Cataluña Flashcards
Which invaders brought grapes to the Iberian tribes in Cataluña?
Phoenicians
Greeks
Which Roman road runs through Tarragona in Cataluña? In which century was it built, and when was it used until? What was Tarragona called by the Romans?
Via Augusta
1C BCE - 1920s
Tarraco
The Romans exported wine from Cataluña in amphorae. Where to, by land? Where to, by sea?
Italy and France by land
Africa by sea
Which order of monks resuscitated the vineyards in Cataluña in the Middle Ages? What was the wine for?
Cistercian
Sacrament, troops of Reconquista
Which monastery in Cataluña was founded because a shepherd told two knights about a vision of a staircase with angels ascending to heaven?
Which king instigated it?
Which monastic order established it?
When?
Caused nine villages to spring up in the foothills of which mountains?
Cartoixa d’Escaladei
King Alfonso II (King of Aragón and Count of Barcelona)
Carthusian Order of Provence (Carthusians)
Established 1194, flourished until 17C
Serra de Montsant
In the 18C Cataluña’s wine exports prospered. Through which port in particular? to which markets?
Tarragona
Britain, Scandinavia, Baltics, etc
In mid- to late-19C sparkling wine was developed in Cataluña.
By whom?
Travelling where and when?
Making Spain’s first sparking wine in which year?
How long before it was called cava?
Josep Raventós i Fatjó
1860s to Champagne
1872
Nearly a century
Outline the history and effect of phylloxera in Cataluña
France got phylloxera in late 19C, boosted Catalan wine exports. Phylloxera came to Cataluña in 1879 but swiftly remediated.
Which body provisionally recognised DOs in Cataluña in 1972? How many?
Bonus: name them.
Catalan Generalitat (parliament, president, executive council).
7
DO Alella
DO Conca de Barberà
DO Empordà
DO Penedès
DOQ Priorat
DO Tarragona
DO Terra Alta
What borders Cataluña?
N: France, Andorra
W: Aragón
S: Comunidad Valenciana
E: Mediterranean Sea
Name the four provinces of Cataluña. Which is inland?
Inland:
Lérida (Catalan: Lleida)
Coastal:
Gerona (Girona)
Barcelona
Tarragona
Cataluña: capital, largest city?
Barcelona (1.6m 21%)
2nd largest in Spain after Madrid
11th largest in EU
Climate of Cataluña generally
Mediterranean
(dry hot summers, cool winters)
How does the climate in northern Cataluña differ from the rest?
near Pirineos
cooler winters
more rain 1,000mm+
Contrast Cataluña’s climate between coast and inland
Coast: sea breezes moderate temperature range, bring humidity
Inland: continental influences
Which has higher maximum temperatures in Cataluña: coast or inland?
Inland (max 40ºC, vs Coast: 26-31ºC)
Which has higher rainfall in Cataluña: south or north? What is unusual about the rainfall patterns for a Mediterranean climate?
North (600 mm, vs. 500 mm south)
Unusually falls mostly in spring and autumn, not winter (summer too in the north)
Name the three major topographical features of Cataluña
Catalan Pirineos
Cordilleras Costero-Catalanas
Central Catalan Depression
What are the two ranges within the Cordilleras Costero-Catalanas in Cataluña? Which is higher? Which is closer to the coast?
Cordillera Litoral (closer to coast), up to 763m
Cordillera Prelitoral, up to 1,712m
What topographic features deliniate the Central Catalan Depression?
Catalan Pirineos
Cordilleras Costero-Catalanas
Central Catalan Depression:
elevation?
longest river in Cataluña?
second longest?
other source of water?
200-600m
Ter (208 km)
Llobregat (170 km)
other drainage from Pirineos
Which of these rivers in Cataluña is navigable?
