Cataluña Flashcards
Where was the porron developed? What is its purpose?
Cataluña; a traditional glass wine pitcher that promotes sharing of wine among several people from a single vessel without compromise of hygiene [when practicing the use of a parron, try water instead of wine!]
What and where is the largest outdoor market in Europe?
La Bocqueria in Barcelona [B-B]
What is the caganer? dating from what time?
the toy “crapper” appeared in nativity scenes in the 17th and 18th century in Cataluña.
What are borders of Cataluña?
N: France (and Andorra); E: Mediterranean Sea; W: Aragón; S: Valencia
What was sequence of civilizations in Cataluña?
Iberians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthagenians, Romans, Visigoths, Moors, Christians, Franco, ETA, …
Where was the first wine region of Spain to be affected by phylloxera?
Empordà in Cataluña, on the border of France with a high level of cross border traffic [However, Galicia and Canary Islands vineyards were devastated by North American molds many years before.]
What were the first DO’s designated by the Catalan government?
7 in 1972, Alella, Concha de Barberà, Empordà, Penedès, Priorat, Tarragona, Terre Alta
What are the NTK DO’s in Cataluña?
7 of which 4 historic ones: Empordà, Penedès, Priorat, Terra Alta plus 3 new ones:, Catalunya, Cava, Montsant **
What are the provinces in Cataluña?
4**, Lleida is inland, the others, from N to S: Girona, Barcelona, Tarragona, are coastal [LGBT]
What are the major topographic features of Cataluña?
4: Pyrenees, Central Catalan Depression, Cordilleras Costero Catalanas, Rivers
What are the major rivers in Cataluña?
Ter, Llobregat, Siurana, Ebro
What are the coastal soils in Cataluña?
limestone, alluvial, clay [matches Navarra]
What are the Pre-Littoral soils in Cataluña?
slate and granite [think Priorat]
In which DO’s is llicorella found?
Priorat [!], Monsant, Concha de Barbera** [CMP]
Ull de Llebre is a synonym for which grape?
Tempranillo in Cataluña** (literally ‘eye of the hare’)
What are primary grapes used in making Cava?
In order of decreasing production Macabeo, Xarel.lo and Parelledo** [MXP]
Which autonomous Spanish region (and which included DO?) is most strongly associated with Garnacha Blanca?
Cataluña** (especially DO Terra Alta)
DO Cataluña covers what part of Cataluña?
All the DO’s and some, but not all of the remaining area (basically an umbrella DO, perhaps more appropriately, it might have been designated as a less prestigious VT)
What regions are authorized to produce Cava?
7 total: Cataluña, Rioja, Pais Vasco, Navarra, Aragon, Valencia, Extremadura**[six contiguous regions plus one]
What aspects of wine quality do each of the primary component grapes of Cava bring to the blend?
Xarel.lo > acid/freshness (“allows the aging”); Parellada > mid-palate texture, body (“soft mouth feel and most fruity aromas”); Macabeo > elegance (“aromas of the Mediterranean forest”)
Which traditional Cava grape is the last to ripen?
Parellada **
For the Cordilleras Costero-Catalans mountain range, what is the orientation and what are the components?
parallel to Cataluña’s coast; two ranges, Litoral (closest to coast) and Prelitoral (further inland) **
What is Pansa Blanca?
synonym for Xarel.lo [PBX]
Where did the wine cooperative movement first take hold in Spain?
Cataluña, where it remains important**
For cava rosado, what is minimum amount of red grapes?
25% **
What is the relevance of DO Alella?
decreased current relevance - a small and shrinking DO (due to urban sprawl) which is located along the coast north of Barcelona; it has a rich wine history with roots dating back to Roman time; it is notable that high quality producers such as Alta Alella are still found there [not NTK]
What are the red grapes authorized in DO Cava?
Garnacha Tinta, Monastrell, Pinot Noir, Trepat** [GMT plus PN, but not Cariñena or Tempranillo]
What are the historic roots of the term Cava?
first appeared in media reports in the mid-1950’s
What are sweetness levels of Cava?
Brut Nature (<3 g/l); Extra Brut (<6 g/l); Brut (<12 g/l); Extra Seco (12-17 g/l); Seco (17-32 g/l); Semi-Seco (32-50 g/l); Dulce (>50 g/l) ** [Seco terms are easy to mix-up]
What are the aging designations for Cava?
minimal requirements: Cava de Guarda (9 m); Cava de Guarda Superior: Cava Reserva (18 m [was 15]); Cava Gran Reserva (30 m); Cava de Paraje Calificado (36 m) ** [which one is longest?]
Which Cava aging designations are limited by sweetness level?
3 levels: the Reserva, Grand Reserva and Paraje Calificado designations are limited to only Brut Nature, Extra Brut and Brut
What are the Cava Paraje Calificado (CPC) requirements?
10 year old vines, single vineyard, manual harvesting, lower yield, estate bottled, vintage labeled, 36 month aging, only 3 lowest sweetness levels, pass tasting panel, traceable production [no requirements are placed over the entirety of a winery’s production—only on the wine to be qualified as CPC; thus a deal-breaker for small wineries that want to distinguish themselves]
Who are Cava’s three biggest producers?
