Galicia Flashcards
What is the celtic name for Galicia and when did they migrate there
Galiza = Mother Godess
6cBC
What was the Roman name for Galicia
When did they invade and what did they bring
Gallaecia
137bc
New wines/technologies
New varieties bred
What was the Santiago de Compostela and when did it gain importance and why
Current capital of Galicia
Significant Christian importance
9c onwards
Camino de Santiago pilgrimage
Which DO was the historic centre of Galician wine production and what type of wine was produced
Ribeiro
Vino tostado (sweet fortified wine)
Sun dried grapes
For pilgrims and exported in 17/18c
Prosperity
what 3 difficulties were faced in 19c Galicia
Changing tastes => decrease In Trade for tostado
Mildew
Disease
Phylloxera
Vineyards abandoned
=> low quality planting
What improvements were made in 20c Galicia
Revival of local grapes -Albariño, Godello, Mencia
Rules preventing non native grapes
EU funds
Waht is the typical Climate of Galicia
Maritime
Temperate
Mild winters
Heavy rain
Summers moderate except inland hotter
What are Rias
Unglaciated river valley flooded by rising seas or sinking land
Irregular banks
Convoluted series of inlets with islands
Open to sea
Large estuary?
Describe the main Topography of Galicia
On the coast
Inland
2 main rivers
3 sierras of the main mountain range
Country of a thousand rivers
Cliffs and rias = coast
hilly and mountainous= interior
Mino river
Sil river
Steep hillsides
Mountainous inland - Galician massif part of Cordillera Cantabrica
Sierro do Eixe
Sierro da Lastra
Sierro do Courel
Describe the main Soils of Galicia for
Coast
River valleys
Inland river valleys
Varied
Coast= granite, shallow, Sandy and acidic
River valley= granite and clay
Pourous with drainage
Inland river valleys- slate shale sand
What are the 3 main Grape varieties of Gallicia
Albariño
Godello
Mencia
Describe the Viticulture of Galicia
including the type of planting
where the vineyards are sited
what type of VTS
Steep hillsides
Vineyards fragmented
Land (for vine?) scarce
Planted en espaldera on terraces
Parrals on flatter ground - granite trellis => greater ventilation, second crop below
EU improvements
Small family owned adegas
Describe the Viniculture of Galicia for
red and
white
Stainless steel fermentation for red and white
Some barrel ferment for both - not usual
Local oak
Describe the Wine types of Galicia
Fresh crisp acidic whites
Fresh fruit forward light/med bodied
Barrel age adds body
what are Adegas
Galician for bodega
Location
borders and capital
NW corner
N= Atlantic
E= Castilla y L, Asturias
S= Portugal
W= Portugal
4 provinces
Santiago capital
Where is Albariño from
what % of plantings in Rias Biaxas
Describe character
From NW corner Iberia
90% plantings in Rias Baixas
Unoaked
Pale
Citrus, peaches, whites flowers
Zesty acidity
Saline
Where is Mencia found
Describe character
Most planted red in Galicia
Mostly interior of region
Light lively red
Fresh berries
Smoky minerality
Best aged in wooden vats
What is Ribeira Sacra Summum and what are the grape requirements
Vinos Tintos from Ribeira Scara
>85% preferred, >60% Mencia
Vinos Blancos 100% pref
what is a Colleiteiro
Boutique winery
Ribeira DO
<6000l a year
Managed by owner
Grapes grown on estate
115 in Ribeiro
Which DO prefers Godello
DO Valdeorras
Ripe yellow apple
Some aged in oak barriques
What are Authorised grapes
Winery can use and still use DO name
What are Preferred grapes
Those that perform best in given area
What is the climate of Galicia
Maritime
What is the special designation in Ribeira Sacra for red wines with a min of 85% preferred varieties
Ribeira Sacra Summum
Also > 60% Mencia
What are the 3 primary mountain ranges of the Galician Massif
Serra do Eixe
Serra da Lastra
Serra do Courel
What does Ribeira Sacra mean
Sacred Riverbank
What is the Spanish Term for pergolas in Rias Baixas
Parrals
What is the name of the DO Valdeorras produced with min of 85% preferred
Valdeorras Castas Nobles
Which is the newest subzone in Rias Baixas
Ribeira do Ulla
What is the primary grape variety of DO Ribeiro
Treixadura
What is the dominant grape variety of Ribeira Sacra
Mencia
Which sub-zone of Rias Baixas is oldest and birthplace of Albariño
Val do Salnés
