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WSET level 3 2020 > Regions of Spain - Red > Flashcards

Regions of Spain - Red Flashcards

1
Q

What are the six geographical regions the principal DO regions can be grouped into?

A 
the Upper Ebro,
Catalunya,
the Duero Valley,
the North West,
the Levante
Castilla-La-Mancha
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2
Q

What is the term most commonly used for regions designated for the production of PGI wines?

A

Vino de la Tierra (VdlT)

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3
Q

What is the most extensive Vino de le Tierra region and what is it near?

A

Castilla y Leon

Meseta Central

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4
Q

What are the three sub-regions of Rioja?

A

Rioja Oriental
Rioja Alta
Rioja Alavesa

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5
Q

Which Rioja region is based in the Cantabrian foothills?

A

Rioja Alavesa

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6
Q

Which river is Rioja associated with?

A

the Ebro

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7
Q

What do Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Alta have in common? (2)

A

Elevation and Atlantic moderation/influence

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8
Q

What shields Rioja from the worst of Atlantic weather?

A

Cantabrian Mountains

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9
Q

Which is the largest subregion in Rioja? What grape does best here?

A

Rioja Oriental

Garnacha

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10
Q

Most finessed could describe Rioja wine from which subregion?

A

Rioja Alavesa

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11
Q

Describe the climate in Rioja Oriental in comparison with the West sub-regions

A

Less maritime
hotter summers
more severe winters
low annual rainfall - drought

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12
Q

What is the most planted grape in Rioja?

What sort of fruit flavours and tannin does it bring to blends?

A

Tempranillo

Red fruit, medium tannins

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13
Q

What does Garnacha bring to Rioja blends?

A

Body and Alcohol

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14
Q

Which two grapes play a supporting role in Rioja blends?

A

Mazuelo and Graciano

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15
Q

What process may winemakers employ to make an early-drinking style Rioja with bright red fruit and low levels of smooth tannin?

A

Semi-carbonic maceration

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16
Q

What are two techniques used to make heavily-extracted Rioja? Describe the colour and fruit style of these wines

A

Extended maceration
Vigorous cap management
Deep colour, full fruit flavour

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17
Q

Are many making more elegant, subtle Rioja reds?

A

Yes

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18
Q

Oak maturation has a defining role in Rioja. What type of oak was traditionally used and what type is increasingly more common? Why are they using this type?

A

American, many shifting to French or other European oak

To impart more subtle spice aromas

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19
Q

Which region shares Riojas north-eastern border? What is the climate like here compared to Rioja?

A

Navarra DO

Similar climate but becomes cooler and wetter near the mountains

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20
Q

What is the most widely planted grape in Navarra DO? What is it blended with traditionally, and increasingly?

A

Tempranillo
Traditionally: Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano
Increasingly: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

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21
Q

Are all designation styles made in Navarra DO? Up to high quality Gran Riservas?

A

Yes

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22
Q

Rose is made in Navarra in what style? What grapes are used? What level of alcohol?

A

Refreshing, fruity style
Garnacha
Medium alcohol

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23
Q

Which two Upper Ebro DOs are south of the Ebro River?

A

Carinena and Calatayud

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24
Q

What is the climate for both Carinena and Calatayud? What is low here?

A

Warm, continental with low rainfall

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25
Q

What is the main grape in both Carinena and Calatayud?

A

Garnacha

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26
Q

Inexpensive wines from Calatayud and Carinena are fruity and early-drinking. What differentiates higher-quality wines in terms of grape-growing? What quality do these wines possess?

A 
Old Vine (Garnacha and Carinena grapes)
Greater flavour intensity and structure
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27
Q

Which corner of Spain does Catalunya occupy?

A

North-East

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28
Q

Below which major city are most vineyards located in Catalunya? What is the landscape like here?

A

Barcelona

Coastal plain with hills to the west

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29
Q

Why does Catalunya have a generic DO, Catalunya DO?

A

largely to enable the blending of wines from different areas to create significant volumes of branded wine.

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30
Q

What are the 2 smaller DOs that exist within Catalunya?

A

Penedes and Priorat

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31
Q

Penedes stretches from the coast up into the hills. What are it’s three distinct climatic zones? How do they differ?

A

Coastal plain - hottest, mediterranean climate
Valleys - slighty cooler, still warm
Hills - Moderate due to altitude (up to 800m)

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32
Q

What kind of grapes are planted in Penedes? What is Tempranillo called here?

A

Cava grapes
International Varieties (Gewurtz, Chardy, Sauvy B, Merlot, Cab Sauv, Pinot Noir)
Tempranillo, here called Ull de Llebre

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33
Q

Describe summers and annual rainfall in Priorat

A

Hot, long, dry summers

Low annual rainfall

34
Q

What type of vines are found in Priorat?

A

Old bush vine Garnacha and Carinena

35
Q

What are the best soils in Priorat called? Describe them

A

llicorella, consist of layers of red slate with particles of reflective mica throughout.

36
Q

What are the best soils in Priorat called and why are they so beneficial for the growing and ripening of Garnacha and Carinena?

