1975 (early)
DO Emporda - wine styles
TINTO 58%, Blanco 24%, Rosado 15%
DO Emporda - soils
Alluvium and slate
DO Emporda - climate
Med
600mm
TRAMONTANA - autumn, winter, spring
DO Emporda - topography
260 m
1756ha
2 sections
terraces
DO Emporda - wines
Trad - sweet, fortified
Now - fresh vinos tintos - Garnacha, LLedoner, Samso
DO Emporda -what is it’s famous old wine
famous sweet vino de licor
Garnacha del Emporda
over ripe grapes
>90% Garnacha,
>2 yrs aging
DO Emporda
Empordà, do in the extreme north east corner of Spanish cataluña separated from roussillon only by the French border (see maps under spain and france). The zone has a long history of wine production, which was nearly extinguished when phylloxera swept through the vineyards in the 1900s. Many of the terraces that climb the low foothills of the Pyrenees were never replanted. The climate is mediterranean, although strong year-round winds protect the vineyards from frost and vine diseases, but can subject vines without windbreaks to severe stress. Empordà used to produce heavy rancios, sometimes called Garnatxa, the Catalan name for the grenache grape. This vine variety and Cariñena (carignan) still account for 80% of production, although for long they were mostly turned into bulk rosé for the local market. Inspired by the quality-conscious Castillo de Perelada estate however, smaller producers such as Mas Estela, Masia Serra, and Mas Oller have significantly changed the perception of a region that used to be known as Empordà-Costa Brava.
DO Montsant - age
2002 - youngest in Cataluna
Wine produced for 2000yrs
Carthusian monks
Was Falset of DO Tarragona
DO Montsant - wine styles
TINTO - 90%
Samso/Mazuela/Carignan, Garnacha
Some Macabeo whites
large co-ops and small wineries
DO Montsant -Soils
Panal - silty loam
Saulo - limely clay with sand
Llicorella - slate, schist
Peanut salty liquorice
DO Montsant - climate
Med
700mm
DO Montsant - topography
700m
1844 ha
Encircles DO Priorat
Mountains of Cordillera Prelittoral
2 rivers flow into Ebro
DO Montsant - number of sub-zones
6
DO Montsant -
Montsant, do created in cataluña in 2001 which used to be known as the Falset subregion of the tarragona do. Its 1,900 ha/4,700 acres of vineyards were given their own identity in order to highlight its superior quality. It has less of the schist soils of its neighbour priorat but otherwise its old Garnacha and Cariñena vineyards on steep slopes enable it to produce wines of very similar style and quality at much lower prices.
DO Penedes - age
1960 - OLD
Oldest and most progressive
One of largest wine regions
Birthplace of Cava (now DO Cava)
DO Penedes - wine styles
MIXED
Blanco 51%
Tinto 35%
Rosado 11%
DO Penedes - soils
limestone clay
DO Penedes - climate
Med
500mm
DO Penedes - topography
Central Calatluna
900m
16,637ha
coast and inland
3 sub-zones
Superior - inland, mountainous
Central - central plain
Maritim - coastal
Further 10 sub-zones
DO Penedes - grapes
Xarello
DO Penedes - Classic Penedes
Sparkling
100% organic
Penedes
Method tradicional
full process registered with DO
>15/12 on lees
First 100% organic sparkling in world
DO Penedes -
he largest and most important denominated wine zone in cataluña in north-east Spain (see map under spain), producing an innovative range of wines from 15,200 ha/36,500 acres of vineyard in 2013. With its proximity to Barcelona, Penedès has always had a ready outlet for its wines. In the 19th century, it was one of the first regions in Spain to begin mass production and France, stricken by phylloxera, became an important market. The phylloxera louse reached Penedès in 1887, by which time José Raventós had laid the foundations of codorníu and the cava industry. Vineyards that had once produced strong, semi-fortified reds were uprooted in favour of white grapes for sparkling wine. Cava has subsequently developed a separate nationally organized do.
Penedès underwent a second radical transformation in the 1960s and 1970s largely because of Miguel Torres Carbó and his son Miguel A. torres, wine (and brandy) producers in the heart of the region at Vilafranca del Penedès. They were among the first in Spain to install temperature control and stainless steel tanks. Miguel Torres, Jr, who studied oenology in France, also imported and experimented with such revolutionary vine varieties as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer, which were planted alongside and blended with native varieties. Other growers followed in the Torres family footsteps and Penedès was in the 1980s one of the most dynamic and varied wine regions in Spain. By the late 1990s, however, the region was failing to confirm the high hopes placed in its red wines, which were increasingly overshadowed by those of priorat.
