La Rioja Flashcards
True or False
Rioja’s “Trustseal” is the first of its kind in the wine world
True
Name the two men who brought wine knowledge and technology back to Rioja in the 19th century
- Marques de Murrieta
- Marques de Riscal
Who introducted winemaking in La Rioja?
Phonenicians
List requirements (6) for Vinedos Singulares
- Min 10 year contract reuired if grapes are purchased
- Vines must be well balanced with limited vigor
- Yields must be at least 20% lower than those required by the Consejo Regulador
- Grapes must be hand-harvested
- Production figures must be transparent and traceable
- Wines must undergo quality assessments
What year Rioja was officially recognized as a Designation of Origin?
1925
La Rioja is sometimes called the “Zone of the Seven Valleys”. Why?
Signifying the seven tributaries which flow the Sistem Iberico into the Ebro River:
* Oja
* Najerilla
* lregua
* Leza
* Jubera
* Cidacos
* Aljama
Where are most of Rioja’s oldest wineries found?
Barrio de la Estacion in Haro
What the northern mountain ranges protect Rioja?
Cold and rainy winds blowing inland from the norhtern coast
List four aging categories in Rioja
- Generico
- Crianza
- Reserva
- Gran Reserva
Aside from sur lie aging requirement, what are the two requirements of Espumusos de Calidad de Rioja? And one more for Espumoso Rosado
- Alcohol : 11 - 13%
- Metodo Tradicional
- Min 25% authorized red varieties for Espumoso Rosado
Name three ancient inhabitants of La Rioja
- Berones
- Celtiberians
- Vascones
When can Crianza labelled wines in Rioja be released at the earliest?
Their third year
What is the wine style of DOCa Rioja?
Tinto - 90%
Blanco - 5%
Rosado - 5%
What is the minimum barrel time required for Crianza Tinto in Rioja?
And for the traditional Crianza barrel aging requirement?
12 months
6 months for traditional aging
List five requirements for labelling Crianza, Reserva and Grand Reserva in Rioja
- Oak barrels - 225 liter size
- No oak chips/staves
- Time in oak not interrupted
- Prior approval for Vino Blanco/Vino Rosado aging
- For white grapes into the making of red wines, max 5% for de-stemmed grapes and max 15% for whole clusters
True or False
Reserva and Gran Reserva Tintos in Rioja require a specific term of bottle aging while the tradtional aging has no specification
True
Reserva - Min 6 months
Gran Reserva Min 24 months
What are the minimum bottle aging for Reserva and Gran Reserva Tintos in Rioja?
6 months - Reserva
24 months - Gran Reserva
No minimum bottle requirements specificed for Traditional and Ribera del Duelo
List requirements for Vinos de Municipio
- Winery located within the village stated on the label
- Up to 15% of the grapes come from a neighboring village but if purchased a 10 year contract is required
- Prodctuion fiugres must be transparent and traceable
What is the the two specific requirement for Gran Reserva Espumusos de Calidad de Rioja
- Min 36 months sur lie aging
- Vintage labelled
Which zones calcareous clay soils are mainly found in DOCa Rioja?
- Rioja Alavesa
- Rioja Alta
From the Cordillera Cantabria to the banks of the Ebro River
In DOCs Rioja what is the minimum percentage of red grapes required if destemmed?
95%
Otherwise 85%
What is the percentage of Tempranillo planting in Rioja?
75%
(88% of all red plantings)
List attributes (2) Garnacha Tinta brings to the blend with Temperanillo
- Red fruit character
- alcohol
Which zone most of Garnacha Tinta are found?
Rioja Oriental
Name autonomimous regions DOCa Rioja is located
- La Rioja
- Navarra
- Pais Vasco
Which zone most plantings of Garnacha Tinta are found in DOCa Rioja?
Rioja Oriental