SPAIN Flashcards
What factors influence the climate of Spain?
Atlantic Ocean
The Mediterrean Sea
The mountains such as
Cantabrian,
Pyrenees,
Massif Sentral
The great rivers like
Tejo,
Ebro,
Guadalquivir (?),
Duero
Average elevation in Spain is appr. 600 m. asl, so altitude is an influencing factor in Spanish winemaking
How is the quality structure in Spain arranged?
Like a pyramid, from top to bottom:
DOP
Denominación de Origen Protegida is the highest quality, consisting of following four categories:
DOCa (Rioja, Priorat) - most strict
Denominación de Origen Calificada
DO - strict
Denominación de Origen
VP - not fully recognised in ES
Vino de Pago
VC-
Vino de Calidad con Indicación geográfica
IGP - connected to a defined geographical area
Indicación Geografica Protegida
VT - country wine
Vino de la Tierra
VdM - tablewine
Vino de Mesa
Vinos de Pagos (Vineyard level)
DOCa Denominación de Origen e Calificada (only Rioja, Priorat)
DO Denominación de Origén (Quality stamp)
Vinos de la Tierra (Simple table wine)
NB: Quality does NOT equal aging requirements,
Name the wine districts of Spain and their location
Pénedes, Catalunya
Priorat, Catalunya
Valencia, Mediterrean coast
Valdepenas ?
Jumila, SW of Valencia
Andalucia, South tip of Spain
Castilla-La Mancha, Innland
Extremadura, Innland not far from border to Portugal
Rias Baixas, NE Coast by Atalantic Ocean
Bierzo, NE of Rias Baixas, innland - rainshadow from Cantabrian mtn
Toro, by the Duero river, innland - rainshadow from Cantabrian mtn
Rueda ?
Ribera del Duero, by the Duero river, innland rainshadow from Cantabrian
mtn
Rioja, by the Ebro river, innland - rainshadow from Cantabrian mtn
Navarra, N of Rioja, by the Ebro river, innland - rainshadow from Cantabrian mtn
Name the principal varietals used and their synonyms
Pénedes
Parellada, Macabeo, Xarel-lo
Priorat
Parellada, Macabeo, Xarel-lo
Valencia: Grenache?
Jumila:
Jerez: Palomino Fino
La Mancha:
Extremadura:
Rias Baixas: Albarino
Bierzo:
Toro: Tinto de Toro (Tempranillo)
Ribera del Duero: Tinto del País (Tempranillo)
Rioja: Tempranillo
Navarra: Tempranillo
Explain the wine aging regime of Spain and the terms used
Joven
Crianza
Reserva
Gran Reserva
Spain, in general
Joven - no aging required
Crianza - 2 years
Reserva - 3 years
Gran Reserva - 5 years
Ribera del Duero
Joven - no aging required
Crianza - 2 years
Reserva - 3 years
Gran Reserva - 5 years
Rioja:
Joven - no aging required
Crianza - 2 years
Reserva - 3 years
Gran Reserva - 5 years
What are the principal grapes and wines of Rías Baixas?
Whites permitted:
Albarino +
Loureiro
Rias Baixas O Rosal
Treixadua
Few red wines on
Mencia
What are the principal grapes and wines of Navarra?
Garnacha Tinta +
TEM
CBS
MER
White on
Viura +
CHA
Malvasia
Medium dark reds, high in alcohol =
Côtes du Rhônes wines
Vinos de Pagos:
Senoriza Arinza
Prado Irache
Bodgas Otazu
What are the principal grapes and wines of Rioja?
TEM +
Garnacha
Graciano
Mazuelo
Maturana Tinta
Maturana Parda
Monastrell
CBS
Reds are oustanding quality
Oak casks, today both
American and French oak use
White grapes
Viura (Macabéo) +
Max 50 % of white blend:
Garnacha Blanca
CHA
SVB
Verdejo
Dry or medium sweet, fresh in style today
What are the principal grapes and wines of Toro?
Mainly red wines based on
GAR
Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo)
Whites on
Verdejo
Malvasia
What are the principal grapes and wines of Ribera del Duero?
Altitude of 700-800 m
Tinto del País (Tempranillo)
CBS
MER
Crianza
2 years maturation
1 year oak
Reserva + Gran Reserva
as for rest of Spain
Vega Sicilia made area famous
Dominio de Pingus
Pesquera
What are the principal grapes and wines of Penedes?
80 % white wines
Wide range of varietals, many indigenous
Ull de LLebre (Tempranillo)
Monastrell (Mourvédre)
Carinena (Carignan)
Macabéo (Viura)
Xarel-lo
Parellada +
CBS
MER
CHA
RIE
GEW
Miguel Torres introduced to Penedés
hygienic, controlled cool fermentation,
new grape varieties
different vine densities
What are the principal grapes and wines of Rueda?
