North-Central Spain Flashcards
Which three autonomías are part of “North-Central Spain”?
Navarra, La Rioja, Aragón
What are the mountain ranges that influence N-C Spain?
Pyrenees Mountains (Northeast) Cantabrian Mountains (Northwest) Ibérico Mountains (South)
What is the river that flows through N-C Spain? Where does it start and end?
Ebro River. Western Cantabian mountains to the Mediterranean.
Where does Rioja derive it’s name?
The Oja tributary of the Ebro river.
What was the first DOCa in Spain? When was it granted?
Rioja. 1991.
How long has wine been produced in Rioja?
Over 2000 years.
Who was the monk that wrote about Rioja in the 13th century?
Gonzalo de Berceo
Which wines from Berceo are named after Gonzalo de Berceo?
Reserva and Gran Reserva bottlings
When did the “traditional style” of Rioja emerge? What are the characteristics of the style?
1800s (due to phylloxera and French influence). Soft, muted fruit, firm acidity, American oak.
What is the “modern style” of Rioja? What are it’s characteristics?
More extraction, riper and darker fruit, French oak aging.
What are the common blending grapes of Tempranillo in Rioja?
Mazuelo, Graciano, Garnacha.
What is the French synonym for Mazuelo?
Carignan
What was the most recent grape authorized for the red Rioja blend? When was it authorized?
Maturana Tinta. 2007.
What are the varietal requirement for red Rioja?
Min 95% authorized red grapes (if destemmed). Min 85% authorized red grapes (if whole cluster or whole berry). Authorized red grapes: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo, Graciano, Maturana Tinta
What are the authorized red grapes for red Rioja?
Mazuelo, Graciano, Garnacha, Maturana Tinta.
What is the dominant white grape variety of Rioja?
Viura
What is the synonym for Viura?
Macabéo
What are the 9 permitted grape varieties of Rioja blanca?
Viura, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo, Malvasía, Garnacha Blanca, Tempranillo Blanca, Maturana Blanca, Turruntés
What is the synonym for Turruntés?
Torrontés Riojano
Which N-C Spain wine regions share more strict aging requirements?
Rioja and Ribera del Duero
What are the aging requirements for red Crianza wines in Rioja and Ribera del Duero?
Minimum 2 years aging, with 1 year in oak.
What are the aging requirements for red Reserva wines in Rioja and Ribera del Duero?
Minimum 3 years aging (w/ 1 year in oak & 6 months in bottle)
What are the aging requirements for red Gran Reserva wines in Rioja and Ribera del Duero?
Minimum 60 months aging (w/ 24 months in oak & 24 months in bottle)
What are the three subzones of Rioja?
Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja)
Which Rioja sub-zone is part of Basque Country?
Rioja Alavesa
What style of wine is often made in Rioja Alavesa?
Vino Joven. The wines occasionally see carbonic maceration.
Where is Rioja Alavesa located?
Northwestern Rioja, in the foothills of the Cantabrian mountains and along the north bank of the Ebro.
Where is Rioja Alta located?
Southwestern Rioja, along the south bank of the Ebro River.
What is the prominent soil type of Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa?
Calcareous Clay
What is the prominent soil type of Rioja Oriental?
Alluvial soil and ferrous clay.
List the sub-zones of Rioja from coolest to hottest.
Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta, Rioja Oriental
Which grape variety performs best in Rioja Oriental?
Garnacha
What was the first vintage bottled as Reserva by Lopez de Heredia?
1890
In which sub-zone of Rioja is Viña Tondonia located?
Rioja Alta
In which sub-zone of Rioja is Viña Bosconia located? What grape was historically planted there?
Rioja Alavesa. Historically planted to Pinot Noir, but not predominantly Tempranillo (plus ~26% Garnacho, Mazuelo, and Graciano).
When was single vineyard bottling added to Spanish wine law?
2018
What are single vineyards called in Spain?
Viñedos Singlulares
What is the minimum vine age for single vineyards in N-C Spain?
35 years
What is the designation for Traditional Method sparkling wine in Rioja?
Vino Espumoso Calidad
What dosage levels are permitted for Rioja Vino Espumoso de Calidad?
Brut Nature, Extra-Brut, Brut
Where is Navarra DO located in relation to Rioja?
Northeast
What style of wine is Navarra most known for?
Rosado
What are the primary grape varieties of Navarra?
Garnacha and Tempranillo
What is the most planted white grape of Navarra?
Chardonnay
What percentage of Navarra is planted to white grapes?
~7%
What are the five sub-zones of Navarra from highest elevation to lowest elevation?
Valdizarve Baja Montaña Tierra Estella Ribera Alta Ribera Baja
What are the DO Pago appellations of Navarra?
Señiorio de Arínzano, Prado Irache, Bodegas Otazu
Where is Aragon located?
Along the southern foothills of the Pyrenees, between Navarra and Catalunya
What are the four DOs of Aragon?
Campo de Borja, Calatayud, Cariñena, Somontano
Which nearby wine regions share the same climate as Campo de Borja DO?
Navarra’s Ribera Baja & Rioja Oriental
Which grape performs best in Campo de Borja DO?
Garnacha (~2/3 of regional plantings)
Which DO in Aragon is in the foothills of the Pyrenees?
Somontano
Which three DOs of Aragon are clustered further southwest?
Campo de Borja, Calatayud, Cariñena
What is the oldest delimited zone in Spain? When was it delimited?
Cariñena. 1932.
What are the ancestral grapes of Cariñena?
Mazuelo
What is the Catalan name for Mazuelo?
Samsó
What is the French synonym for Mazuelo?
Carignan
What is the translation for Somontano?
“Beneath the mountain”
What are the important indigenous white and red varieties of Somontano?
Alcañón (white)
Parraleta (red)