The vineyards of DO Ribeiro border which 3 rivers
Miño, Avia, Arnoia
What is the name for the warm drying winds on the leeward side of a mountain
Foehn
What is the primary grape of Rias Baixas
Albariño
Which 4 autonomous regions make up Green Spain
Galicia
Asturias
Cantabria
Pais Vasco
The majority of grape varieties grown in Galicia are indigenous to the region True or False
True
What is the name for the submerged river valleys open to the sea
Rias
Which is the most important red grape in Galicia
Mencia
What are the 2 most important rivers in Galicia
Sil and Miño
What is the name for the boutique estate wineries in DO Ribeiro
Colleteriros
What is the warmest sub-zone in Rias Baixas
Condado do Tea
Which Rias Baixas subzone produces only varietal Albariño
Soutomajor
What is the name of Galicia’s capital - famous for pilgrimage
Santiago de Compostela
What is the Galician word for bodega
Adega
What is tostado
Sweet fortified wine
DO riberiera
What is the dominant soil in Rias Baixas
Granite
Which DO is in SE corner on river Mino before Rias Baixas
Ribeiro
Which Gallician DO produces more red wine than white
Ribeira Sacra
Godello is the dominant white variety in which Gallician DO
Valdeorras
What is Espana Verde
Green Spain
Which 4 regions make up Green Spain
Galicia, Cantabria, Asturias and Pais Vasco
What types of wine are found in Green Spain
Fresh aromatic whites, fruity floral reds
What are parrals
VTS
Parrals on flatter ground - granite trellis => greater ventilation, second crop below
If Galicia were a clock, where is Santiago de Compostela
9.30pm
Where is the bithplace of Albarino
North west Iberia
What % of plantings in Rias Biaxas is Alberino
90%
Which is Galicia’s most planted red variety
Mencia
DO Rias Biaxas - date
1988
DO Rias Biaxas - wine styles
Blanco 99%
DO Rias Biaxas - climate
Maritime
DO Rias Biaxas - soils
Granite (by the coast)
DO Rias Biaxas - grape varieties
White - Albarino
DO Rias Biaxas - 5 subzone with main characteristic
Val do Salnes=old, flat cool, large Albarino birthplace- all additional
Condado do Tea=southern, inland, warm= Treixadura
O Rosal=South West with terraces - Loureira
Soutomaior=smallest, only Albarino
Ribeira do Ulla=most northern -all additional
DO Rias Biaxas - OCW
Rías Baixas, the leading do wine zone in galicia, north west Spain (see map under spain), producing some of the country’s most sought-after dry white wines. Between 1987 and 2012 the DO’s vineyard area grew from 237 ha/570 acres to 4,050 ha/9,700 acres with the number of wineries rising from 14 to 177. Named after the flooded coastal valleys, or rías, that penetrate up to 30 km/19 miles inland, the zone’s reputation is based on the white albariño grape. Wines were exported to northern Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries but, after the ravages of phylloxera, many of the traditional vine varieties were abandoned, and by the 1900s the region’s vineyards were largely planted with high-yielding hybrids and by Jerez’s palomino, producing poor-quality wine. The revival began in the late 1970s, when growers were encouraged to replant native vine varieties and producers were given incentives to invest in modern winemaking equipment. The metamorphosis gathered pace with the application of eu funds following Spain’s accession to the EU in 1986.
Rías Baixas has five separate subzones, all within the province of Pontevedra. Many of the purest Albariño wines come from Val do Salnés zone centred on the town of Cambados on the west coast. The two further subzones, O Rosal and Condado do Tea, are on the northern slopes of the river Miño facing the vinho verde region in Portugal on the opposite bank. A fourth, small subzone, Soutomaior, was admitted in the late 1990s, to be joined later by Ribeira do Ulla in the far north. All five zones share the same granite-based subsoils and relatively cool, damp, maritime climate. The Atlantic influence is strongest in Val do Salnés, where annual rainfall averages 1,300 mm/50 in. Vines were traditionally cultivated on pergolas (see tendone) to protect grapes from the constant threat of fungal diseases, although modern vineyards are planted on a more practical local variant of the geneva double curtain vine-training system.
