Green Spain

Question 1

What are the 4 provinces of Galicia?

Answer 1

Pontevedra, A Coruña, Ourense and Lugo.

Question 2

What are the 2 most important rías in Galicia?

Answer 2

Miño and the Sil

Question 3

What is the main mountain system in Galicia and its 3 main ranges?

Answer 3

Macizo Galaico. Serra de Eixe, Serra da Enciña da Lastra and Serra do Courel.

Question 4

Primary Soil Types: Galicia

Answer 4

Granite based along the coast. Granite and clay inland in river valleys and slate and shale even further inland.

Granite is ideal for climate because it provides excellent drainage.

Question 5

Rías Baixas Sub Zones

Answer 5

Val do Salnes: oldest, birthplace of Albarino. More than 50% of production comes from here

Condado de Tea: furthest inland, second largest, most mountainous, warmest, fuller bodied, riper fruits

O Rosal: on banks of Miño river on Southern tip of Galicia

Soutomaior: smaller, only region whose sole production is Albariño

Ribeira do Ulla: Furthest North. Only sub zones that produced red wine

Question 6

Small scale, family owned producers

Answer 6

Adegas. Gallego for bodega. Produce high quality, world-class wines

Question 7

What other varietal may be blended in Condado do Tea?

Answer 7

Treixadura

Question 8

What other varietal may be blended in O Rosal?

Answer 8

Loureira

Question 9

What other varietal may be blended in Val do Salnes AND Riberia do Ulla?

Answer 9

Loureira, Treixadura or Caíño Blanco

Question 10

Albariño Profile

Answer 10

Thick-skinned grape, good for weather protection. Bright acid, fresh. Floral aromatics + peach, apricot, grapefruit. Salinity.

Question 11

Treixadura

Answer 11

Thin-skinned grape, highly productive. Citrus and stone fruit aromatics, floral. Often blended with other Galician varietals.

Blends well with Albariño as it balances out the high acid.

Can ripen quickly before the fall.

Question 12

Godello

Answer 12

High quality grape. Aromatic. Ripens to high sugar levels = full-bodied wines with high alcohol = handles barrel aging well.

Question 13

Mencía

Answer 13

Produced light, vibrant wines with soft tannins and moderate alcohol.

From Riberia Sacra: fresh red berries, herbs, smokey minerality. Best examples are aged in large wooden vats

Question 14

Ribeira Sacra Sub-Zones

Answer 14

Chantada, Ribeiras do Miño (both along Miño N-S), both extremely wet

Ribeiras do Sil, Amandi and Quiroga-Bibei (along Sil W-E), flank the river, many S facing vineyards

Question 15

Riberia Sarca Summum

Answer 15

Tintos must have minimum 85% preferred varietals, including min 60% Mencía.

(DO regulations state that wines must be made with min 70% preferred varietals for tintos)

Blancos must be made from 100% preferred varietals

Question 16

Which is the oldest DO in Galicia?

Answer 16

DO Ribeiro

Question 17

Colleiteiro

Answer 17

Boutique winery in Ribeiro with no more than 60K L of wine produced.

Question 18

Profile of Ribeiro wines

Answer 18

Medium-bodied, unoaked, Treixadura dominant (90% white).

Fresh acidity, notes of lime, stone fruit and possibly cucumber

Question 19

DO Valdeorras

Answer 19

55% white
45% red

Home of Godello. Mencía is dominant red grape

Most continental DO in Galicia. Most “extreme” diurnals

Slate on quartz. hard, drainable rock

Question 20

Valdeorras Castas Nobles

Answer 20

Given to wines with at least 85% of preferred varieties

Question 21

Profile of Valdeorras wines

Answer 21

Whites: typically Godello. Ripe yellow apple, hints of thyme.

Tintos: typically Mencía. Similar to those produced in el Bierzo.

Question 22

When was the first reference to Txakoli?

Answer 22

1623

Question 23

What is a fuero?

Answer 23

Certain privileges, rights and local autonomy in exchange for allegiance to the Spanish crown. These were granted when Basque provinces were incorporated into the Kingdom of Castille in the 14th century.

Question 24

When was the association of Txakolineros created?

Answer 24

1980

Question 25

How many Basque provinces are there?

Answer 25

7. 3 in France, 4 in Spain (1 is Navarra, other 3 are in Pais Vasco)

3 in Pais Vasco:
Alava (most continental)
Vizcaya (Bilbao)
Guipuzkoa (SanSe)

Question 26

Soils in Pais Vasco

Answer 26

Alava: limestone
Vizcaya/Bizkaia: limestone subsoil, clay topsoil
Guipuzkoa: clay subsoil, aluvial topsoil

Question 27

What percentage of wine in Paid Vasco is white?

Answer 27

95%, 90% of vineyards are planted with Hondarribi Zuri

Question 28

Hondarribi Zuri Profile

Answer 28

crisp, high acid, pale yellow. Aromas of citrus and white flower.

Question 29

Viticulture

Answer 29

Vines are trained on parral near the coast for airflow, espaldera is becoming more common as it’s less labor intensive.

Txakoli traditionally macerates on its skins before a 2-3 week fermentation. Once wine is bottles, it’s left on the lees

Question 30

Foudres

Answer 30

Large wooden vats where fermentation historically took place. Now stainless steel is more common.

Question 31

DO Txakoli de Alava / Arabako

Answer 31

Smallest of the DO’s and most continental. Low elevation, least rainfall. Wines are a bit lower in acidity which makes them less harsh. These would be considered “non classic styles”

Question 32

DO Txakoli de Bizkaia

Answer 32

Largest DO. Light and easy drinking txakoli. Floral, tangy citrus, green apple

Question 33

DO Txakoli de Getaria

Answer 33

Oldest, vines are always on parral because it rains so much. Some rose is produced but nearly all is exported.

Question 34

Red varietals in Galicia

Answer 34

Brancellao, Caiño Tinto, Souson, Mencia, Espadeiro