Cordoniu, Freixenet and García Carrión producing about 95% of total, most bottles sell for less than $11/bottle.
What are the requirements for Corpinnat?
All grapes must be from within a defined area within the DO Penedès; 75% of the grapes used must be from vineyards owned by the winery; sustainable pricing; certified organic; crop harvested by hand; 90% of the grapes used must be indigenous varieties; the grapes must be vinified entirely at the winery; the minimum ageing of the wines is 18 months on lees.
What is the etymology of Corpinnat?
‘Born in the heart of Penedès’; Cor - heart; pin - Penedès; nat - born (nato or nacido)
What is Corpinnat?
a new (2019) brand designation of long aged sparkling wines; essentially a splinter group of wineries from DO Cava that is giving up the Cava label to establish higher standards of quality and sustainability
In Priorat, villages are divided into paratge (pa-RA-cha), what are they?
It is a “zone” that’s comprised of multiple vineyards; literally ‘what you can see from your porch,’ an intermediate step to Grand Cru type designations. [not testable]
The Cava (lowest) level of aging applies to what percent of DO Cava production?
87% of production
What is the breakdown of wine styles in DO Cava?
100% sparkling**[!]
What are the non-contiguous DO’s in Catalunya?
Empordà, Costers del Segres, Cava, Terragona, Catalunya
Which DO of Catalunya had the lowest elevation vineyards?
Empordà [not Penedès]
In what DO is the tramontana wind significant?
Empordà (also in Balearic Islands)
What are the benefits and risks of the tramontana wind?
downside is physical breaking of vine growth; upside is drying effect and reduction of disease pressure, also desiccation which can lead to concentration of flavors
The tramontana wind is analogous to what classic wind?
mistral in southern France (blows on the other side of the Massif Central; the tramontana blows on the west side, in parallel, to the path of the mistral)
What is the most varietally diverse region of Catalunya?
DO Empordà [similar in concept to DO Somotano in Aragon, ‘close to border’]
What is the wine style breakdown in DO Empordà?
mostly red**; t, b, r, d, s: 58, 24, 15, 3, >1
What is garnacha rosa?
synonym for the grape garnacha gris in Empordà
What is the wine style breakdown in DO Montsant?
predominantly red**; t, b, r, d: 90, 6, 3, 1
What is the wine style breakdown in DO Penedès?
mostly white**; t, b, r, d, s: 35, 51, 11, 2, 1
What is Classic Penedès?
sparkling wine from DO Penedès, a designated region [not a type of Cava [!]; it is a separate concept from DO Cava, albeit with substantial overlap in style and geographic area]
What are the major topographic features of Priorat?
Serra de Montsant; Siurana River
What is the predominant soil in Priorat?
llicorella**
What is Vi de Vila?
village wine designation in Priorat; for example, wine stores in the area shelve wine based on individual villages
In the Priorat blend what do the different grape varieties provide?
Garnacha; aroma, elegance, freshness
Cariñena; structure, texture, acid and aging
What is the wine style breakdown in DO Priorat?
predominantly red**; t, b, r, d, s: 95, 4, 1, <1, 0
DO Terra Alta is focused on what grape?
Garnacha, notably Blanco, but also reds, Tinto and Peluda
What is the wine style breakdown in DO Terra Alta?
mostly red [despite focus on Garnacha Blanco!]**; t, b, r: 72, 18, 10.
What are the major soil types found in DO Montsant?
llicorella (slate), sauló (decomposed granitic sand), panal (limestone based silty loam)**
What is the name of the machine invented in Cataluña for automation of riddling of sparkling wine?
girasol [a potential controversy as the machine patent was awarded (‘invented by’) to the French for the gyropalette, but first actual device was made in Cataluña]
How many subzones are in DO Montsant?
6 [vs. 12 (‘Vi de Vila’) in Priorat, none are testable]
Which DO in Cataluña has the most authorized grapes?
DO Cataluna, the umbrella designation would have the most as it includes all the DO’s.
What is the wine style breakdown in DO Cataluña?
nearly 50/50 split red and white**; t, b, r, d, s: 41, 49, 10
What is etymology of Cava?
referred to the caves where Cava was aged
Does Cava de Paraje Calificado refer to Single Estate Cava or Single Vineyard Cava?
by definition, it is a single vineyard Cava
What was the first 100% organic sparkling designation in the world?
Clàssic Penedès
Who pioneered Spain’s first sparkling wine using methods learned in Champagne?
Josep Raventós i Fatjó
What is the Catalan term for the steep slopes in DOQ Priorat?
costers
What is the Via Augusta?
the longest and busiest of the major roads built by the Romans in the Iberian Peninsula, from Cádiz to the Pyrenees Mountains, often used for transporting wine.
What is definition of old vines in DOQ Priorat?
They define the term, Velles Vinyes, in their official regulations as vines with 75 years or more of age or planted before 1945. They’ve also taken into account replanting, which can only total 30% of the entire area and any zone that has been replanted cannot be used in a wine labeled “velles vinyes” until that part is itself 15 years old. **
How much of Priorat is classified as old vines?
