Fundamentals Flashcards
Main topographical features (mountain ranges, rivers, etc.)
45% covered in large central plateau, la Meseta. Main mountain ranges: Pirienos, the Cordillera Cantabrica, Sistema Iberico (running northwest to southeast), Sistema Central (Sierra de Guadarrama, Sierra de Gredos), Cordilleras Costero-Catalanas. Montes de Toledo, Sierra Morena (east a west along south of meseta), Sistema Betico (even farther south). Two lowland areas: The Ebro Basin and the Andalusian Plain. Five primary rivers: Tajo, Ebro, Duero, Guadiana, Guadalquivir. Tajo, Duero and Guadiana flow south and westward to ocean. Ebro flows to Med.
Dominant soil types
Fall into three catagories: metamorphic, sedimentary and volcanic.
Who gets credit for bringing wine to Spain
Phoenicians and Greeks get a lot of credit. Phoenicians settled Cadiz (Gadir)
Impact of Moors
Reached as far north as the Duero. Wine production slowed during their reign.
Key events in Spanish wine history
Trading of Sherish (Jerez) w/England in 12th century. Explorers took wine with them.
Impact of Phylloxera
French wine maker exodus to Spain - they brought grapes and especially know how. Spanish industry thus blossomed.
Early Spanish wines and producers
Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves of Vega Sicilia in Ribera del Duero, and Marques de Murrieta in Rioja - both brought techniques from France. Josep Raventos i Fatjo of Codorniu first created cava in 1872. Don Miguel Quintano - priest who studied wine making in Bordeaux.
What is the Wine Statute
officialized 19 regions as wine-producing regions in 1932.
Most planted grape varieties
Airen #1 (22.28%), Tempranillo #2 (20.84%), then Bobal and Garnacha tinta (6%)
Viticulture in Spain
more land under vine than any other country. En vaso/gobelet, parral/pergola, espadlera/VSP (easier to mechanize)
Winemaking in Spain
French exodus ushered in new winemaking. Nowadays experimenting with modern techniques
Tinto wine styles
light fresh to oaked and age worthy (54%)
White wine styles
lighter and fresher, more and more examples of aged
Vino espumoso
1872 by ??. All traditional method. 4th largest producer in the world
Vinos generosos
Fortified. Jerez.
Vinos dulces
unfortified. Fondillon
Aging requirements for vino joven
TINTO: time in barrel: none. Time before release: 1 year after harvest. BLANCO: time in boarrel: n/a, time bfore release: 1 year after harvest
Aging requirements for vino crianza
TINTO: time in barrel: 6 mos. Time before release: 24 mos. BLANCO: time in barrel: 6 mos. Time before realse: 18 mos
Aging requirements for reserva
TINTO: time in barrel: 12 mos. time before release: 36 mos. BLANCO: time in barrel: 6 mos.time beforerlease: 24 mos
Aging reqs for Gran Reserva
TINTO: time in barrel: 18 mos. time before release: 60 mos. BLANCO: time in barrel: 6 mos. Time before release: 48 mos.
Vinos de España
Bottom of run, however some great wines, as gives producers more freedom
Vinos de Tierra
A step above Vinos de España. Not many. Don’t need ot know.
Vinos de Calidad con Indicacion Geografica (VC)
a stepping stone to DO
Denominacion de Origen DO
68 of them. Must meet certain grape reqs, production levels, methods, aging. Must have been quality wine making area for five years.
Denominacion de Origen Calificada (DOCa)
top tier (10 years as DO). Only Rioja and Priorat. Can be restrictive
Vinos de Pago
One of highest quality. Single estate. Designed for wineries with unique factors. Mostly in Castilla la Mancha.
How did Franco impact wine production?
He believed wine should only be consumed for the sacrament so it decimated white wine production.
Euro regulations: DOP and IGP equivalents
DOP=DOCa, DO, VC. IGP=vino de la tierra (VT)
