North Central Spain

Question 1

What are the three autonomias of North Central Spain?

Answer 1

Navarra
La Rioja
Aragón

Question 2

What are the two mountain ranges that shelter North Central Spain? Which direction are each?

Answer 2

Pyrenees Mountains in the northeast and Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest

Question 3

What river runs through Rioja? In which direction?

Answer 3

Ebro River emerges from western Cantabrian Mountains and flows southeasterly towards the Mediterranean.

Question 4

What is Rioja named after?

Answer 4

The Oja river (a small tributary of the Ebro)

Question 5

What was the first DOC of Spain? When?

Answer 5

Rioja in 1991

Question 6

What are the main red grapes of Rioja?

Percentage requirements?

Answer 6

Tempranillo
Secondary Red Grapes: Mazuelo (Carignan), Graciano, Garnacha, and Maturana Tinta (Trousseau) (authorized for Rioja in 2007)
—must comprise a min 95% if destemmed, min 85% if whole clusters or whole berries are used.
“Experimental” grapes (such as Cab Sauv) may make up the remainder.

Question 7

What are the main white grapes of Rioja?

Answer 7

Principle: Viura, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo
Secondary: Malvasía, Garnacha Blanca, Tempranillo Blanca, Maturana Blanca, Turruntés
**100% authorized white grapes only, only principal grapes may account for more than 50% of the blend.

Recent changes BEFORE 2018:
Principal: Viura (Macabeo), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Turruntès

Secondary: Malvasia, Garnacha Blanca, Tempranillo Blanca, Maturana Blanca

• only principal grapes may account for more than 50% of the blend
• *”Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Verdejo combined must account for less than 50% of the blend, has been lifted”

Question 8

Traditional aging requirements for Spanish wines whites and reds:

Crianza
Reserva
Gran Reserva

Answer 8

Blanco/Rosado:
Crianza: 18 months (Rioja 2 yr/RDD Rosado 18 months) including 6 months in cask
Reserva: 2 yrs (6 months in cask)
Gran Reserva: 4 yrs (6 months in cask)

Tinto:
Crianza: 2 yrs (including 6 months in cask) (Rioja and RDD 1yr cask)
Reserva: 3 years (1 year in cask)
Gran Reserva: 5 yrs (including 18 months in cask); Rioja and RDD (24 months in oak and 24 months in bottle (changed from 36 months))

All cask requirements max 330 liters. (Rioja 225 liters

Question 9

What are the three extra aging terminologies for Spanish wines beyond crianza, reserva, gran reserva?

Answer 9

Noble:18 months in a cask of less than 600 L or bottle
Añejo: 24 months in a cask of less than 600 L or bottle
Viejo: 36 months, demonstrates marked oxidative character

Question 10

What is the minimum precentage of red grapes allowed for rosado wines in Rioja?

Answer 10

25%

Question 11

What size cask must be used in Rioja?

Answer 11

225 liter…size of barrique.

Question 12

What are the three subzones of Rioja?
What autonomia are each in?
Describe the soil type and style for each.

Answer 12

—Rioja Alta (La Rioja) Southwestern zone, most classic, ageworthy wines. (soils consist of yellow calcareous clay in the north and reddish, iron-rich clay south of the Ebro River.
—Rioja Alavesa (Pais Vasco) smallest, northernmost, vin joven wine for early consumption, possible use of carbonic. Highest concentration of calcareous clay, the dominant soil type between the Cantabrian Mountains and the north bank of the Ebro River.
—
Many producers blend from all three subregions to create a base style.
Rioja Alavesa=Freshness
Rioja Baja (Rioja Oriental)=Extract and warmth
Rioja Alta=Acidity and structure

Question 13

What are the 5 subzones of Navarra?

Grapes used in Navarra?

Answer 13

Subzones based on climate
—Baja Montana- (NE) cooler slopes close to the Pyrenean foothills
—Valdizarbe “Val-day-zar-bay” (most northern)
—Tierra Estella “Tea-air-ah Es-stay-ya” (NW)
*2 subzones above slightly warmer
—Ribera Alta-Center of the region
—Ribera Baja-round the city of Tudela in the south; contains 30% of Navarra’s vineyards and traditionally the most important of the 5 subzones.