The final total of classified old vines is now 154 ha, or about 7% of all the current vineyards. Unsurprisingly, it’s the dynamic village of Porrera with the vast majority of classified old vines at 57 ha, just over a third. [not testable]
What is Spain’s most visited monument?
La Sagrada Familia (Gaudi) in Barcelona
Who defeated the Moors in Cataluña?
The Franks. (The last battle of the Reconquista in Cataluña was in 1153 CE in the village of Siurana.)
What is climate in Cataluña
primarily Mediterranean
Where is a continental climate found in Cataluña?
northern area, near Pyrenees
What is longest river in Cataluña?
Ter, of course the Ebro is longer overall, but only a small portion traverses Cataluña
Which DO’s in Cataluña have excellent draining soils?
DO Pla de Blage and DO Penedès
What is the impact of llicorella soils on wine?
wines can be rich and powerful with considerable minerality; these poor soils can lead to increased concentration of flavors
What are the most common international white grapes grown in Cataluña?
Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
What are the most common international red grapes in grown in Cataluña?
Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah [contrast with Navarra: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.]
What is role of varietal wine in Cataluña?
minimal, most wines are blends
What is oldest wine region in Cataluña?
Terragona, DO Alella also has Roman roots, but both are much older than Priorat. (The Phoenicians also encouraged wine production in this area even earlier than the Romans in Terragona, but details are sketchy.)
What does labeling of “Garnacha del Empordà” signify?
DO wine with at least 90% Garnacha Tinta or Garnacha Peluda with 2 years of aging
Which DO in Spain is known for being the first to adopt temperature-controlled stainless steel fermentation tanks?
DO Penedès
What is primary white grape in DO Penedès?
Xarel·lo
DO Terre Alta is found on which bank of Ebro River?
right bank
What is unique about the labeling of ‘Terra Alta Garnatxa Blanca’?
vintage must be rated “very good” at a minimum
Which DO is most significant for Picapoll Blanco?
DO Pla i Bages in Cataluña
Which river is linked to DOQ Priorat?
Siurana River
Which wind is linked to DOQ Priorat?
cierzo [contrast with tramontana wind in Empordà]
What is the signature grape variety linked to DOQ Priorat?
The region is best known for red blends and varietal wines based on both Garnacha Tinto and Mazuelo (aka Cariñena or Samso.) The French grapes that were brought in the 80’s are being less emphasized.
What was the first Spanish wine region to adopt the notion of estate wine?
Catalunya: Vi de Finca in DOQ Priorat in 2002 (a year before Vino de Pago was recognized; this speaks to lack of interest in Priorat for Vino de Pago labeling)
What is El Noms de la Terra labeling?
Grand Cru type of system that superseded Vi de Finca in DOQ Priorat in 2019.
What is the most important Vino de la Tierra (VT-IGP) in Cataluña?
There are none. The point being that DO Catalunya could have been the natural VT, but the DO designation was chosen, perhaps without a clear definition of typicity for this DO.
Which white Cava grape is the base of most blends?
Macabeo [Yet, for many leading high quality sparkling wine producers, Xarel.lo is the most important grape variety. For example at Recaredo it represents 60% of plantings.]
What is the most planted Cava grape?
Macabeo** (35% of all plantings), Xarel.lo (25%), Parellada (20%)
Who were the Big 5 that revitalized Priorat in the late 1980’s?
Barbier, Glorian, Palacios, Pastrana, Perez [not testable]
Which of the Big 5 from Priorat came from a wine making family in Rioja?
Alvaro Palacios [not testable]
Where did Rene Barbier work before he moved to Priorat?
in Rioja for Alvaro Palacio’s family [not testable]
What is the name of Daphne Glorian’s winery?
Clos Erasmus [not testable]
What is the name of Alvaro Palacio’s winery?
now Alvaro Palacio, was Clos Dofi initially [not testable]
Which of the big 5 from Priorat were childhood friends?
Barbier and Pastrana [not testable]
Who was founder of Mas Martinet?
Josep Lluis Perez [not testable]
Who was founder of Clos Erasmus?
Daphne Glorian [not testable]
Who was founder of Clos Mogador?
Rene Barbier [not testable]
What was founder of Clos de L’Obac?
Carles Pastrana and Mariona Jarque [not testable]
Who is current owner of Mas Martinet?
Sarah Perez, daughter of Josep Lluis Perez and wife of Rene Barbier IV [not testable]
Which member of the Big 5 that revitalized Priorat in the late 1980’s has become estranged from the others and why?
Pastrana is obviously the odd man out, but not really clear why. Some in Priorat say he feels that wine making should be the same as it was at the beginning of their movement and he has rejected all the changes that have come to the area since their early days [not testable.]
Where is Daphne Glorian from?
She is Swiss, but developed an interest in wine while attending law school in Paris. [not testable]
What are the two primary grape varieties linked to DO Monstant?
Garnacha Tinta and Carinyena. (similar to Priorat) **
