Spain Flashcards
Glass for SHERRY
Copita- 2.3 to 3 ounce measures
Iconic Sherry producer
Valdespino
Climate of Sherry
A lot of sun, hot and humid
- Mediterranean Climate with low seasonal rainfall
- Mild Winters and Extremely Hot Summers
Levante Wind - is Hot Dry wind from the East
Poniente Wind - is Hunid Atlantic Wind
The Poniente wind alternates with the howling Levante wind, promoting the growth of Flor, a film-forming yeast necessary in the maturation of Sherry
Describe the Solera System and the role it plays
Solera System - is a method for Fractional Blending used for making Sherry
- old wine is constantly refreshed with younger wine to ensure consistency
- wine is take from cask in one criadera and blended into a cask from the next
- this is critical for the eveness of the product
- Saca y Rocio “running the scales”
Saca = to remove wine (legally can never remove more than 1/3 of the Solera per saca)
Rocio = to refill wine
Grape Varities used in Sherry
3 White Grapes are authorized for the production of Sherry:
- Palomino -
- Pedro Ximenez (PX) - for sweet wine or blending
- Moscatel - for sweet wine and or blending
Soil used for Sherry
Albariza Soil - very chalky with high levels of calcium and limestone
- highly porous, retaining moisture during hot summer months and dries as a crust on surface, protecting moisture below
- considered the best soil for Palomino grape
Barros soil
Barros Soil - is dark brown valley soils with clay content
- best for Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel grapes that are used to grow Sherry
Arenas Soil
Arenas Soil - yellowish soils with high sand content, one of the three soils used to grow Sherry grapes
Top Sherry Producers
Lustau
Emilio Hidalgo
Equipo Navazos
Tio Pepe
Valdespino - iconic producer
Bodegas Tradicion
El Maestro Sierra
Fernando de Castilla
Gonzalez Byass
Main style and flavors of the various sherries made
Fino - Biological Aging (uses Foor)
Oloroso - Oxidative Aging (does not use Flor)
Sherry Location
Southwest Spain in Andalucia
2 DOs:
Jerez-Xerxes-Sherry DO
Manzanilla—Sanlucar de Barrameda DO
Sherry Triangle: 3 main towns
- Jerez de la Frontera
- Sanlucar de Barrameda
- El Puerto de Santa Maria
Describe what Flor is & the function it plays in making Sherry
Flor is a Saccharomyces Yeast
- it grows in the surface of casks with no more than 15.5% alcohol
- it lives off nutrients in the wine and affects color - by metabolizing GLYCERIN, ALCOHOL & Volatile Acid
- requires specific temperatures (59-86F) & moisture conditions to grow
- low sulphur & tannins
- grows in spring and fall and year round in coastal areas
Spain Quality Levels
DOCa - 1st DOC awarded to Rioja in 1991, Priorat added in 2000 DO VCIG VdIT Vino
Name the 2 DOCa regions in Spain
Rioja DOCa (awarded in 1991) & Priorat DOCa (awarded in 2000)
- Spain only allowed two appellations with DOCa, the highest qualities
Vinos de Pago (DO Pago) Category
- single estates only (17 of them)
- subclassification of DO level, with each estate guiding its own production
Principal red grape of Rioja
Tempranillo - 75%
Garnacha - 15%
Graciano
Mazuelo (Carinera)
Principal white grape of Rioja
Viura (Macabeo)
Malvasia
Garnacha Blanca
What is considered the best region of Rioja? Describe the soil type there?
