Spain Flashcards
Spain latitude
36-43*N
NW Spain climate and influences
Maritime climate
Atlantic influence
High rainfall
NE Spain climate and influence
More continental than NW
Sheltered by mtn ranges
Some Mediterranean influence
SE Spain climate and influences
Mediterranean
Moderate climate
Warms dry summer/ mild winter
Meseta climate and influences
Continental
600-900m
Altitude for moderation
Spain has the largest ha under vine but is only the third largest producer, why?
Low density bush vine plantings
Favored for low rainfall locations
Old bush vines are low yielders but provide good fruit
What size are Spains vineyard holdings?
68% are less than .5 ha
20% are between .5 and 3 ha
Top Spanish varieties
Tempranillo
Airen
Garnacha Tinta
Macabeo
Bobal
Garnacha Tintorera
Monastell
Verdejo
Pardina
CS
Tempranillo
Med to high yielding
Early ripening- warm climate w/cooling influence
National aging legislation specifies what?
Minimum time wine spends in barrel
DOs may be more strict but not less
Specifies 330L oak but DOs can vary
Aging requirements for red nationally
Crianza
Reserva
Gran Reserva
Crianza- 24m - 6 in wood
Reserva- 36m - 12 in wood
Gran Reserva- 60m - 18 in wood
Aging requirements for white nationally
Crianza
Reserva
Gran Reserva
Crianza - 18m - 6 in wood
Reserva- 24m- 6 in wood
Gran Reserva- 48m - 6 in wood
Arguments against aging legislation
- sets a perceived quality hierarchy
- does not guarantee quality
- not appropriate for all styles of wine
-no age or origin of oak prescribed
Very little indication of style, quality, or value to consumers
DO and DOCa/DOQ
70 PDOs
Majority of vineyards
2 DOCa/Q- Rioja and Priorat (vineyards must have been established 10 years prior to apply)
VP - vino de pago
Estates with high reputation
Castilla La Mancha, Navarro, Valencia, Aragon
VT - Vino de La Tierra
PGI wines
40
Biggest- Castilla
What % of total export is bulk wine in Spain
56%
Rias Baixas DO growing environment
Maritime
High rainfall throughout the year in Rias Baixas is mitigated by what soil
Free draining sand over granite
What leads to vintage variation in Rias Baixas
Fungal disease
Rain just bed harvest
Albariño
Thick skinned
Early to mid ripening
High acid
Lemon/grapefruit/peach/floral
Loureira
Early ripening
Citrus/pear/floral/herbal
Treixadura
Mid ripening
Low acid
Apple/peach
Rias Baixas is made up of
5 non contiguous sub zones
Sub zones of Rias Baixas
Val do Salnes - coolest/ wettest
O Rosal- follows Minho, blends Portuguese grapes, south facing, warmer
Condado do Tea- inland warmer still -riper lower acid
Ribeira do Ulla
Soutomaior
Popular trellis in Rias Baixas
Pergola on granite supports
Ribeiro DO
Maritime climate
Treixadura
Oak ferment/mature for expensive wines
Ribeira Sacra DO
Continental with maritime influences steep slopes on river Minho
Mencia
Fresh early drinking
Valdeorras DO
Continental with plenty of rain
Godello
Citrus/stonefruit/herb/wet stone
Monterrei DO
Sheltered from ocean influences by Sierra de Larouca mtn
Continental, hot summers, low rainfall
Bulk
Mencia/Godello
Bierzo DO climate
Continental with maritime influence
Main grape of Bierzo
Mencia
Mencia
Early to mid ripening
Loses acid quickly, gains sugar quickly
Mencia DO early drinking wines come from
Low slopes and flat plain
Fertile silty loam soils
High yielding
Carbonic/semi carbonic maceration
Mencia DO quality wines come from
500-800m slopes
Altitude for cooling
80% of vineyards old vines
Poor soils
Toro DO
Continental climate
Hot summer cold winter
620-750m
Spring frost
Tinta de Toro
Tinta de Toro
Form of Tempranillo
Thicker skinned
Rivers del Duero DO
Vega Sicilia
Continental with hot summers and cold winters
