Spain Flashcards
Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO
5 Regions previously approved for production but not aging - now amended with the 2022 regulation changes?
Rota, Chipiona, Trebujena, Lebrija and Chiclana de la Frontera
Manzanilla Pasada & Fino Antiguo/Viejo (Ancient/Old)
When was this introduced?
age statements?
2022 Amendments
While both names are not entirely new, they are now regulated
min. of 7 years of ageing
Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO
2022 Amendments - 6 new permitted varieties?
Mantúo Castellano, Mantúo de Pilas, Vejeriego, Perruno, Cañocazo and Beba.
Rias Baixas DO
5 Sub Zones
North to South?
Terroir?
Sub Zone designation req?
Ribeira do Ulla
Youngest subzone. Smaller production.
Soils here are mainly alluvial.
min. 70% recommended white grapes
Val do Salnés
Most historic Largest, coldest, wettest. Alluvial over decomposed granite (xabre).
min. 70% recommended white grapes
Soutomaior
Smallest @ 11ha. Noelia Bebelia is a producer. Alluvial over decomposed granite (xabre). Not permitted for subzone labelling.
Both Border Portugal along Miño River
Condado do Tea
Warmest and driest subzone. #1 for red production. Granite and slate appear on the surface with lighter granite subsoil.
min. 70% combined Albariño and Treixadura
O Rosal
Broader, richer style of Albariño – sometimes with lesser acidity. Alluvial over decomposed granite (xabre).
min. 70% combined Albariño and Loureira
Rias Baixas DO
Authorized varities
Blanco?
Tinto?
Rec: Albarino, Caino Blanco, Treixadura and Loureira (locally known as Marques).
Authorized: Torrentes and Godello.
varietial labelled Albarino must be 100%
Rec: Caiño Tinto, Espadeiro, Loureira Tinta, Sousón
Authorized: Mencía, Brancellao
Interestingly in the 1970’s 70% of production was red.
Where does the Fiesta del Albariño take place?
The coastal town of Cambados in Val do Salnés is the historical wine centre of the region and where the festivial takes place here celebrated during the week leading to the first Sunday of August.
Name a Tinto Rias Baixas?
Producer?
Cuvee?
Castas?
Bodega Forjas del Salnés
Cambados, Pontevedra, Val do Salnés. 2005 by Rodrigo Méndez with the help of Raúl Pérez. Leirana single vineyard. Classic salty expression.
‘Goliardo’ Tintos de Mar (Sea reds): Equal’ish amounts of Caiño Tinto, Espadeiro and Loureira Tinta from the Salnés Valley with Sousón from the warmer Condado de Tea sub-region. 150 to 200 years old vines?
Albariño
Viticulutral characteristics?
Traditional trellising method?
min/max planting density?
Moderately vigorous, robust and fertile. Mid budding, early to mid-ripening, small bunches of medium sized, relatively thick skin berries.
Quite resistant to botrytis, however susceptible to downy and powder mildew and especially to mites
stone granite & wire (parra) ‘parral’/pergolas 7ft high to counter the rainfall and humidity. There are modern double generva curtain etc.
Vines are traditionally widely spaced min/max density: 600/4,500 vines per hectare.
Rias Baixas DO
1 aging requiremnt and labelling term?
Blanco Barrica: min. 3 months in wood (max. 600 litre capacity)
Name the 5 DO of Galacia?
Which permit Espumoso style wines?
2 producers?
Rías Baixas DO - Authorized grapes (W&R) traditional method. Mar de Frades was first in 2012.
Ribeiro DO - Traditional Method Blanco and Rosado.
Brut (max. of 12 g/l)
Brut Nature (max. of 3 g/l)
Ribeira Sacra DO - no.
Valdeorras DO - Espumoso: Min. 85% Godello. Brinde - first.
Monterrei DO - no.
No other lees/bottle aging req. Dosage labelling terms neither? default to EU?
Name & location of Vega Sicilia’s Galician estate?