Penedès rises from the Mediterranean like a series of steps and divides into three distinct zones. Bajo, or Low, Penedès reaches elevations of 250 m/825 ft away from the tourist resorts of the Costa Daurada. This is the warmest part of the region which traditionally grew Malvasía and Moscatel de Alejandría (muscat of alexandria) grapes for sweet fortified wines. With the expansion of the resort towns and declining sales of such wines, these vineyards have either been abandoned or replanted with garnacha, cariñena, or monastrell making sturdy reds. The second zone, Medio Penedès, is a broad valley 500 m/1,600 ft above sea level, separated from the coast by a ridge of hills, the Garraf chain, which has ambitions to be a separate subappellation. The Medio Penedès is the most productive part of the region providing much of the base wine for the sparkling wine industry at Sant Sadurní d’Anoia (see cava). macabeo, xarel-lo, and parellada are grown for Cava, together with increasing quantities of Chardonnay and red varieties such as tempranillo (often called here by its Catalan name Ull de Llebre) and Cabernet Sauvignon. Penedès Superior, between 500 and 800 m above the coast, is the coolest part of the region where some of the best white grapes are grown. The native Parellada is the most important variety here,
DOQ Priorat - age
2009
one of only 2 DOQ, DOCs
Carthusian monks
First recognised in 1932 in Wine Statute
DOQ Priorat - Wine styles
TINTO - 95%
Garnacha and Samso (carignan)
DOQ Priorat - Soils
LLicorella - quartz rich slate
Struggle to find water
DOQ Priorat - climate
Med
600mm
Cold dry CIERZO winds
large diurnal swings
DOQ Priorat - topography
750m
1972ha
Mountain ranges on all sides
Siurana river - on way to Ebro
Steep slopes, terraces
Hand work
DOQ Priorat - basic rung 1
Grapes from anywhere in DOQ Priorat
Must be estate or 7+yrs rented
>60% Garnacha and/or Samso
DOQ Priorat - 3 requirements for Vi de Vila
Grapes must be grown within boundary of village
Max yields
90% of vineyard 10yrs+, rest 5yrs+
To gain the Vi de Vila status all the grapes must be sourced from the vineyards surrounding the named village (stricter than the rules for Rioja’s new Vino de Municipio, which may include 15% of wine grown elsewhere). Additionally, the traceability must be closely overseen by the Consejo Regulador, and the wine must be kept separately throughout the vinification process and the local grapes Garnatxa and Carinyena should dominate the blend.
Twelve villages may add their name to the Vi de Vila qualification. The producers can annually communicate to the Consejo the wines they want to label under this category and then the technical department will oversee and certify the final wine. In the first vintage of the programme (for 2007 wines) just seven wines requested the qualification. Today there are 46
DOQ Priorat - Rung 3 Vi de Paratge
Grapes must be grown within paratge (location)
Lower Max yields
90% of vineyard 15yrs+, rest 5yrs+
459 paratges
DOQ Priorat - Rung 4 Vinya Classificada
Grapes must be from single vineyard
Max yields
80% of vineyards 20+yrs, rest 5yrs+
Traceability
4 wines - Clos Mogador, Mas de la Rosa, Coma Blanca, Clos Fonta
DOQ Priorat - Rung 5 Gran Vinya Classificada
Grapes must be from single vineyard
Lower Max yields
80% of vineyards 35+yrs, rest 10yrs+
Traceability
1 wine - L’ermita
DOQ Priorat - Vinyas Velles
Grapes come from plots over 75yrs or planted prior to 1945
DOQ Priorat
Priorat, one of Spain’s most inspiring red wines made in an isolated zone in catalunya inland from Tarragona (see map under spain) that is one of the country’s only two to qualify as a doca. (Its Spanish rather than native Catalan name is Priorato.) In the 1990s, a true revolution engulfed the region, where production methods for Priorat had barely altered since the 12th century when the Carthusian monks first established the priory after which the wine is named. Priorat is one of the world’s few first-class wines to be made from Garnacha (grenache) and Mazuelo/Cariñena (carignan) vines. The age of the vines and concomitantly extremely low yields, which average just 5 or 6 hl/ha (0.3 ton/acre), undoubtedly contribute to the intensity and strength of Priorat.
Poor, stony soils derived from the underlying slate and quartz, called locally llicorella, support only the most meagre of crops. mechanization is almost impossible and many steeply terraced smallholdings had been abandoned as the rural population left to find work on the coast. The success of new wave Priorat has been reviving viticulture, however.