750-1000m - frost in spring and fall - mitigation necessary
Tempranillo- Tinto Fino
Ruedo DO
Continental- hot/dry summers cold winters low rainfall
Verdejo
700-800m
Free draining soil limits vigor
Verdejo
Drought tolerant
Apple/pear/peach/fennel
Castilla y Leon VT
Allows for producers outside DO boundaries to produce a wine with geographical indication and those in DO to produce styles outside of what is permitted in DO
Rioja DOCa
Continental with Mediterranean influences in East
Sierra Cantabria to N - Atlantic
Sierra de la Demanda - warm air off meseta
Rioja Alta
Continental w/maritime influences
Low altitudes- relatively warm
Rioja Alavesa
Cool/wet
Clay soils
Rioja Oriental
North- Low altitudes
Warmest/driest
South- 500-1000m
Can be as cool as alavesa or Alta
Garnacha does best in what part of Rioja and why
Oriental
Suited to hot/dry conditions
Tempranillo does best in what parts of Rioja and why?
Alavesa and Alta
Early ripening even in cool years, high altitude sites, clay soils
Graciano
Late ripening
Drought resistant
Low yielding
Susceptible to fungus
Mazuelo
Carignan
Adds in acid to blend
Maturana Tinta
Trousseau
Deep purple color
High acid
Cranberry/blackberry to blend
Viura
Macabeo
Late budding/late ripening
Susceptible to botrytis
Relatively neutral
Tempranillo blanco
Mutation of red Tempranillo
High acid
Lemon/grapefruit/pineapple
Vinos de autor
Premium wines launched without labeling age category in Rioja to focus on integrity of fruit rather than maturation for quality
Vino de Zona in Rioja
All grapes from either Alta, Alavesa, Oriental
Vino de Municipio in Rioja
All from village or group of villages named
Must be vinified, aged, and bottled in municipality
Viñedo Singular in Rioja
Particular vineyards or estates
Producer must have owned for min 10 yrs
Vineyard must be 35y old
Hand harvested
Sustainable agriculture
Pruning restrictions
Authorized by tasting panel
Vinified, aged, bottled at same winery
Rioja aging classifications red
Crianza - 24m - 12 in oak
Reserva- 36m - 12 in oak - 6 in bottle
Gran Reserva 60m - 24 in oak - 24 in bottle
Vineyard plots in Rioja are _____ and 75% are less than ____ ha
Small
2
What % of Rioja growers sell to co-ops?
40%
Navarro DO
Influenced by Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pyrenees
Cool sub regions- Baja montaña, Valdizarbe, Tierra Estella
Warm sub regions- Ribera Alta, Ribera Baja
Grapes of Navarra
Tempranillo
Garnacha
Cab
Merlot
Chard
Navarra Rose
Direct press not permitted
Short maceration
Cariñena, Campo de Borja, and Calatayud DO
Warm continental
Hot dry summers, low ish rain
High plateaus for moderation up to 900m
Cierzo- cold N wind
Garnacha
Old bush vines
Somontano DO
Foot of Pyrenees
Warm continental slightly higher rainfall than Cariñena/Campo de Borja/Calatayud
Cool mtn breeze and altitude for moderation
CS/Chard
Some Gewurz
Penedes DO
Mediterranean climate
Climatic sub zones:
Penedes Maritim- sea to coastal range, low altitude. Warm climate w/o temp extremes. Full bodied Monastrell, PMX, inexpensive still
Penedes Central- pre coastal depression up to 500m. PMX, Merlot, CS, Temp, Chard
Penedes Superior- 500-800m. Diurnal swing - frost hazard. Chard, SB, Riesling, Gew, PN
Priorat DOQ
Warm continental protected from cold N winds by Serra de Montsant and from Mediterranean by Serra de Llaberia
Hot summers but cool nights for diurnal- frosts
River Siurana carves - gives altitude and aspect
Priorat slopes are
Steep
Known as costers
Terraced to reduce erosion and allow rainfall to infiltrate soil
Llicorella soil
Priorat
Slate based
Thin, rocky, mica
The bedrock in Priorat
Splits in vertical layers so roots can grow deep
What limits yields in Priorat?