2 wines?
Tempos Vega Sicilia
- Vega Sicilia (Alvarez). 24ha in Condado de Tea, Crecente. Set to release 2025.
- Deiva: Aged for 2 years.
- Arnela: Aged for 3.
Name & Location of La Rioja Alta’s Galician estate?
Lagar de Cervera
O Rosal vineyard.
Rias Baixas DO
Name a pioneering estate and location?
Bodega Zarate
Pontevedra, Val do Salnés. Est. 1920 by Ernesto Zarate.
Low intervention. Since 1994 the estate uses no chemical fertilizers or herbicides and utilizes natural “teas” to ward off disease - no certification.
Also bottles 100% Caiño Tinto.
Ribeiro DO
Reccomended Grapes of note:
Blanco (6)?
Tinto (7)?
Ribeiro DO 2,350ha
pred. white production.
Blanco:
Treixadura (#1), Torrontés (no ARG relation), Godello, Loureira, Albariño, Caiño Blanco
Tinto:
Caíño Rinto, Caíño Bravo, Caíño Longo, Ferrón, Sousón, Brancellao, Mencía
Espumuso: Blanco & rosado only from rec.
Still: Blanco & Tinto can be beldna nd sigular varietial
Ribeiro DO
Still wine labelling term?
Wines labelled “Barrica”
Blanco & Tinto
Higher min abv (12%)
Must spend at least a portion of their maturation in casks no larger than 600 Liters
Ribeiro DO
Vin Tostado style & requirements?
Some similarities with Vin Santo.
Blanco & Tinto (only rec. varieties)
dried for a minimum of 3 months,
Min. must weight of 350 g/l.
min. 20.6% abv potential, 13% acquired.
6 months aging in oak or cherry wood & 3 months in bottle.
Min. 120 g/L RS.
Ribeira Sacra DO
2 major rivers?
Terroir?
5 subzones?
Forms a crescent shape through the confluence/nexus of Galicia’s two major rivers, the Sil and the Miño.
Continental. Granite, Slate and Schist. Steep terraced slopes.
Chantada
Ribeiras do Miño
Amandi #1
Ribeiras do Sil
Quiroga-Bibei (Bibei is another river)
Ribeira Sacra DO
Principal Blanco & Tinto varieties?
Castes req. for the following styles:
Blanco?
Tinto?
Rosado?
Súmmum?
Blanco:
Godello, Loureira, Treixadura, Dona Branca, Albariño, Torrontés, Branco lexítimo, and Caíño Blanco. No authorized varieties.
Tinto:
Mencía, Merenzao, Brancellao, Sousón, Caiño Tinto. Authorized varieities - I havent listed.
Blanco: Principal varieties
Tinto: min. 70% Mencia
Rosado: Min 85% Principal red Grapes
Súmmum: 85% principal grapes (therefore all Blanco wines qualify)
Ribeira Sacra DO
Has 2 aging requirement terms applicable; please define?
Excludes Rosado styles.
Blanco Barrica/Garda:
min. 12% (basic is 11%)
Barrica: min. 3 months in wooden barrels of no more than 600 liters capacity
Garda: min. 4 months in wooden tanks of no more than 8,000L, or concrete tanks of no more than 5,000L. The use of Stainless-Steel tanks is prohibited.
Tinto Barrica/Garda:
min. 12%
Barrica: min. 6 months in wooden barrels of no more than 500 liters capacity
Garda: min. 7 months in wooden tanks of no more than 10,000L, or concrete tanks of no more than 5,000L. The use of Stainless Steel tanks is prohibited.
Ribeira Sacra DO
Name a collaboration label and 2 premium wines?
Raúl Pérez & Guimaro (his cellar).
Amandi.
pred. old vines (100+) Mencia field blends:
El Pecado: Capeliños vineyard.
La Penitencia: Pombeiras Vineyard.
Valdeorras DO
Preferred/Rec. varietys
Blanco?