The region was long dominated by co-operatives but there is an increasing number of well-equipped estates, traditionally led by Scala Dei, while De Müller makes some good generoso. In the 1980s, René Barbier, the scion of the Franco-Spanish winemaking family (whose eponymous firm in Penedès belongs to freixenet), recognizing Priorat’s potential for top-quality red wines, located some particularly promising vineyard sites, renaming them clos. Such French vine varieties as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and some Pinot Noir were planted. A group of private growers took over. The wines of René Barbier (Clos Mogador), Costers del Siurana (Clos de l’Obac), Álvaro Palacios (Finca Dofí, L’Ermita), Mas Martinet (Clos Martinet), and Clos & Terrasses (Clos Erasmus) had won worldwide acclaim by the late 1990s with L’Ermita one of Spain’s most expensive wines. Complex blends including small proportions of French varieties, careful winemaking, and ageing in new French oak barrels were the key innovations. Other small estates jumped on the bandwagon and by the mid 2000s there were more than 50 bodegas in Priorat, with a growing number now producing white wines too from Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo, Pedro Ximénez, and some Viognier.
DO Terra Alta - age
1982
DO Terra Alta - wine styles
TINTO 72%
But exploring whites
DO Terra Alta - soils
Limestone clay
DO Terra Alta - climate
Med
592mm
DO Terra Alta - topography
1000m
6066ha
SW Calaluna
Between Ebro and Aragon
Highest vineyards in Cataluna
Hills and plains
DO Terra Alta - wine
Co-ops
Historically vinos blancos
some sweet, fortified and orange
DO Terra Alta - Terra Alta Garnatxa Blanca
Quality white wine
Numbered by CR
DO Terra Alta -
Terra Alta, Spanish for ‘high land’, is the highest of the do wine zones in Spanish cataluña (see map under spain). Its recent development parallels that of tarragona, which adjoins Terra Alta to the east. As in Tarragona, growers are following the lead of priorat, notably recovering and relaunching their formerly despised garnacha blanca grapes and making some impressive red blends.
What is the name of the road that connected Rome to Hispania
Via Augusta
What did the term ‘cava’ originally refer
Caves
What is the Catalan term for the steep slopes in DOQ Priorat
Costers
What are the 3 primary Cava grapes
Parrelada. Macebeo and Xarello
How must grapes for Classic Penedes wines be grown
100% organic
Indigenous and international varieties are equally planted in Calaluna T or F
False - mostly indigenous
What is the name of the machine invente din Cataluna which is the precursor to the gyropalette
Girasol
In addition to llicorella, what 2 soil types are found in DO Monserrat
Saulo
Panal
… like solar panels
What mountain range runs parallel to Cataluna’s coastline
Cordillars Costero-Catalanas
Classic Penedes is the term for cava produced in Penedes. T or F
F… not Cava
What style of wine was traditionally produced in DO Emporda
Sweet fortified
Sweet Em Poured a fortified
What are the 4 red varieties authorised in DO Cava
Garnacha Tinta,, Monastrell, Pinot Noir, Trepat
How many subzones are authorised to label as Vi de Vila in DOQ Priorat
12
When are the rainy seasons in Cataluna
Spring and autumn
Does Cava de Paraje Calificado refer to Single Estate Cava or Single Vineyard Cava
Single Vineyard
What is the term for orange wines in DO Terra Alta
Brisats
Bri - satsuma
Which 2 countries form the northern border of Cataluna
France and Andorra
Name the prized soil in DOQ Priorat
Llicorella
Name the north wind that heavily affects DO Emporda
Tramontana
Who created Spain’s first sparkling wine using methods learned in champagne
Josep Raventos i Fatjo
How many sub-zones in DO Montsant
6
What s the highest terroir classification in DOQ Priorat
Gran Vinya Classificada
What is the minimum time on lees for a Gran reserva Cava
30/12
NOT TESTABLE New quality and zoning
See errata
What is Tempranillo called in Catalonia
Ull de LLebre
What is the primary grape of Penedes
Xarello
Who created the first sparkling wine in Spain
Josep Raventos i Fatjo
Cava is always made via which method
Metodo Tradicional
Which 4 red grapes are authorised in the production of cava
Garnacha Tinta
Trepat
Monastrell
Pinot Noir
Cava de Paraje Calificado must age a min of how many months
36
Which is the only grape in DO Terra Alta to have its own classification
Garncaha Blanca
What are the sugar %s for cava
But Nature <0.3%
Extra Brut <0.6%
Brut 0.6<1.2%
Extra Seco 1.2>1.7%
Seco 1.7>3.2%
Semi Seco 3.2%>5%
Dolce 5%>
Which region is known for its wine cathedrals
Catalonia
Which were the father and son of Cava
Joseph R Fatjo and Manuel Raventos Domech
What do each of the grapes bring to Cava
Xarel-lo=structure and herbs (high yields/sugars)
Macebeo=softness and perfume (later ripening)
Parellada=Finesse and lemon (early bud/late ripening)
A simple light crisp white wine from DO Penedes would likely be made from which grape
Xarel=lo