Ter
Llobregat
Ebro
All three are navigable
What are the dominant soil types in Cataluña:
from Cordillera Litoral to the sea
from Cordillera Prelitoral to Cordillera Litoral
in DOQ Priorat and nearby
Cordillera Litoral to the sea
Sedimentary: alluviums, limestone, clay. Some granite, slate
Cordillera Prelitoral to Cordillera Litoral:
Metamorphic, igneous: slate, granite. Also limestone, calcareous clays.
DOQ Priorat: llicorella
Cataluña soils are generally low in…? Are better-draining where?
Organic content
Better draining nearer coast
Llicorella is the soil most famous in which wine region?
What type of rock is it?
Describe it.
When was it formed?
What effect does it have on vines?
DOQ Priorat
Decomposed slate/shale
Shallow, copper-coloured, low organic content, fragile, foliated
Devonian and Carboniferous 416-318mya
Forces roots to search through fissures for water and nutrients
Are the grapes of Cataluña mostly international or indigenous?
Indigenous
Some virtually unknown outside Cataluña
Name the three primary grapes of cava in its home, Cataluña. Which is most planted?
Xarel.lo
Parellada
Macabeo (most planted)
Give two synonyms of the Xarel.lo grape
Pansal Blanc
Pansa Blanca
Which grape is of exceptional quality for vinos blancos in Cataluña? What international white grapes are also grown there?
Garnatxa Blanca / Garnacha Blanca
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
What are the two main red grapes in Cataluña?
Garnatxa Negra/Garnacha Tinta
Samsó/Mazuelo (Cariñena)
Name three red grapes that are less planted in Cataluña
Ull de Llebre/Tempranillo
Syrah
Cabernet Sauvignon
Which autonomous community was the first to establish a co-operative movement? Following what event?
Cataluña
After phylloxera
Some Cataluña co-operatives are considered works of art. What are they nicknamed? Who designed many of them?
Wine cathedrals
César Martinell (a student of Gaudí)
The Catalan government has established an institute to promote excellence in viticulture and winemaking, and make Cataluña the premier wine-producing region in Spain. What is it called?
INCAVI
Institut Català de la Vinya i el Vi
Are most Catalan wines singles or blends?
Blends
Principal grapes and styles of Catalan:
blancos
rosados
tintos
Blancos: Xarel.lo, Garnacha Blanco (fresh, young)
Rosados: Garnacha Tinta, with Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon (fresh, young)
Tintos: Garnacha Tinta, Cariñena aka Samsó/Mazuelo (aged, complex, full bodied)
Do DOs in Cataluña follow the usual Spanish ageing designations?
Yes…
except DOQ Priorat which is more stringent and goes by place of origin rather than age
When was DO Cataluña created and why?
1999
To give winemakers freedom to experiment with a huge range of styles under an umbrella DO
The success of DO Cava is due to which family, in which town, in which region?
Raventós family
Penedès
central Cataluña
Who created the first Spanish sparkling wine, in what year, and what did he call it?
Josep Raventós i Fatjó
1872
xampany / champán
Who first made Spanish sparkling wine from today’s main cava grapes? What are they? In what year?
Manuel Raventós Domènech (son of Josep)
Xarel.lo, Macabeo, Parellada
1888
When did the term ‘cava’ appear? What does it come from?
mid 1950s
winemaking caves/cellars
What is the name of the body that regulates sparkling wine in Spain, and in what year was it created?
Consejo Regulador de los Vinos Espumosos
1972
What two innovations happened in Cataluña in the 1970s in cava production?
girasol: semi-mechanical precursor to the gyropalette
new yeasts for cool fermentation under pressure
DO Cava today is made in how many municipalities and autonomous regions? What proportion is still made in Penedès?
over 150 municipalities
over 7 autonomous regions
95% from Penedès
Name seven autonomous regions in Spain producing DO Cava
Cataluña
Aragón
Navarra
País Vasco
La Rioja
Comunidad Valenciana
Extremadura
What proportion of Catalan DO Cava production is rosado? What is the Catalan for rosado? What are the requirements around grape varieties?