Garnacha dominates, but Tempranillo is increasing.

Question 14

What are the three DO pago appellations of Navara?

Answer 14

Señorio de Arínzano and Prado Irache in Tierra Estella, and Bodegas Otazu in Valdizarbe.

Question 15

What are the four DOs of Aragon?

Answer 15

Campo de Borja DO (High-altitude old bush-vine Garnacha)

Calatayud DO (home to some of Spains most successful co-op's, notably San Gregorio)
Cariñena (longstanding delimited zone, 1932; ancestral home of Carignan/Mazuelo)
Somontano "at the foot of the moutain", young and up-and-coming DO

Question 16

What is the minimum abv of Calatayud Superior?

Answer 16

14%

In the autonomia of Aragon. Min 85% Grenache and min 50 yr old vines.

Question 17

What is the “Viñas Viejas” in Calatayud?

Answer 17

Old vine designation at least 35 years of age.

Question 18

What is Mazuela/mazuelo?

Answer 18

Synonym for Carignan. Found in Rioja

Question 19

Who produces Prado Enea

Answer 19

Bodegas Muga

Question 20

What is the new sparkling wine classification from Rioja?
Assemblage?
Aging?
Name five other requirements?

Answer 20

Vino Espumoso Calidad: Traditional Method Blanco or Rosado in Rioja following the same assemblage requirements as still Blanco and Rosado:
Blanco: (100% authorized white grapes, only principal grapes may account for more than 50% of the blend )
Rosado: (min. 25% combined Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Garnacha Tinta, Maturana Tinta and Graciano )

—Vino Espumosa Calidad: min. 15 months on the lees from the date of tirage prior to disgorgement
—Vino Espumosa Calidad Reserva min. 24 months on the lees from the date of tirage prior to disgorgement
—Vino Espumosa Gran Añada: min 36 months on the lees from the date of tirage prior to disgorgement. Must come entirely from a single vintage, and state the vintage on the label.

—Traditional Method
—Only manual harvesting
—entire process from the primary fermentation to the labeling post disgorgement before release must take place in the same location. The wine may not be relocated or transported at any time.
—No additions, coloring or filtration at any point throughout the production
—Transfer method is approved for bottle sizes smaller than 750 ml and larger than 3 L

Question 21

Requirements for single vineyard wines in Rioja? (4)

Answer 21

—Single Vineyards to appear on labels must be approved by the regulatory board, and be a minimum of 35 years old.
—The harvest of grapes destined for a single vineyard wine must be communicated to the Consejo Regulador prior to harvest.
—All single vineyard wines must be manually harvested. The arrival of this fruit, along with its weight must be entered into the ‘Tarjeta de Viticultor’ and submitted to the Consejo Regulador for review.
—The Consejo Regulador may assume control of a vineyard destined to be singularly labeled from July 1st to ensure that it is not manipulated, and that it corresponds to the yield and farming requirements.

Question 22

What are the permitted training techniques for Rioja? (4)

Answer 22

• -Cordon (single or double)
• -“en vaso” (bush vines)
• -“vara y pulgar”
• -Double Guyot (may be used for all white varieties except Viura, Malvasía, and Garnacha Blanca.)

Question 23

What is the difference between the use of a burgundy or bordeaux bottle in Rioja production?

Answer 23

When a producer bottles different wines in both burgundy- and bordeaux-shaped bottles, the burgundy-shaped bottle will always have richer, more generous character, and usually a little more alcohol.
Not a legal requirment–just tradition.

i.e. Lopez, CUNE, La Rioja Alta, or Bodega Riojana

Question 24

What is the oldest registered white wine in Spain?

When was it established?

Answer 24

CVNE Monopole: 100% Viura. The grapes are pressed gently, then fermented in stainless steel at controlled temperatures. This is the oldest white wine brand in Spain. Inaugural vintage 1915.