Chapter Eleven: Intro to Spain and Northern Spain

Question 1

What are the four classifications for PDO wines in Spain?

Answer 1

Vino de Calidad con Indicacion Geografica (VCIG)

Denominacion de Origen (DO)

Denominacion de Origen Calificada (DOCa)

Vin de Pago (Estate Wine)

Question 2

What is the Spanish classification for PGI wines?

Answer 2

Vino de la Tierra (VdlT)

Question 3

What is the regulating body of each DO?

Answer 3

Consejo Regulador

Question 4

What are the alternative names for the Mazuelo grape?

Answer 4

Cariñena

Carignan

Question 5

What is the alternative name for the Viura grape?

Answer 5

Macabeo

Question 6

What is Vino Noble?

Answer 6

PDO or PGI wine that has aged for a minimum of 18 months in barrel or bottle

Question 7

What is Vino Añejo?

Answer 7

PDO or PGI wine that has been aged for a minimum of 24 months in barrel or bottle

Question 8

What is Vino Viejo?

Answer 8

PDO or PGI wine that has been aged for a minimum of 36 months in an oxidative environment

Question 9

What does the label term Joven/Generico mean?

Answer 9

PDO wine that has been aged for shorted than the time needed to qualify for “Crianza” status

Question 10

What does the PDO label term Crianza (for red wines) mean?

Answer 10

Minimum aging of 24 months (including 6 months in barrel), but some appellations have stricter standards

Question 11

What does the PDO label term Riserva (for red wines) mean?

Answer 11

Minimum aging of 36 months (including 12 months in barrel), but some appellations have stricter standards

Question 12

What does the PDO label term Gran Riserva (for red wines) mean?

Answer 12

Minimum aging of 60 months (including 18 in barrel), but some appellations have stricter standards

Question 13

What does the PDO label term Crianza (for white and rose) mean?

Answer 13

Minimum aging of 18 months (including 6 months in barrel), but some appellations have stricter standards

Question 14

What does the PDO term Riserva (for white and rose wines) mean?

Answer 14

Minimum aging of 24 months (including 6 months in barrel), but some appellations have stricter standards

Question 15

What does the PDO label term Gran Riserva (for white and rose) mean?

Answer 15

Minimum aging of 48 months (including 6 months in barrel), but some appellations have stricter standards

Question 16

What are the two DOCa wines of Spain?

Answer 16

Rioja DOCa

Priorate DOCa/Priorat DOQ

Question 17

Where is Green Spain?

Answer 17

The northwest corner of the country, on the Atlantic coast, and is cooler and wetter than the rest of Spain; include Galicia

Question 18

What are the three main white grapes of Rias Baixas?

Answer 18

Albariño

Loureira

Treixadura

Question 19

What is the DO of Galicia known for white wines based on Treixadura?

Answer 19

Ribeiro DO

Question 20

What is the DO of Galicia known for Godello-based whites and Mencia-based reds?

Answer 20

Valdeorras DO

Question 21

What is the main variety of Rueda Blanco?

Answer 21

Verdejo

Question 22

What are the minor white grapes of Rueda Blanco?

Answer 22

Sauvignon Blanc

Viura

Palomino Fino

Viognier

Chardonnay

Question 23

What are the grapes allowed for use in the red wines of the Rueda DO?

Answer 23

Tempranillo

Cabernet Sauvignon

Garnacha

Merlot

Question 24

What is the region of Castilla y Leon known for Mencia-based red wine?

Answer 24

Bierzo DO

Question 25

What are the styles of wine produced in the Cigales DO?

Answer 25

Red and rose, based on Tempranillo (Tinta del Pais), often blended with Garnacha

Question 26

What is the main grape variety of Ribera del Duero?

Answer 26

Tempranillo (here known as Tinta del Pais or TInto Fino)

Question 27

What are the minor red grapes of Ribera del Duero?

Answer 27

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Malbec

Garnacha

Question 28

What is the majority variety of Ribeira Blanco?

Answer 28

Albillo Mayor

Question 29

What is the unique terroir of RIbera del Duero?

Answer 29

Hot summers, cold winters

Vineayrds are among the highest elevation in Spain (as high as 2,500 ft/760 m)

Large diurnal temperature swings

Question 30

What are the princpal grapes of the Navarra DO?

Answer 30

Tempranillo and Garnacha

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay are gaining in importance

Question 31

What is the leading DO of Aragon?

Answer 31

Somontano DO

Question 32

What is the DO–formerly known as Falset–adjacent to Priorat?

Answer 32

Montsant

Question 33

What is the region where the majority of Cava is produced?

Answer 33

Penedès (Catalonia)

Question 34

What are the 4 sub-regions (zones) of the Cava DO?

Answer 34

Comtats de Barcelona

Ebro Valley

The Levante (province of Valencia)

Viñedos de Almendralejo (Almendralejo vineyards)

Question 35

What are the white grapes approved for use in Cava?

Answer 35

Macabeo

Parellada

Xarel-lo

Chardonnay

Subirat Parent/Malvasia

Question 36

What are the red grapes allowed for use in Cava?

Answer 36

Pinot Noir

Garnacha

Monastrell

Trepat

Question 37

What is the minimum required lees aging for Cava?

Answer 37

9 months

Question 38

What is the minimum required lees aging fro Cava Riserva

Answer 38

18 months (was 15 months prior to 2021 harvest)

Question 39

What is the minimum required lees aging for Cava Gran Riserva?

Answer 39

30 months

Question 40

What is the minimum required lees aging for Cava de Paraje Calificado?

Answer 40

36 months

Question 41

What is the new category of Cava approved in 2021 that requires vine-to-bottle traceability?

Answer 41

Cava de Guarda

Question 42

What is the style of Cava requiring vintage dating, organic farming, and minimum 10 year-old vines?

Answer 42

Cava de Guarda Superior

Question 43

What is the EU-recognized brand (not a DO) for certain sparkling wines produced in Penedès?

Answer 43

Corpinnat