8% rosat/rosado
Minimum 25% of the four authorised red grape varieties
Compare the production method, pressure, and acidity of DO Cava with Crémant/Champagne
Both are método tradicional / méthode traditionelle
Both are fully sparkling at 5-6 bar
Cava has lower acidity (also heavier palate, less autolytic, fennel/herbs)
What are the sweetness designations for DO Cava?
Same as Champagne:
Brut Nature 0-3 g/L (no dosage)
Extra Brut 0-6 g/L
Brut 0-12 g/L
Extra Seco 12-17 g/L
Seco 17-32 g/L
Semi-Seco 32-50 g/L
Dulce 50+ g/L
Some DO Cava producers are adding complexity to their wine by doing what two things with the dosage?
Older wines
Solera systems
What are the ageing designations for DO Cava? Which is the most common? Any other restrictions?
Cava: 9 months (87% of production)
Reserva: 15 months
Gran Reserva:
30 months
only Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut
Cava de Paraje Calificado
(qualified single vineyard cava):
36 months
only Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut
10+ year old vines
single vineyard
manual harvest
vintage labelled
lower yields
vinified on the estate
traceable, tasted/approved by unbiased panel
What is the ‘Collective European Brand’ formed by a small voluntary group of infighting terroir-driven sparkling wine producers in Cataluña? What quality rules have they set?
CORPINNAT
100% organic, hand harvested, vinified at winery, aged 18/30/60+ months
Name the two non-contiguous sections of DO Empordà in Cataluña
N: Alt Empordà
S: Baix Empordà
Where is DO Empordà in Cataluña?
In the NE corner next to Roussillon in France
Which DO has the lowest elevation in Cataluña?
DO Empordà
Which strong wind affects DO Empordà in Cataluña? How strong is it? How long does it blow for at a time? In which seasons? From which direction? With what effect on grapes?
Tramontana
Can be >75mph/120kph
3-12 days at a time
Autumn, winter, spring
From the north
Generally beneficial: desiccates grapes to concentrate flavour and sugar
Which DO in Spain was first to get phylloxera? When?
DO Empordà in Cataluña
1879
What did DO Empordà in Cataluña traditionally produce? What is it successful with now?
Sweet, fortified wines.
Young vinos tintos from Garnacha Tinta/Lledoner and Samsó/Cariñena
What do DO Empordà wines have more of, compared with wines elsewhere in Cataluña?
Fresh fruit
Acidity
Grippier tannins
DO Empordà has a unique quality designation. What is it called, what kind of wine, and what are the restrictions?
Garnacha del Empordà
overripe 90%+ Garnacha Tinta and/or Garnacha Peluda
Minimum 2 years ageing
How long has wine been made in DO Montsant in Cataluña?
2 millennia, since the Romans
12C Carthusian monks helped too
What was DO Montsant in Cataluña known as before it became a DO in 2002?
Falset subzone of DO Tarragona
Name the mountains of DO Montsant in Cataluña. Which range is the largest a part of?
N: Serra de Montsant (the largest, part of Cordillera Prelitoral)
W: Serra de La Figuera
SE: Serra de Llaberia
Name the rivers in DO Montsant in Cataluña. Can they be used for irrigation?
Siurana
Montsant
for irrigation when deemed necessary
Three soil types in DO Montsant in Cataluña
Llicorella (decomposed slate/shale)
Sauló (decomposed granitic sand)
Panal (limestone based, silty loam)
How many subzones of DO Montsant in Cataluña?
Bonus: name them (this is not ‘need to know’)
Six subzones of DO Montsant
1) Marçà-Capçanes-Els Guiamets-La Serra
2) El Molar-El Masroig-Darmós
3) La Figuera-Cabacés-La Bisbal-Margalef
4) Cornudella de Montsant-Ulldemolins
5) Pradell de la Teixeta-La Torre de Fontaubella
6) Falset
What proportion of plantings are to red grapes in DO Montsant in Cataluña
almost 95%
Of the red plantings in DO Montsant, what proportion are the two main Cataluña red grapes?