Rosado?
Tinto?
Relevant style/bottling term?
Blanco
Preferred: Godello, Loureira, Treixadura, Dona Branca, Albariño, Torrontés, Lado
Authorized: Palomino
Rosado/Tinto
Recommended: Mencía, Tempranillo, Merenzao, Brancellao, Sousón, Caiño Tinto, Espadeiro, Ferrón
Authorized: Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), Gran Negro, Mouratón
Valdeorras “Castes Nobles” (Blanco and Tinto): Min. 85% preferred varieties
Valdeorras DO
Permitts 2 varietial bottlings, name them and the %?
Espumoso req?
Tostado req?
Varietal
Godello (100% variety)
Mencía (min. 85% variety)
Espumoso: Min. 85% Godello
Tostado: Godello and authorized red grapes (dried for a min. of 90 days)
Valdeorras DO
Name all 3 of Rafael Palacios lieu-dit bottlings?
Soils?
Rafael Palacios
Biodnymaic princbiles. Awaiting certification. All from the O Bolo - commune of production?
As Sortes
Sorte Antiga
Sorte O Soro
Interestingly Slate is cited as the pred. soil in the DO however all of Rafael’s top bottlings come from Granite pred. sites…
Valdeorras DO
aging tiers, styles and req?
Blanco and Tinto only.
Crianza, Rserva, Gran reserva Inline with nationwide DO standards
Crianza:
Reds: Minimum 2 years aging with 6 months in small oak barrels (in each case the maximum is 330L)
Whites: Minimum 18 months aging with 6 months in small oak barrels
Reserva
Reds: Minimum 36 months aging with 12 months in small oak barrels
Whites: Minimum 24 months aging with 6 months in small oak barrels
Gran Reserva
Reds: Minimum 60 months aging with 18 months in small oak barrels
Whites: Minimum 48 months aging with 6 months in small oak barrels
Galacia’s oldest winemaking region?
2 subzones?
river and soil?
styles & castets?
Monterrei DO 530ha
Valle de Monterrei, Ladera de Monterrei
Mostly alluvial clay in valleys of tributaries of the river Támega
Blanco (min 60% rec. varieties): Dona Branca, Godello, Treixadura
Tinto (min 60% rec. varieties): Mencía, Merenzao (Bastardo/ Trousseau)
Bierzo DO 3,017ha
Climate?
River?
Soils?
Moderate continental climate.
Sil river
slate in the hills, silty loam in the flats.
Blanco: Doña Blanca, Godello, Malvasía Riojana, Palomino
Rosado: min 70% of authorized red varieties
Tinto (min 85%): Mencía, Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), Estaladiña, and/or Merenzao (Trousseau) + authorzied white varietys
Vino clarete: 40% to 60% red grapes, the remainder must be authorized white grapes;
grapes go direct to press except 5 to 10% destemmed grapes which are included in fermentation
What year did Bierzo DO introduce a 5 tier quality pryamid?
define each tier?
2017
Vino de la Region (Bierzo)
Vino de Villa:
village wine – must be 100% from stated site. Maximum Yields are reduced by 20%.
Vino de Paraje:
lieux-dits, designated to specific parcels – must be 100% from stated site. Maximum Yields are reduced by 25%.
Viña Clasificada:
must have a 5-year Vino de Paraje history and been approved by a tasting panel. Maximum Yields are reduced by 30%.
Gran Viña Clasificada:
must have a 5-year Viña Clasificada history and been approved by a tasting panel. Maximum Yields are reduced by 35%.
Bierzo
2 aging req?
1 Gran Viña Clasificada?
Standard
Crianza (DO/DOCa only)
Red: Min. 24m, including at least 6m in oak (max. 330l)
White Min. 18m, including at least 6m (max. 330ly)
Reserva (DO/DOCa only)
Red: Min. 36m, including at least 12m in oak (max. 330l)
White: Min. 24m, including at least 6m in oak (max. 330l)
Descendientes de José Palacios, Álvaro Palacios, Las Lamas, Corullón. From the Atlantic side of the valley.