One of the best wine producing region in Spain
730 m altitude
White:
Verdejo (min 50%) +
Viura (Macabeo)
SVB
Rueda Superiore
85 % min. Verdejo
Rueda red on:
TEM
CBS
MER
GAR
What are the principal grapes and wines of Priorat?
90 % is red wine
GAR
Carinena +
CBS
SYR
MER
TEM
dark, high-alcohol red wines, highly priced and of very high quality
Slightly maderized sweet, bitter dessert is produced, together with new, vibrant DVN
“Old vines” =
planted before 1945
Priorat DOQ - “normal vin” fra regionen
Priorat Vi de Vila DOQ - village vin
Priorat Vi de Paratge DOQ - 15 years old vines used
Priorat Vina classificada DOQ (Premier cru) - 20 year old vines used
Priorat Gran Vina classificada DOQ (Grand cru) - single vineyard, 35 years old vines used
What are the principal wines of Valdepenas?
White, stony soil with chalky subsoil, which retains water
Cencibel (Tempranillo)
Airén +
Macabéo
CHA
Verdejo
SVB
Moscatel
GAR
CBS
MER
SYR
Petit Verdot
Reds
high in ABV
What wine styles are dominant in Spain and what varietals are used?
All styles
White (Rias Baixas, Penedés)
Red (Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Priorat)
Sparkling (Penedés)
Sweet (Priorat)
Dry, oxidized style (Andalusia)
Many indigeous varietals (Priorat, Rueda)
and many imported grapes (Rioja, Penedés)
Varietals are
Tempranillo
CBS
Airén (brandy)
Albarino
Verdejo
Viura (Macabéo)
Palomino Fino
Explain Cava wine production
Traditional method
Harvesting-Pressing-1st fermentation- Basewine-Coupage(blending)-liqueur de tirage - 2nd fermentation (en rima) min. 12 months - riddling - degorgement - liqueur d`Expedition - cork and muselet
Coupage is blending
En rima is when
bottles are stored horisontally during 2nd fermentation (before riddling)
En punta is when
the riddling is finished and the bottle is turned upside-down
What terms are used on the labels?
Vino - wine
Año - year
Blanco - white
Tinto - red
Rosado - rosé
Seco - dry
Dulce - sweet
Bodega - winery
Vina - vineyard
Vino Generoso - a fortified wine
Vendimia - Harvest (vintage)
Cosecha - vintage year
Embotellado en la propiedad - estate bottled
Clarete - light red or rosé wine
Joven - young wine (little or no oak)
Roble - young wine with little time in oak
Noble - wine with 18 months in oak
Anejo - wine with 24 months in oak
Viejo - wine with 36 months in oak with
oxidative character flavours
What are the specific aging requirements for Rioja Wines?
Labelterms:
“Rioja Blanca” =
single varietal (Viura)
“Rioja” =
Blend from several zones
“Vinedos Singula” =
Wine from a single vineyard
Rioja Generico =
Under 15 months old
Rioja Crianza =
2 years min. aging - white 1 year
1 year in barrel - white 6 months
Rioja Reserva =
3 years min. aging - white 2 years
1 year in barrel - white 6 months
6 months in bottle
Rioja Gran Reserva =
Only made in exceptional years
5 years min aging - white 4 years
2 years in barrel - white 6 months
2 years in bottle - white 2 years
Espumosos de Calidad de Rioja (sparkling)
2 years on the lees, while
Gran Anada
3 years min. on the lees
Vintage espumosos mus be
hand-harvested
Barricas are oak and hold 225L
Explain main features of the DOCa´s of Spain
DOCa (DOQ in Catalan)
Denominación de Origen Calificada
Highest classification
Rioja (in Alto Ebro region) (1992?)
Priorat (2003)
Have to meet requirements of DO +
Ten years, minimum, since recognition as DO
Bottles sold from registered warehouse located in geographical area
Control system; quality, quantity incl
organoleptic controls
Only VP is allowed in same winery
Have a carthographic delimitation, by municipalities, of the land suitable for producing wines entiteld DOCa
What are the sub-districts of Rias Baixas?
Condado do Tea
O Rosal
Soutomaior
Ribeira do Ulla
Val do Salnés
What are the sub-districts of Navarra?
Baja Montana
Ribera Alta
Ribera Baja
Tierra Estella
Valdizarbe
What are the sub-districts of Penedes?
Divided in three sub-districts based on height
Baix-Penedés
low
up to 250 m
Medio/Mitja-Penedés
middle
250-500 m
Alt/Superior-Penedés
high
500-800 m
What are the sub-districts of Priorat?
Slate soil known as
Llicorella (lakrids)
Priorat DOQ is formed around 12 towns:
Bellmunt del Priorat
Gratallops
el Lloar
la Morera de Montsant
Porrera
Poboleda
Scala Dei
Torroja del Priorat
la Vilella Alta
la Vilella Baixa
and the grape growing zones of
Masos de Falset
Solanes del Molar
