Spain

Question 1

What are the only two DOCas of Spain?

Answer 1

Rioja and Priorat

Question 2

What is the climate in Rias Baixas like?

Answer 2

Maritime and humid

Question 3

What is the most planted grape in Rias Baixas?

Answer 3

Albarino (must be 100% if labeled with the variety)

Question 4

Where in Spain are Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Toro located?

Answer 4

North Central Spain

Question 5

Which are the three sub-regions of Rioja?

Answer 5

Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Baja

Question 6

What is the name of the river that flows through Rioja?

Answer 6

Ebro

Question 7

What are the two mountains that protect Rioja?

Answer 7

Pyrenees Mountains to the northeast and the Cantabrian Mountains to the northwest

Question 8

Which other grapes is tempranillo usually blended with in Rioja?

Answer 8

Garnacha, Graciano and Mozuelo (Carignan)

Question 9

What are the aging requirements for Rioja red wines?

Answer 9

Crianza: 2 years of age, at least 1 in oak
Reserva: 3 years of age, at least 1 in oak
Gran Reserva: 2 years in oak and 3 years in bottle

Question 10

Name a few of the top Rioja producers

Answer 10

Lopez de Heredia (classic / american oak), Muga (french and american oak), Marques de Caceres (french and american oak), Marques de Murrieta (french oak)

Question 11

Where are the highest elevation vineyards in Spain?

Answer 11

In the Ribera del Duero “mesetas” (2,500 feet)

Question 12

How is Tempranillo locally known in Ribera del Duero?

Answer 12

Tinto del Pais or Tinto Fino

Question 13

In which autonomia is Ribera del Duero located?

Answer 13

Castilla y Leon

Question 14

In which autonomia is Rias Baixas located?

Answer 14

Galicia

Question 15

In which Castilla y Leon DO is Mencia the main red grape?

Answer 15

Bierzo DO

Question 16

In which autonomia are Rueda DO and Toro DO located?

Answer 16

Castilla y Leon

Question 17

What are the two main white grapes of Rueda?

Answer 17

Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc

Question 18

What are the two main red grapes of Priorat DOCa?

Answer 18

Garnacha and Cariñena (Carignan)

Question 19

What is the main soil type of Priorat known as?

Answer 19

Llicorella (mix of black slate and quartz)

Question 20

95% of Cava is produced within which region?

Answer 20

Penedes

Question 21

Cava DO is a designation to a style of wine rather than a delimited region.

True or False

Answer 21

True

Question 22

What are the five grapes allowed in Cava?

Answer 22

Parellada, Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Chardonnay and Malvasia

Question 23

How is Mourvedre known as in Spain?

Answer 23

Monastrell

Question 24

What are the two DOs dedicated to the production of sherry?

Answer 24

Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda

Question 25

In which autonomia is Sherry produced?

Answer 25

Andalucia

Question 26

What are the two winds that form the "flor" in Jerez?

Answer 26

Levante wind (hot, dry) and the Poniente (humid)

Question 27

What are the main soil types of Jerez?

Answer 27

Albariza (chalky, limestone-rich soil - best soil for sherry production), barros and arenas

Question 28

Which are the three white grapes allowed for Sherry production?

Answer 28

Palomino (most important by far), Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel

Question 29

The must destined for Sherry production is divided in which three categories?

Answer 29

70 liters can be pressed out of 100kg of grapes which aredivided in: Primera yema (first 60% - 70% of the pressed juice), segunda yema and mosto prensa. These are all fermented separately

Question 30

How is Sherry wine classified just after the fermentation process?

Answer 30

Palo (will produce Fino or Manzanilla styles) or Gordura (will produce Oloroso)

Question 31

Flor will form in Oloroso sherry production but not in Fino or Manzanilla production. True or False

Answer 31

False. It is the other way around

Question 32

What is the difference between the aging process of Fino, Manzanilla and Oloroso sherry?

Answer 32

Fino and Manzanilla aging type is biological (develops under flor) Oloroso aging type is oxidative (flor cannot grow at this higher alcohol content environment)

Question 33

Fino, Manzanilla and Oloroso are produced from which yema?

Answer 33

Fino and Manzanilla from the primera yema and Oloroso from the segunda yema