GRAPES-SPAIN

Question 1

KEY BLACK VARIETIES & STYLES

Answer 1

TEMPRANILLO:

• SPAIN’S PREM. BLACK GR VAR
• GROWN WIDELY THROUGHOUT THE VINS OF NORTHERN & CENTRAL SPAIN
• THICK SKIN/ M ACIDITY/ NEEDS SUFFICIENT WARM TO DEV. ITS FLAV.
• HOT CLIMATE WITHOUT A H DIURNAL TEMP. RANGE=CAUSE THE W TO LACK ACIDITY FOR AN IDEAL BALANCE
• ITS BEST IN AREAS: SUMMER TEMP. ARE MOD. BY SEA &/OR ALT.
• FERM. ON ITS OWN, OFTEN USING SEMI-CARB. MAC. PROD=FRESH STRAW. SCENTED JOVEN W/ INCR. POP. EARLY DRINK. STYLE
• PLAYS KEY ROLE IN MORE CONCENT. AGEWORTHY OAKED BLENDS EITHER W/ TRAD. VAR: GARNACHA, GRACIANO, CARINENA/MAZUELO OR INT. VAR: CAB. SAUV.

GARNACHA TINTA:

• SPANISH NAME FOR GRENACHE
• CHECK CHAPTER 9 RED & ROSE WM
• IT GIVES: H ALCOHOL/ W/ A TENDENCY TO MAT. EARLY BUT THERE ARE NOTAB. EXCEPTIONS
• WIDELY USED FOR ROSADOS
• IMP. IN PRIORAT: LOW-YIELDING OLD VINES=PROD INTENSE, COMPLEX, F BODY REDS

MONASTRELL: (MOURVEDRE)

• THICK-SKINNED GR VAR
• DROUGHT TOLERANT
• NEEDS HOT, SUNNY COND. TO RIPEN
• GROWN IN SOUTH-EASTERN DOs (YECLA & JUMILLA)=WHERE IT CAN EASILY REACH F RIPENESS & PROD: F BODY/ H TANNIN/ H ALCOHOL/ L TO M ACIDITY/ RIPE BLACKBERRY FR.

Question 2

OTHER BLACK SPANISH VAR

Answer 2

GRACIANO:

• HIGHLY VALUED GR/ CHALLENGING TO GROW
• MAINLY CULTIVATED IN RIOJA=HERE USED AS PART OF THE BLEND IN MANY OF THE FINEST W
• SMALL QUANT. USED TO ADD CONCENT. BLACK FR AROM./ ACIDITY/ TANNINS TO THE STRUCTURE OF A W TO HELP AGE

CARIÑENA (MAZUELO IN RIOJA)

• GIVES W H ACIDITY/ H TANNIN/ H COLOUR
• SMALL PROPORT. OF THIS MAKES IDEAL BLEND W/ TEMPRANILLO
• ALSO GROWN IN PRIORAT: BLENDED W/ GARNACHA=ENHANCE TANNIC STRUCTURE OF THE W

MENCIA

• LOCAL VAR INCR COMING TO PROMINENCE
• SUITS MODERATE CLIMATES=GIVING W FRESH FR/ M TO H ACIDITY/ SOMETIMES HINT OF HERBACEOUSNESS

Question 3

KEY WHITE VAR & STYLES

Answer 3

VERDEJO:

• HIGHLY SUSCEPT. TO OXIDATION
• WAS USED TO MAKE SHERRY-LIKE W
• W/ PROTECTIVE WM=L BODY/ H ACID/ MELON, PEACH FLAV/ SIMILAR STYLE TO SAUV. BLANC WHICH OFTEN BLENDED
• ALSO CAN BE MADE: RICHER-FULLER BODIED STYLE WHEN UNDERGONE SKIN CONTACT & BARREL FERM

ALBARIÑO:

• GROWN IN THE NORTH-WEST OF SPAIN
• BECOME A PART. FASHIONABLE GR VAR
• THICK-SKINNED=ABLE TO RESIST FUNGAL DISEASE=USEFUL IN THE DAMP CLIMATE IN THERE
• NATURALLY H IN ACIDITY/ PROD. REFRESHING W W/ CITRUS, STONE FR FLAV
• IT CAN TOO MADE IN RICHER, FULLER BODY STYLE

Question 4

OTHER WHITE SPANISH GR VAR

Answer 4

AIRÉN:

• MOST WID. PLANT. GR VAR IN SPAIN
• VAST MAJ OF ITS P. IN LA MANCHA IN CENTRAL SPAIN
• ITS ONE OF THE VAR THAT CAN COPE W/ EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT COND. OF MESETA CENTRAL
• AIREN NOW CAN BE MADE INTO ACCEPTABLE DRY WHITE W/ MUCH OF THE OUTPUT CONT. TO BE USED IN PROD. OF BRANDY DE JEREZ

VIURA (MACABEO)

• STILL W PROD/ UNOAKED STYLE W/ SUBTLE HERB & SPICE AROM.
• TRAD. IT WAS THE MAINSTAY OF HEAVILY OAKED WHITE RIOJAS

Question 5

INTERNATIONAL VAR

Answer 5

IN SOME PARTS OF SPAIN THE TRAD LOCAL VAR SHOWN LIMITED POT. FOR Q W=BETTER W CAN BE MADE MORE EASILY FROM VAR:

• CAB. SAUV, MERLOT, SAUV. BLANC, CHARD.
• THESE & OTHER INT. VAR ARE NOW ESTABLISHED & WIDESPREAD ESP. IN NORTH-EAST
• THEY SOMETIMES APPEAR AS BLENDS W/ LOCAL VAR