Green Spain: Galicia and Basque Country

Question 1

Galicia DOs

Answer 1

• Rias Baixas
• Ribeiro
• Ribeira Sacra
• Valdeorras
• Monterrei

Question 2

Rías Baixas

Blanco

Grapes

Answer 2

• R: Albariño, Loureira, Treixadura, Caiña Blanca
• A: Torrontés, Godello

Question 3

Rías Baixas

Styles

Answer 3

• Albariño: 100%
• Blanco
• Blanco Barrica (3mos in wood, max 600L)
• Blanco with Subzone
• Tinto
• Espumoso

Question 4

Rías Baixas

Blanco

Subzone designations

Answer 4

• Val do Salnés/Ribeira do Ulla
  
  • min 70% Albariño
• O Rosal
  
  • min 70% comb. Albariño and Loureira
• Condado do Tea
  
  • min 70% comb. Albariño and Treixadura

Question 5

% of Albariño required for varietally labeled Albariño

Answer 5

100%

Question 6

Rias Baixas

5 subzones

Answer 6

• Ribeira do Ulla
• Val do Salnés
• Soutomaior
• Condado do Tea
• O Rosal

Question 7

Rias Baixas

Soils by Subzone

Answer 7

• Ribeira do Ulla
  
  • Alluvials
• Val do Salnés, Soutomaior, O Rosal
  
  • Alluvial over granite
• Condado do Tea
  
  • Granite and slate with granite subsoil

Question 8

Ribeiro DO

Major grapes

Answer 8

• Treixadura
• Caiño

Question 9

Ribeira Sacra DO

Major grapes

Answer 9

• Mencia
• Treixadura
• Godello

Question 10

Ribeira Sacra

Subzones

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Valdeorras

Styles

Answer 11

• White
  
  • Godello, Dona Branca
• Red
  
  • Mencía, Merenzao, Sousón, Brancellao
• Rosado
• Varietal Godello and Mencía
• Valdeorras Superior: min. 85% recommended varieties
• Best known for whites of Godello

Question 12

Valdeorras

Crianza

Min aging

Answer 12

• 2 years age
• Red: 12 mo in wood
• White: 6 mo in wood

Question 13

Valdeorras

Soil types

Answer 13

• Slate, Granite
• Calcareous clay, argillo-ferrous
• Alluvials

Question 14

País Vasco

DOs

Answer 14

• Arabako
• Bizkaiko
• Getariako

Question 15

País Vasco

Grapes

Answer 15

• Ondarribi Zuri (95% of acreage)
• Ondarribi Beltza

Question 16

What is Ojo de Gallo?

Answer 16

• Txakoli Rosé
  
  • Min. 50% Ondarribi Beltza

Question 17

What are rías?

Answer 17

Small inlets (fjord-like) in Rías Baixas

Question 18

What is Moscatel de Grano Menudo also known as?

Answer 18

Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains

Question 19

Galicia

Blanco Barrica

Answer 19

White wine aged in oak (max 600L) for 3 months

Question 20

Vino Tostado

Answer 20

• Wine of dried grapes from Ribeiro
  
  • Treixadura, Loureiro, or Caiño, Ferrón, plus, plus
• Aged min. 6mos in oak or cherry wood.
• Dried min. 3 months
• Min. must weight of 300g/L
• Min. RS of 70 g/L

Question 21

Where would you find a wine labeled Súmmum, and what does that imply?

Answer 21

Ribeira Sacra DO

• Reds:
  
  • P: min. 85% red grapes, including min. 60% Mencía (Mencía, Merenzao, Brancellao, Sousón, Caiño Tinto, Tempranillo)
  • May be varietally labeled Mencía at min. 85%
• Whites:
  
  • P: 100% white grapes (Albariño, Godello, Treixadura, Loureira, Torrontés, Dona Branca)

Question 22

Monterrei

Subzones

Answer 22

• Valle de Monterrei
• Ladera de Monterrei

Question 23

Ribeiro DO

Soils and Climate

Answer 23

• Soil
  
  • mostly sandy/alluvial - terraced sides of river valleys
  • granite bedrock - btwn 100 to 350 m
• Maritime influence from the Atlantic Ocean; relatively high rainfall and humidity

Question 24

Ribeiro DO

Answer 24

• Whites (85% production is white wines)
  
  • R: Treixadura
  • A: Palomino, Torrontés, Godello, Macabeo, Albillo, Loureira, Albariño
• Reds:
  
  • R: Caino (aka Caiño Bravo, Caiño Longo)
  • A: Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), Ferrón, Sousón, Tempranillo, Brancellao, Mencía

Question 25

Ribeiro DO

Rivers

Answer 25

4 rivers converge in Ribeiro

• Barbatino
• Avia
• Arnoia
• Miño

Question 26

Monterrei DO

Climate

Answer 26

Monterrei DO

• Very different from the rest of Galicia, more in line with the vineyards of Castilla y Leon to the east
• Largely due to the rain shadow effect produced by the Sierra de Larouca mountain range
• Inland location makes it warm and dry during summer and very cold in winter

Question 27

Monterrei DO

Subzones

Answer 27

• Ledeira de Monterrei (Slopes of Monterrei)
• Val de Monterrei (Monterrei Valley)

Question 28

Monterrei DO

Varieties

Answer 28

• Blanco - min 60% recommended
  
  • R: descending order; Godello (Verdelho), Treixadura, Dona Blanca
  • A: Albariño, Blanca de Monterrei, Caiño Blanco, Loureira
• Red - min 60% recommended
  
  • R: Mencía, Merenzao (Trousseau/Bastardo)
  • A: Caiño Tinto, Sousón, Araúxa (Tempranillo)

Question 29

Sagardoa

Answer 29

Sagardoa

• Type of cider house found in the Basque Country
• The word sagardotegi is composed of 3 elements:
  
  • sagar “apple” and ardo “wine”, yielding sagardo or “cider” and the suffix -tegi which denotes a building where an activity takes place

Question 30

What wines are produced in Basque territory?

Answer 30

• Rioja (Alavesa)
• Txakolina

Question 31

Which Rias baixas sub favors Treixadura?

Answer 31

Contado do Tea

Question 32

Galicia

Southernmost subregion

Answer 32

Monterrei

Question 33

Rias Baixas

Northernmost subzone

Answer 33

Ribeira do Ulla

Question 34

DO zone closest to the Bay of Biscay

Answer 34

Bizkaiko Txakolina​

Question 35

Rias Baixas

Red Grapes

Answer 35

• Caiño
• Espadeiro
• Mencía