65% of red plantings are Garnatxa Negra (Garnacha Tinta) and Samsó (Cariñena)
What proportion of plantings in DO Montsant in Cataluña are white grapes? What grapes, mostly?
5%
Garnatxa Blanca (Garnacha Blanca)
Macabeu (Macabeo)
Name the three subzones of DO Penedès in Cataluña, their previous names, and location
Penedès Superior (was Alt Penedès, inland, most mountainous)
Penedès Central (central plain, largest vineyard)
Penedès Marítim (was Baix Penedès, coastal)
In DO Penedès in Cataluña, the subzone Penedès Central is home to which of Spain’s largest wineries? and which town that is the centre of cava production?
Bodegas Torres
Sant Sadurní d’Anoia
DO Penedès in Cataluña is further divided into how many sub-sub-zones with distinct mesoclimates?
Bonus: name them (unlikely to be ‘need to know’)
10 sub-sub-zones in DO Penedès
Alts d’Ancosa
Conca del Foix
Costers de l’Anoia
Costers de Lavernó
Costers del Montmell
Marina del Garraf
Massis del Garraf
Muntanyes d’Ordal
Turons de Vilafranca
Vall Bitlles-Anoia
Which DO was first in Spain to use temperature controlled, stainless steel fermentation vessels?
DO Penedès in Cataluña
Which DO in Spain is the birthplace of cava?
DO Penedès in Cataluña
Apart from DO Cava, what DO in DO Penedès in Cataluña can be used since 2014 for vinos espumosos? What are the restrictions?
Clàssic Penedès
100% organic
100% sourced within DO Penedès
Método Tradicional
Winemaking from tirage to disgorgement must be in bottle in DO registered cellars
15+ months on lees (therefore Reserva)
First winemakers in DOQ Priorat?
12C Carthusian monks at Cartoixa d’Escaladei
What effect did phylloxera have on DOQ Priorat?
Already depopulated when phylloxera arrived, so small scale replanting
What did the Ministry of Agriculture do in 1932 that benefited Priorat?
Their Wine Statute recognised Priorat (one of 19 wine regions)
What happened in the early 1980s that propelled Priorat to international fame?
A small group of winemakers set out to make high quality wine there
René Barbier
Alvaro Palacios
Carlos Pastrana
Dafne Glorian
José Luis Pérez
When was Priorat classified as DOQ (two dates)
2000 by Catalan government
2009 by Spanish government
DOQ Priorat is protected from which wind by what mountains?
Cierzo
Serra de Montsant
Name the river in DOQ Priorat
Siurana
In DOQ Priorat, what are costers?
Steep slopes, or terraces as narrow as two rows, on gradients 15-60%, worked by hand
What is the oldest soil in Cataluña?
Llicorella
Which region was first in Spain to adopt the concept of ‘estate wines’?
Priorat in 2002
Vi de Finca (later replaced in 2019)
In DOQ Priorat, what was Vi de Finca replaced with?
Els Noms de la Terra
Which wine region was first in Spain with village wines?
DOQ Priorat
When did DOQ Priorat introduce village wines? What is the designation? What vintage does it apply from? How many subzones?
Bonus: What are they? (this is not ‘need to know’)
2009
Vi de Vila
2007
12 subzones
Bellmunt del Priorat
Gratallops
El Lloar
La Morera de Montsant
Poboleda
Porrera
Escaladei
Torroja del Priorat
La Vilella Alta
La Vilella Baixa
Masos de Falset
Solanes del Molar
In 2019, DOQ Priorat introduced a new classification: Els Noms de la Terra (the names of the land). What are all the designations available following this change?
Pre-existing:
DOQ Priorat
Vi de Vila
New: (Burgundy inspired)
Vi de Paratge (like lieu-dit)
Vinya Classificada (like Premier Cru)
Gran Vinya Classificada (like Grand Cru)
What are the restrictions for wine designated: DOQ Priorat?