León DO 1,322ha
Styles (5) & varieties?
notable variety?
fmr. Tierra de León DO
Prieto Picudo approx. 70% of vineyards.
Blanco (min. 50%): Verdejo, Albarín Blanco, and Godello
Rosado: min. 60% recommended red varieties, plus other white and/or red grapes
Tinto (min. 60%): Recommended: Prieto Picudo, Mencía, and Negro Saurí.
Authorized: Garnacha, Tempranillo.
Also permitted are Blanco, Rosado,Tinto:
* Vinos Semidulces (18-45 g/L)
* Vinos Dulces (45+ g/L)
Which Spanish DO borders with the Portugese Douro DOP?
3 styles & 3 grapes of note?
1 Tinto: Bruñal, Juan García, Rufete (+others)
Arribes DO 452ha, Castilla Leon.
Follows the path of the Duero River along the northeastern Portuguese border.
Blanco: Verdejo, Albillo Mayor, Albillo Real (+ others)
Rosado (min. 60% rec. red varities)
What is the only Spanish wine DO that directly includes the word ‘wine ‘ in the name?
4 styles and notable grapes?
1 style of note?
Tierra del Vino de Zamora DO 780ha
‘Land of Wine’
Tempranillo is the most planted grape variety and must constitute 75% of all red wines, 60% of rosados, and 30% of claretes. There are old vines here, some as old as 150 years.
Blanco (min. 60%): Malvasia, Moscatel de Grano Menudo, Verdejo.
Clarete (“clair-retta”) is a historic Spanish term for a wine somewhere between a rosado and a white; or a rosado and a light red… Depending on the region? in practice here they are often co-fermented.
Toro DO
Styles & Varietys?
Traditional Method Sparkling (min. 9m lees): Blanco, Rosado (min. 25% red grapes), Tinto
Blanco: Malvasia Blanca and Verdejo most common authorized varieties.
Rosado: 100% authorized red and/or white grapes
Tinto: min. 75% Tinta de Toro or min. 85% Garnacha Tinta
Tinto: Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva aging requirements as per standard.
Toro DO
Size?
Terroir?
How does the Tinta de Toro clone differ?
5,800ha
Contiental: dry hot summers, cold harsh winters.
Sand, clay and some lime bearing pudding stones.
Berry skins are thicker and higher in phenolics.
Toro DO
Vega Sicilia’s estate?
Francois Lurton & Michel Rolland co-lab?
Pintia (1996)
Campo Eliseo (Rueda DO bottlings also)
Marcus Eguren is the founder of which estate?
Top wine?
Marcus Eguren established Bodega Numanthia in 1998 and sold to LVMH in 2008.
Teso la Monja (fmr. Bodega Eguren)
Alabaster - made from pre-phylloxera vines, new French oak for 18 months. Big. Consistently one of Spain’s most expensive wines. Means ‘the nun’.
Rueda DO
Still styles (5) & varieties
Blanco: min. 75% principal varieties:
Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc, Viura, Viognier, Chardonnay.
Rosado: min. 50% authorized red varieties
Tinto: exclusively from authorized varieties
Principal: Tempranillo and Cenicienta
Authorized: Cabernet Sauvignon +
Vino Espumoso: min. 75% principal varieties
Vino Espumoso Rosado: min. 50% authorized red varieties
Rueda DO
2 Vino de Licor styles and req?
1 producer?
Vino de Licor (fortified/ min. 15%)
Rueda Palido (Pale): 100% combined Palomino Fino and/or Verdejo. Biologically aged for min. of 3 years in wood.
Rueda Dorado (Golden): 100% combined Palomino Fino and/or Verdejo min. 4 years, including at least 2 years in wood.
Bodegas de Alberto - produces both styles from MV, fractional blends from damajuanas and soleras.