A

llicorella are deep soils. They retain and reflect heat well while being able to conserve water.

37
Q

What are night time temperatures like in Priorat

38
Q

What contributes to the very low yields and thus complexity/concentration of Priorat vines?

A

Old vines

Low nutrient soil

39
Q

What is the topography of best vineyard sites in Priorat?

A

Steep-sloped

40
Q

Why are Priorat wines never cheap?

A

Difficult hand harvest (slopes and bushvines)
Low yields (old vines, low nutrient soil)
They good

41
Q

What are the DOs of the Duero Valley?

A

Ribera del Duero
Toro
Rueda

42
Q

What cuts off Ribera del Duero from any maritime influence?

A

Ring of Mountains

43
Q

What are summers like in Ribera del Duero? What are the winters like?

A

Short, hot, dry summers

Very cold winters

44
Q

Why is the altitude of Ribera del Duero important?

A

Ensures cool night-time temperatures, aiding in acid and fresh-fruit-flavour retention (particularly important as many of the best wines from here are varietal Tempranillo which is naturally lower in acid)

45
Q

What colour grapes are grown in Ribera del Duero?

46
Q

What is the most prominent grape in Ribera del Duero? What style wines are produced with it?

A

Tempranillo (best wines are varietal)

Dark coloured, high tannin, new-oak-aged (for relatively short periods).

47
Q

What practices are common-place when making Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero?

A

Long maceration, relatively short maturation in new oak (increasingly more French oak than American being used).

48
Q

What other grapes are allowed in Ribera del Duero DO?

A

Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Malbec and Merlot.

49
Q

What is Garnacha used for in Ribera del Duero mostly? Is this a major wine style here?

A

Rose wine-making

Not major but follows DO laws

50
Q

Which Do neighbours Ribera del Duero and has a similar climate?

51
Q

What is the predominate grape in Toro?

A

Tempranillo

52
Q

Reds from Toro DO are generally? (body, flavour, alcohol)

A

Full-bodied with intense fruit flavours and high in alcohol

53
Q

What kind of vine training is common in Toro DO?

54
Q

What grape is generally included in Joven Toro DO wines?

A

Tempranillo blended with portions of Garnacha

55
Q

There age-worthy Reservas and Gran Reservas from Toro DO. Describe them when young

A

Highly Tannic, deeply coloured

56
Q

Is there rose production in Toro?

57
Q

Which region in the North West produces elegant red wines?

58
Q

What is the key red grape in Bierzo? What is the climate and cooling influence here?

A

Mencia
Moderate climate
Maritime influence

59
Q

Describe Mencia from Bierzo (acid, fruit)

A

High acid
Red fruit aromas
Elegant

60
Q

Is Mencia often oaked? Why?

A

Yes, to add toasty aromas (but some producers make unoaked wines to preserve perfumed qualities of Mencia).

61
Q

What kind of terrain are the best wines of Bierzo often grown on? What kind of vine training is used here?

A

Stony, steep slopes

Bush vine

62
Q

Which DOs fall under The Levante grouping?

A

Jumilla
Yecla
Valencia

63
Q

What is the predominant grape in The Levante (Jumilla, Yecla, Valencia)?

A

Monastrell

64
Q

Which region in The Levante is known for value-for-money wines?

65
Q

What kind of climate would you find in Jumilla and Yecla? What grape thrives here?

A

Hot, Arid climate

Monastrell

66
Q

What style of Monastrell is generally produced in Jumilla and Yecla?

A

Youthful and fruity

67
Q

Which group of DOs accounts for almost half of Spain’s total wine production? What are the two DOs here?

A

Castilla-La Mancha:
La Mancha
Valdepenas

68
Q

What grapes have authorities encouraged the planting of in La Mancha?

A

Tempranillo (Cencibel) and international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

69
Q

What has been heavily invested in in La Mancha? what has this resulted in?

A

Technology and expertise

Well-made wines for the export market

70
Q

What is the law-defined category for single estates with high reputations?

A

Vino de Pago (VP)

71
Q

Where are most Vino de Pago estates found?

72
Q

What is the main black grape in Valdepenas? What is it sometimes blended with here?

A

Tempranillo

International varieties

73
Q

Which DO has the higher reputation, La Mancha or Valdepenas?

A

Valdepenas

74
Q

How long does a DO have to be standing to earn DOCa status?

A

At least 10 years

75
Q

Which two regions have achieved DOCa status?

A

Priorat and Rioja

76
Q

What term does Priorat use to label it’s DOCa status?

77
Q

What is the common term for PGI wines in Spain?

A

Vino de la Tierra (VdlT)

78
Q

Total ageing and minimum time in barrel for Joven reds (months)

A

0 total

0 oak

79
Q

Total ageing and minimum time in barrel for Crianza reds (months)

A

24 total

6 oak

80
Q

Total ageing and minimum time in barrel for Reserva reds (months)

A

36 total

12 oak

81
Q

Total ageing and minimum time in barrel for Gran Riserva reds (months)

A

60 total

18 oak

82
Q

When are Gran Riservas made?

A

Only exceptional vintages

WSET level 3 2020 (41 decks)

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