Ch. 11 - Spain Flashcards
What is a meseta?
The interior of Spain raised on a large plateau
known as the Meseta.
Which water body lies to the north of Spain?
- Bay of Biscay off the Atlantic Ocean.
Which mountains lie to the north of Spain?
- The Pyrenees
- The Cantabrian Cordillera
What is the climate of Spain?
- Continental (hot summers, cold winters, rainfall fairly evenly spread throughout the year).
- Northwest corner of the country is truly maritime in climate (mild summers, mild winters, considerable rainfall year-round).
- The southwest and Mediterranean coastal areas have
a classic Mediterranean climate (hot, dry, sunny summers and mild, wetter winters).
What climatic influence do the northern mountains have on Spanish climate?
The Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Cordillera along the north coast are particularly important in that they shield the peninsula from winter storms coming from the north.
Name the autonomous cities of Spain located on the northern coast of Africa.
- Ceuta
- Melilla
How autonomous communities are in Spain?
- There are 17 autonomous communities in Spain.
- Of these, fifteen are located on Spanish mainland
and two are island groups - the Balearic Islands in
the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands in the
North Atlantic.
Name the most planted white grapes of Spain.
- Airen
- Cayetana Blanca (Pardina)
- Macabeo
- Palomino
- Verdejo
- Pedro Ximenez
Name the most planted red grapes of Spain.
- Tempranillo
- Bobal
- Garnacha Tinta
- Monastrell
- Cabernet Sauvignon
What are the various synonyms for Tempranillo?
- Tempranillo - Rioja, New World
- Tinta de Toro - Toro
- Tinta del Pais - Ribera del Duero, Cigales
- Tinto Fino - Ribera del Duero
- Ull de Llebre - Catalonia
- Cencibel - La Mancha, Valdepefias
- Aragonez - Portugal
- Tinta Roriz - Douro (Portugal)
What is the PGI equivalent in Spain?
- Vino de la Tierra - PGI
What is the PDO equivalent in Spain?
- Vinos de calidad con indicacion geograifica (VCIG) - 2005
- Denominaciones de origen (DO)
- Denominaciones de origen calificada (DOCa)
- Vinos de pago - 2003 (Estate Wine)
When can a VCIG be promoted to DO?
VCIG becomes eligible for elevation to DO status after five years.
Name the VCIG of Spain.
- Cangas
- Valles de Benavente
- Valtiendas
- Sierra Salamanca
- Granada
- Las Islas Canarias
- Legrija
Name the DOCa of Spain.
- Rioja DOCa
- Priorat DOQ
Which ageing terms can be used for both PGI and PDO wines?
- Vino noble (noble wine): 18 months aging in barricas or in the bottle.
- Vino anejo (aged wine): 24 months aging in barricas or in the bottle.
- Vino viejo (old wine): 36 months aging in a strongly oxidative environment exposed to any combination of light, oxygen, and heat.
Which ageing terms can be used only for PDO red wines?
- Crianza - 24 months (6 months in barrel)
- Reserva - 36 months (12 months in barrel)
- Gran Reserva - 60 months (18 months in barrel)
Which ageing terms can be used only for PDO white wines?
- Crianza - 18 months (6 months in barrel)
- Reserva - 24 months (6 months in barrel)
- Gran Reserva - 48 months (6 months in barrel)
What is Joven?
Joven is a term used for PDO wines released the year after it was made and, if oak-aged at all, aged for a shorter period than the legal minimum requirement for Crianza.
Name the main DOs of Galicia.
- Rias Baixas DO
- Ribeiro DO - Albarifio.
- Valdeorras DO - Godello and Mencia.
What are the main grapes for Rias Baixas?
Albarifio grape, along with Loureira and Treixadura.
Name the main DOs of Castilla y Leon.
- Toro DO
- Rueda DO
- Cigales DO
- Ribera del Duero DO
What are the main grapes for Toro DO?
- Tinta de Toro
What are the main grapes for Rueda DO?
White - Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc & Viura.
Red - Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamacha,
and Merlot. (introduced in 2008).
What are the main grapes for Cigales DO?
Tinta del Pais blended with Garnacha.
What are the main grapes for Ribera del Duero DO?
Min. 75% Tinta del Pais or Tinto Fino + Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Garnacha.
What are the main grapes for Navarra DO?
Tempranillo and Garnacha, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay.
When did Rioja recieve its DO & DOCa?
DO - 1925
DOCa - 1991
Which river flows through Rioja?
- River Ebro and its tributaries.
Until which year was Navarra a seperate kingdom?
- Castilian Empire - 1512
Name the sub-zones of Rioja.
- Rioja Alta
- Rioja Alavesa
- Rioja Baja
What are the main grapes for Rioja?
White - Viura (Macabeo), Malvasia, Garnacha Blanca, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Red - Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo (Carinena) and Graciano.
What are the ageing requirements for Rioja Tinto?
Crianza - 12 months in barrel and 24 months total aging
Reserva - 12 months in barrel with 6 months in bottle and 36 months total aging
Gran Reserva - 24 months in barrel with 24 in bottle and 60 months total aging.
Name the main DO from Aragon.
- Somontano DO
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Garnacha.
- Chardonnay and Macabeo.
What is the climate of Catalonia?
- Mediterranean climate.