Twelve different vine varieties are officially permitted in Rías Baixas although Albariño accounts for 90% of the vineyard area. Other white grapes which may be blended with Albariño according to local regulations include caiño blanco, as well as treixadura, and Loureira (see loureiro; locally known as Marqués), both of which are found in the Vinho Verde region. (torrontés and godello are also permitted.) On its own, Albariño produces a fragrant, intensely fruity, dry white wine with a natural minimum alcohol often above 12%.
DO Ribeira Sacra - date
1996
Inland - 5 subzones in Mino and Sil Vallies
DO Ribeira Sacra - wine styles
Tinto 94%
Blanco 6%
DO Ribeira Sacra - climate
maritime - continental influences
DO Ribeira Sacra - grapes
Mencia
DO Ribeira Sacra - Sacra Summum
Vinos Tintos min 85% preferred (min 60% Mencia)
Vinos Blancos min 100% preferred
DO Ribeira Sacra - OCW
Ribeira Sacra, growing Spanish do, created in 1996. It is the only galician region specializing in red wines, from the mencía grape, and some less well-known local varieties, together with some whites from Godello and Albariño.
DO Ribeiro - date
1932
Oldest in Galicia
DO Ribeiro - wine style
Blanco 90%
DO Ribeiro - climate
Maritime
Best vineyards on hillsides
DO Ribeiro - grapes
Treixadura
Med body, unoaked, drunk young
DO Ribeiro - colleiteriros
115 boutique wineries
DO Ribeiro - OCW
Ribeiro — means ‘river bank’ or ‘riverside’ in the Galician language and is the name of a red and white wine do zone in galicia, north west Spain (see map under spain). Ribeiro spans the valleys of the river Miño and its tributaries and Arnoia downstream from Orense. In the 16th and 17th centuries wines from Ribeiro were exported as far afield as Italy and England but they disappeared from international markets until recently. phylloxera put paid to the region’s prosperity at the end of the 19th century. As in rías baixas, for example, farmers, seeking a quick return to profit, replanted their holdings with the sherry grape palomino. Over recent years, growers have been encouraged to uproot this productive but unsuitable variety in favour of treixadura, torrontés, Lado, and other indigenous varieties which perform well in the damp maritime climate of north west Iberia and can be made into aromatic, crisp white wines. But it is the red wine explosion that has been notable this century, with the recovery and discovery of local Brancellao (alvarelhão), Caiño Redondo, Carabuñeira (Portugal’s Touriga Nacional), and Ferrón varieties, and the rediscovery of the better vineyards planted to the long-reviled, post-phylloxeric Garnacha Tintorera (alicante bouschet). With help from eu funds, wineries have been updated and the traditional, labour-intensive pergolas (see tendone) are being replaced by lower vine-training systems.
DO - Valderorras - date
1945
8 sub-regions
DO Valderorras - Wine style
55% Blanco
45% Tinto
DO Valderorras - climate
Maritime with cont influences
DO Valderorras - grape varieties
White = Godello
Red = Mencia
DO Valderorras - labels and blends
Godello=100%
Mencia=85%
Espumosos=85% Godello
Castas Nobles= 85%
DO Valderorras - OCW
Valdeorras, easternmost wine zone in galicia in north-west Spain (see map under spain). Steeply terraced vineyards are planted predominantly with inappropriate but productive vine varieties such as Garnacha Tintorera (alicante bouschet) and the white palomino. The indigenous white godello, which had all but disappeared from Galicia in the wake of phylloxera, is being aggressively replanted. This moderately productive variety is susceptible to disease, but Valdeorras is protected from the Atlantic by mountains immediately to the west. If carefully vinified, it can produce an aromatic wine with an alcoholic strength of 12 to 13%. In the late 1990s, some of Spain’s most acclaimed barrel-fermented whites were Godello wines from Valdeorras made by the Guitián family, who pioneered this style, now artfully practised by the likes of Rafael Palacios and Valdesil. The mencía grape, which makes fruity reds, is similarly respected by a new wave of producers in Valdeorras.