Rioja Alta - considered best region
Clay soils with chalk and iron deposits
Chalky Soils - best for white varieties (Viura)
Iron Rich Soil - best for Tempranillo
Principal red grape of Navarra DO
Garnacha and Tempranillo
Also grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir
White grapes include: Chardonnay, Viura (Macabeo), Malvasia
Top Rioja Producers
Lopez de Heredia
Marques de Murrieta
Marques de Riscal
Bodegas Muga
La Rioja Alta
Artadi (modernist)
Bodegas Rosa (modernist)
Tempranillo Grape
Sight: Garnet to Medium Ruby, Light to Moderate Staining
Aromas and Flavors:
Fruit: Red - Cherry, Strawberry, Currant, Plum. Black - Currant, Blackberry
Herbal: Tobacco, Dried herbs
Other: Soy, Leather, Brettanomyces
Earth: Organic - Compost, Forest Floor. inorganic - Clay, Mineral
Oak: use of New American or Mixed American/French Barrels (Vanilla, Coconut, Dill, Cumin, Curry, Sandalwood)
Structure: Dry, Full Body, Medium to Med+ Tannins, Medium to high Acidity, Medium to High Alcohol, Moderate to Complex
Rioja Aging Requirements
Generic or “Joven” - no aging requirements
Crianza Rioja -
red (2 yrs, minimum 1 year in oak) white/rose (2 years, minimum 6months in oak)
Reserva Rioja -
Red ( min 3yrs, minimum 1yr in oak, at least 6 months in bottle).
White/Rose (2yrs, min 6 months in barrel)
Sparkling - 24months on Lees
Gran Riserva Rioja
Red: 5 years (minimum 2 years in OAK & 2 years in BOTTLE)
White/Rose: 5 years (minimum 6 months in barrel)
gran Anada Rioja
Sparkling: 5 years (min 6 months in barrel)
Name the DO for traditional method sparkling wine and the principal grapes
Cava DO in Catalonia
- is Spain’s only traditional method sparkling wine DO
- produced mostly in Penedes (95%), but DO locations are spread through several autonomias (regions)
Main White Grape Varieties in Cava:
- Parellada
- Xarel-lo
- Macabeo
- Chardonnay
Aging Requirements:
- Cava: minimum 9 months on Lees
- Riserva: min 15 months on Lees
- Gran Riserva: min 30 months in the Lees
Grapes used in Cava
White Grapes:
- Parellada
- Xarel-lo
- Macabeo
- Chardonnay
Tempranillo Synonyms
- Tinto Madrid - Rioja DOCa
- Ull de Llebre - Penedes DO
- Tinta Fino - Ribera del Duero DO
- Tinta del Pais - Ribera del Duero DO
- Tinta de Toro - Toro DO
- Cencibel - Castilla-La Mancha
- Aragonez - Alentejo, Portugal
- Tinta Roriz - Douro, Portugal
State the region and style of wines from Txakolina DO
Pais Vasco Region
Style: Light, Fresh and Tart, acidic and good minerality
Name the principal grape of Rias Baixas and identify the region it’s located within
Rias Baixas DO is within the Galicia Region
Main Grape: Albariño - Dry, Fresh, Crisp (High acidity)
Principal red grapes of Priorat
Garnacha & Cariñena
- both are indigenous to Spain and were later take to France
- other include Cabernet and Syrah
What’s the DO within Valencia and describe its typical style of wine
Alicante DO - known for dessert wines
Vega Sicilia - what’s the DO of the producer and the style and quality of the wine?
Producer: Vega Sicilia
Region: Castilla y Leon
DO: Ribera del Duero DO
Vega Sicilia - was historically the regions premier wine, called Unico - which was blended from Tinto del Pais (Tempranillo) + Cabernet Sauvignon + Merlot
This is the pinnacle of quality wine and the style is dry, earthy style
Gratallops Project
The Gratallops Project is what put Priorat on the map in regards to quality wine production
In which DO will you find wines made from the Albariño grape?
Rías Baixas DO
Northwest Spain
Priorat DOQ produces which of the following styles of wine?
Powerful, dry red wines
Which aspect of topography affects the climate of Ribera del Duero?
- Strong Diurnal Difference
- Warm to Hot Summers
- High Elevation of the Meseta
The main white grape variety of Rueda is?
Verdejo
Priorat
- dedicated to red wine production
- dry temperate climate
- stony schistous soils
- Llicorella - black slate and quartzite soil found in the best vineyards of Priorat
Top Priorat Producers
Clos Mogador
Clos Erasmus
Clos Martinet
Scala Dei
Vall Llach
Alvaro Palacios
