Learning objectives: Key historical figures Flashcards
Who was/is: Baldomero Esparto?
Spanish general and bodega owner. While living in London mid 19C, he discussed with his aide (Colonel Luciano Murrieta) how to modernise Rioja’s wine industry to complete in the British wine market.
Who was/is: Luciano Murrieta?
Was in London mid 19C, discussing how to modernise Rioja wine with Baldomero Esparto.
Having spent time exiled in Bordeaux during the Carlist Wars, Murrieta brought their winemaking techniques to Rioja: large vats for crushing and fermenting to reduce heat and oxidation, small oak for ageing.
He was named ‘Marqués de Murrieta” and his namesake winery is one of the oldest in Rioja.
Who was/is: Don Manuel Quintano?
A young priest from a grape-growing family in Álava, who studied winemaking in Bayonne (French Basque country).
1785-86: he travelled to Bordeaux, studied winemaking, brought racking for clarification and ageing in oak barrels to Rioja.
It didn’t stick. Legislation required all Rioja for export to have uniform pricing, and oak ageing was popular but cost prohibitive (eventually Luciano Murrieta achieved this in 19C).
Who was/is: Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves?
1864: he purchased cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot; planted them at Vega Sicilia estate in Ribera del Duero to blend in small quantities with Tempranillo.
1876: supplying Spanish royal family.
1929: high honours at World’s Fair in Barcelona.
Award winning wines, iconic winery to this day, attracted investment to Castilla y León.
Who was/is: Josep Raventós i Fatjó?
1860s: was promoting the still wines of Cordoníu in Europe, visited Champagne.
Then phylloxera devastated Penedès, replanted with indigineous white grapes.
1872: Raventós created Spain’s first sparkling wine, using método tradicional.
Who was/is: Arnald de Villanova?
1285: Arnaud de Villeneuve (in French), a physician/alchemist in Montpellier, discovered mutage (adding spirit to must to obtain stable sweet wine).
Who was/is: Doña Teresa?
1124: Doña Teresa, daughter of Portugese King Alphonse VI, referenced the site for a monastery: Rovoyra Sacrata.
1608: a Benedictine monk mistranscribed this as Riboyra Sacrata, which became Ribeira Sacra, now a DO in Galicia.
Who was/is: Alejandro Fernández?
Until the 1970s, Ribeira del Duero’s success was limited to Vega Sicilia making Tempranillo blended with red Bordeaux varieties.
Alejandro Fernández created single-varietal Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) wines from grapes grown around the village of Pesquera de Duero. The international success inspired others, DO was awarded in 1982, and today most producers use 100% Tempranillo.
Who was/is: Francisco Hurtado de Amézaga y Dolagaray?
1970s: while director of Rioja’s Marques de Riscal, he chose Verdejo and Rueda to make crisp, fresh, fruit-forward white wine. Verdejo is today the signature grape of DO Rueda.
Who was/is: Marqués de Riscal?
(Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga, 6th Marquess of Riscal)
19C: exiled in Bordeaux during Carlist Wars, learned winemaking there. On returning to Rioja he swapped notes with Luciano Murrieta (Marqués de Murrieta) and improved Rioja wine quality and exports.
Who was/is: Manuel Raventós Domènech?
Son of Josep Raventós i Fatjó (who made Spain’s first sparkling wine in 1872).
1888: made sparkling wine from Xarel.lo, Macabeo, Parellada, still the three dominant grapes for cava today.
Who were/are:
René Barbier
Alvaro Palacios
Carlos Pastrana
Dafne Glorian
José Luis Pérez?
1980s: recognised Priorat’s potential, made high quality wines from its unique terroir to international fame. Priorat was classified DOQ in 2000 by the Catalan government, nationally in 2009.
Who was/is: Don Fernán Yáñez Palomino?
The grape Palomino is believed to be named after this knight, who fought beside King Alfonso X (1221-84). Alfonso X captured Jerez from the Moors in 1261.
Name three people who were instrumental in bringing Bordeaux winemaking techniques to Rioja
Baldomero Esparto
Luciano Murrieta
Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga, 6th Marquess of Riscal
In the 18C, who introduced ageing in small oak barrels to Rioja, ultimately unsuccessfully?
Don Manuel Quintano
