Galicia

Question 1

What are the five DOs of Green Spain?

Answer 1

Rías Baixas,
Ribeiro,
Riberia Sacra,
Valdeorras,
Monterrei

Question 2

What body of water is to the North of Green Spain?

Answer 2

The Bay of Biscay

Question 3

What route of Catholic Pilgrimage ends at the capital city of Green Spain?

Answer 3

Camino de Santiago

Question 4

What is the capital city of Galicia?

Answer 4

Santiago de Compostela

Question 5

Around which river are the majority of the DOs in Galicia located?

Answer 5

The River Miño

Question 6

What is the main grape in Rías Baixas?
What are the secondary grapes?
Are they red or white?

Answer 6

Albariño. (W)

Loureira, Treixadura, Caiña Blanca (All W)

Question 7

What are the two main grapes in Ribeiro? Are they red or white?

Answer 7

Treixadura (W)

Caiño Tinto (R)

Question 8

What is Vino Tostado? Where is it made?

Answer 8

A dried grape wine made in Ribeiro.

Question 9

What is the most important grape in Ribeira Sacra?
What are the secondary grapes?
Are they red or white?

Answer 9

Mencía. (R)

Godello, Treixadura (Both W)

Question 10

What is the main grape in Valdeorras?
What is the secondary grape?
Are they red or white?

Answer 10

Godello. (W)

Mencía. (R)

Question 11

What is the main grapes in Monterreri?

Are they red or white?

Answer 11

Doña Branca, Treixadura, Godello (All W)

Mencía, Merenzao (Both R)

Question 12

What are other names for Merenzao?

Where is it known by these names?

Answer 12

Trousseau (France
Bastardo (Many places)
Maturana Tinta (Rioja)

Question 13

Albariño from Val de Salnés tends to be more what?

Answer 13

Racy (higher acid), and full of salinity.

Question 14

Albariño from O Rosal tends to be more what?

Answer 14

Ripe, fruity and intensely floral.

Question 15

Albariño from Condado do Tea tends to be more what?

Answer 15

Rich and fully textured.

Question 16

What is the traditional vine training system in Rías Baixas? Why?

Answer 16

Pergola, made from local Granite. Because it decreases disease pressure from the damp climate and allows for cultivation of other crops underneath.

Question 17

True or False:

Wines labeled Rías Baixas Albariño have to be 100% made from that grape.

Answer 17

True

Question 18

Is barrica aging and malolactic fermentation permitted for Rías Baixas Albariño?

Answer 18

Yes

Question 19

In addition to Loureira and Treixadura, what other white grape is permitted for blending in Rías Baixas?

Answer 19

Caíña Blanca

Question 20

In addition to Mencía and Caíño Tinto, what other red grape is permitted in Rías Baixas?

Answer 20

Espadeiro

Question 21

What are the five sub-zones of Rías Baixas?

Which are the most important?

Answer 21

O Rosal,
Val do Salnés,
Condado do Tea,

Soutomaior,
Ribeira do Ulla

Question 22

When was the Ribeira Sacra DO established? What is it the classic home for?

Answer 22

1996, Mencía.

Question 23

Describe the key geographical features (rivers) of Ribeira Sacra, and it’s climate in comparison to other regions in Galicia.

Answer 23

Situated on a “Sacred Bank” the region is further inland, and because of this has a warmer, more continental climate than Rías Baixas and overlooks the Miño and Sil rivers.

Question 24

In Rías Baixas, if labeled with a northern subzone, what are the four permitted varieties and what percentage must they make up of the wine?

Answer 24

Albariño, Loureiro, Treixadura, or Caiño Blanco must make up 70% of the wine.

Question 25

What are the five sub regions of Ribeira Sacra?

Answer 25

Amandi,
Chantada,
Quiroga-Bibei,
Riberas do Sil,
Riberas do Miño