What is peculiar about Catalonia?
Catalonia is the only region of Spain to have a DO that covers the entire autonomous region.
When did Priorat receive its DO & DOCa?
DO - 1950
DOQ - 2009
What is the soil profile of Priorat DOQ?
- Llicorella soils - flat, easily breakable stones made of decomposed slate flecked with mica and other minerals.
What are the main grapes of Priorat DOQ?
Red - Garnacha, Carinena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah.
White - Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo and Pedro Ximenez.
When did Montsant receive its DO?
2001 - Created from Falset, a former subzone of the Tarragona DO adjacent to Priorat.
What are the main grapes of Montsant?
Red - Garnacha, Carinena, Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.
Which region in Catalonia has seen great improvement in quality of wines?
- Costers del Segre.
What are the main grapes for Penedes DO?
Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Parellada and Chardonnay.
Which grape is mainly used to make Spanish Brandy?
- Airen.
What are the main grapes of La Mancha?
Airen and Cencibel (Tempranillo).
Name the Vino de Pago of Castilla La Mancha.
- Calzadilla
- Campo de la Guardia
- Casa del Blanco
- Dehesa del Carrizal
- Dominion de Valdepusa
- Finca Elez
- Florentino
- Guijoso
Name the DOs of Murcia.
- Jumilla
- Yecla
- Bullas
All three of these regions consists of deep, concentrated reds and flavorful roses based on the thick-skinned Monastrell (Mourvedre) grape variety.
Name the towns of the sherry triangle.
- Jerez de la Frontera
- Sanlucar de Barrameda
- El Puerto de Santa Marfa
What are the main grapes for Sherry?
- Palamino
- Pedro Ximenez
- Moscatel (Muscat of Alexandria)
What is the soil profile of Sherry?
- Albariza soil - 30% limestone rich chalk along with some clay and sand. - Palamino.
- Barro - clay soil with iron oxide and a little chalk and sand. - PX
- Arenas - sandy soil. - Moscatel.
Name the 2 basic styles of sherry.
Fino - Biological ageing
Oloroso - Oxidative ageing
What is Soleo process?
Pedro Ximenez or Moscatel grapes, is produced using grapes harvested at a high level of ripeness with the sugars further concentrated by drying the grapes, post-harvest, on straw mats in the hot sun.
What is VOS?
Very old Sherry - Vinum optimum signatum.
- 20 years of solera aging.
What is VORS?
Very old rare Sherry - Vinum optimum rare signatum.
- 30 years of solera aging.
What is En Rama Sherry?
Unfiltered and unfined or minimally filtered.
What is Anada?
- Single vintage Sherry.
What are the main grapes for Montilla-Moriles DO?
- Pedro Ximenez.
What is Fino Sherry?
A pale, delicate, dry wine produced primarily from the
Palomino grape under the influence of flor yeast and, thus, showing the unmistakable characteristics of the flor to both the nose and palate.
- Fortified to 15.5% abv.
What is Puerto Fino?
A fino Sherry from the coastal town of El Puerto de Santa Maria.
What is Manzanilla?
A fino Sherry produced in the seaside town of Sanlucar de Barrameda that, in fact, has its own separate DO.
What is Pale Cream?
A sweetened style of fino Sherry that originated in Bristol.
What is Amontillado?
- A Sherry that starts as a fino and is aged under a layer of flor but that loses its protective flor after a few years (naturally or through additional fortification).
- It is thereafter aged like an oloroso, in the presence of oxygen.
What is Palo Cortado?
- A unique Sherry is made from fino-quality base wine, but it never quite develops floras initially expected.
- It then continues aging oxidatively, but it never quite develops into an oloroso.
What is Oloroso?
A Palomino-based Sherry aged in partially filled barrels
without flor and with considerable oxidation. Oloroso Sherry changes in color from its original shade of gold to light brown to deep brown as it ages, increasing in alcohol, body, and aroma.
What is Cream Sherry?
A sweetened oloroso Sherry.
Which are the Fino-Style Sherries?
- Fino
- Puerto Fino
- Manzanilla
- Pale Cream
Which are the Hybrid-Style Sherries?
- Amontillado
- Palo Cortado
Which are the Olorosso-Style Sherries?
- Olorosso
- Cream Sherry
Which are the Dried-Grape Sherries?
- Pedro Ximenez
- Moscatel
Which is the Traditional Method sparkling wine of Spain?
- Cava.
Which town is the center for Cava production?
- San Sadumi de Noya (Sant Sadumi d’Anoia)
What are the main grapes for Cava production?
- Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada.
Which grape is used only for Cava rosado production?
- Trepat.
What are the ageing requirements for Cava?
- Minimum 9 months of lees aging in bottle;
- May be white or rose;
- May be of any sweetness level.
What are the ageing requirements for Cava Reserva?
- Minimum 15 months of lees aging in bottle;
- May be white or rose;
- Must be brut-level sweetness or drier
What are the ageing requirements for Cava Gran Reserva?
- Minimum 30 months of lees aging in bottle;
- May be white or rose;
- Must be brut-level sweetness or drier
What are the ageing requirements for Cava de Paraje Calificado?
- Minimum 36 months of lees aging in bottle;
- May be white or rose;
- Must be produced from single-estate vines;
- Must be brut-level sweetness or drier