Poor soils
Low water availability
Old bush vines
Low density
Avg yields 5-6 hL permitted up to 39 hL
Grapes of Priorat
Garnacha
Cariñena
Vi de Vila
Grapes from Priorats 12 sub zones
Vi de Paratge
Lieu dit in Priorat
459 classified for terrain, geology, microclimate
Vinya Classificada
Single vineyard wine in Priorat
Cru
Gran Vinya Classificada
Single vineyard of exceptional merit in Priorat
Grand Cru
Priorats Consejo Regulador specifies the following in order to qualify for classification
- producers must own vineyards or have rented for 7+ years
- each classification has its own set proportions of G/C, vine age, max yields
- to be Cru or Grand Cru a vineyard has had to have critical recognition over a 5 yr period
Montsant DO
Encircles Priorat
More Mediterranean influence- less extreme temps
Slightly more fertile soils than Priorat- higher yields
Easier topography than Priorat
Garnacha/Cariñena
Costers del Segre DO
7 non contiguous sub zones
Continental climate
Low rainfall
Sandy free draining soils- irrigation
Fresh fruity style
Valencia DO
Warm Mediterranean
Cooling from altitude or proximity to coast
Low rainfall- irrigation
Two non contiguous areas - Alto Turia and Valentino
Majority co-op
Fruity style
Alto Turia sub zone of Valencia
700-1100m
Foothills of Iberico mountains
Moscatel Alejandria and Merseguera
Valentino sub zone of Valencia
200-650m
Warmer than Alto Turia but cooled by sea breeze
Local and international varieties
Utiel- Requeña DO
Continental- hot summer/cold winter
Avg 750m - cooling but frost hazard
Bobal
Bobal
Mid to late budding- frost
Drought tolerant
Retains acid
Uneven ripeness in bunches- grippy tannins
Vigorous and high yielding- control for quality
High pigment
Alicante DO
Mediterranean w/ hot summers cold winters
Dry growing season
Monastrell - 80%
NE of region- humid - Moscatel dry/sweet
Fondillon
Alicante DO
Med sweet from late harvest Monastrell
16%
10yr in oak
Solera
Jumilla DO
Warm continental climate hot summer/cold winter
400-800m for diurnal and cooling
Soil is sand over limestone for water retention
Monastrell
High volumes of inexpensive wine
Small amounts of old vine high quality
Yecla DO
Warm continental moderated by Mediterranean
Altitude for cooling- 500-900m
Monastrell
Bulk/inexpensive
La Mancha DO
Largest DO in Spain
Largest PDO in EU
Flat meseta 500-700m
Continental- hot summer/cold winter
Low rainfall- 40% irrigated
Low planting density
Airen- brandy
Tempranillo- Cencibel fruity style
Valdepeñas DO
Continental climate
Cencibel
Dominio Valdepusa
Vino de Pago in Castilla La Mancha producing CS, Syrah, PV
3 Txakoli DOs
Direct Atlantic influence
Moderate maritime climate
High rainfall
Canopy ventilation
Hondarrabi Zuri
Sierra de Gredos
Mountain range west of Madrid
Old vine Garnacha
600-1200m
Continental- altitude for diurnal and cool
Balearic Islands
Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera
Manto Negro - high alc/light color/red fruit
Caller- med acid/med alc/red fruit
Canary Islands
28* N - tropical influence
Hot/humid
Mountainous- altitude for cool
1500m
Listan Negro, Malvasia, Listan Blanco
Valle de Orotava rope viticulture
Basket viticulture in Lanzarote