Grapes from anywhere in the DOQ
In DOQ Priorat, what are the restrictions for wine designated: Vi de Vila?
Grapes from within village boundaries
Max 7,000 kg/ha for whites, 5,000 kg/ha for reds
90% vineyards 10+yo, rest 5+yo
In DOQ Priorat, what are the restrictions for wine designated: Vi de Paratge?
Estate owned, or rented vineyards (min 7 year contract)
Min 60% Garnacha Tinta and/or Samsó (Cariñena)
Grapes from designated paratge
Max 6,000 kg/ha whites, 4,000 kg/ha reds
90% of vineyard 15+yo, rest 5+y
In DOQ Priorat, what are the restrictions for wine designated: Vinya Classificada?
Estate owned of rented vineyards (min 7 year contract)
Min 60% Garnacha Tinta and/or Samsó (Cariñena)
Single vineyard
Max 6,000 kg/ha whites, 4,000 kg/ha reds
80% of vineyard 20+yo, rest 5+y
Traceability minimum 5y
(There are four:
Clos Mogador
Mas de la Rosa
Coma Blanca
Clos Fontà)
In DOQ Priorat, what are the restrictions for wine designated: Gran Vinya Classificada?
Estate owned or rented vineyards (min 7 year contract)
Min 90% Garnacha Tinta and/or Samsó (Cariñena)
Single vineyard
Max 4,000 kg/ha whites, 3,000 kg/ha reds
80% of vineyard 35+yo, rest 10+y
Traceability minimum 5y
Only one: L’Ermita
In DOQ Priorat, what are Vinyes Velles?
Old vines
Plots at least 75yo or planted before 1945
Where in Cataluña is DO Terra Alta?
In SW Cataluña between the Ebro river and Aragón
In DO Terra Alta in Cataluña, is most production by individual estates or co-operatives?
Co-operatives
In DO Terra Alta in Cataluña, which 6 grapes account for 75% of the vineyard?
Garnatxa/Garnacha Blanco/Negra/Peluda
Macabeo
Parellada
Samsó (Cariñena)
What did DO Terra Alta in Cataluña historically focus on producing?
Vinos blancos for local consumption
DO Terra Alta in Cataluña historically produced limited quantities of what? (3)
Fortified sweet wines
Late harvest wines
Brisats (orange wines)
What are orange wines called in Cataluña?
brisats
In DO Terra Alta in Cataluña, which wine style is gaining stature and becoming representative of the DO?
Vinos blancos made from Garnatxa Blanca (Garnacha Blanca)
In Cataluña, what is Terra Alta Garnatxa Blanca?
Quality standards including a minimum vintage rating ‘very good’. Numbered back label from Consejo Regulador
Which need-to-know DOs in Cataluña have the highest and lowest proportion of vinos tintos
Highest: DOQ Priorat 95%
Lowest: DO Cava (100% espumoso)
Which need-to-know DOs in Cataluña make more vinos blancos than any other style?
DO Cataluña/Catalunya 49% blanco
DO Penedès 51% blanco
Which need-to-know DOs in Cataluña have the largest, smallest area under vine?
DO Cataluña/Catalunya 42,431 ha
DO Empordà 1,756 ha
Which need-to-know DO in Cataluña is most famous for llicorella soils? Which other DOs also have small outcrops?
DOQ Priorat
DO Monsant
DO Conca de Barberà
Which need-to-know DOs in Cataluña are listed as having contintental influences on their Mediterranean climate?
DO Cava
DO Montsant
DOQ Priorat
Which need-to-know DO in Cataluña is exposed to the Tramontana wind?
DO Empordà
Which need-to-know DOs in Cataluña have elevations starting at sea level?
DO Empordà
DO Penedès
Which need-to-know DO in Cataluña has the highest minimum elevation?
DO Terra Alta