Rueda DO
Additional Requirements/ Bottling Terms:
“Fermentado en Barrica”
Gran Vino de Rueda
Vino de Pueblo
Vino Espumoso “Gran Añada”
White wines that undergo fermentation for at least 3 months in oak casks of no more than 600 liters
Wines made from at least 30 year old vine
Wines may indicate the municipality of origin provided that 85% of grapes were grown there
36 months of age on lees prior to disgorgement (starts with the 2020 vintage)
Rueda DO
2 notable producers?
Bodegas Belondrade y Lurton
La Seca, near Valladolid. 1994. 30ha over 19 plots of pebbles and clay over a limestone bedrock. Verdejo averaging a vine age around 30 y/o. Vinified Burgundian style: Fermented in barrel and aged for 12 months. 300L oak barrels, 25% new each year.
Esmeralda García
Segovia. New generation winegrower. Variety of styles and some Verdejo vineyards as old as 200 years.
Arlanza DO
location?
styles?
Castilla y Leon. Just north of Ribera del Duero on the convergence of 3 Duero tributary’s – the Arlanza being one of them.
Blanco wines can be made from Albillo Mayor and Macabeo.
Rosado and red wine must be composed of at least half Tempranillo (Tinta del Pais).
Cigales DO
location?
soil?
varieties & styles (5)?
Castilla y Leon. On the Pisuerga river a tributary of the Duero.
Galet roules soils.
Blanco: Verdejo, Albillo, Viura, Sauvignon Blanc, Garnacha Blanca.
Tinto: Tinta del País (Tempranillo), Garnacha Tinta, Garnacha Gris, , Garnacha Tontorera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah.
Styles:
* Blanco
* Rosado/Clarete max. 4 g/L RS.
* Tinto
* Vino Dulce: (Blanco/Rosado/Tinto) min. 45 - max. 90 g/L RS.
* Vino Espumoso( Blanco/Rosado)
Ribera del Duero DO
Provinces of production West to East?
Valladolid “vio-de-leith” - #2
Burgos - #1 in plantings, North & Central
Segovia - smallest?, south central
Soria
The Duero River runs west through the centre of the roughly 110km long region.
Generally grows warmer moving west. In the west you also find denser portions of clay while the rest of the region has sandy or silty-sandy earth. Higher depositions of limestone in the East.
Ribera del Duero DO
Styles?
*Blanco: min. 75% Albillo Mayor (Turruntés in Rioja)
*Rosado or Clarete: min. 50% authorized red varieties
*Tinto: min. 95% authorized red grapes with a min. 75% Tinta del País / Tinto Fino
Authorized: Garnacha, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Albillo Mayo
Ribera del Duero DO
aging req
Roble/Barrica?
Crianza?
Reserva?
Gran Reserva?
Roble/Barrica: min. 3 months in oak (max 600L capacity)
All (max. 330 liter capacity)
Crianza
Blanco/Rosado/Clarete: min. 18 m including at least 6 m in oak
Tinto: min. 24m, including at least 12m oak
Reserva:
Blanco/Rosado/Clarete: min. 24m, including at least 6m oak
Tinto: min. 36m, including at least 12m oak
Gran Reserva:
Blanco/Rosado/Clarete: min. 48m including at least 6m in oak
Tinto: min. 60m including at least 24m in oak
Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva wines must spend the rest of their required aging outside of barrel in the bottle.
When was Vega Sicila established?
When was it sold & who too?
name a discontinued wine?
1864 - have been making wine there 100+ years before anyone else.
- Álvarez family.
Until 1998, Vega Sicilia also produced a Valbuena 3° - indicating three years of aging prior to release.
Vega Sicilia 2nd wine?
Valbuena 5°: Pred. Tempranillo, Merlot, CS. Younger 25-35 y/o vines. Released every vintage?
3 in American Oak, 2 in Bottle = 5 years ageing before relase.
Unico Reserva Especial
first vinatge?
current release?
Blend of 3 vintages.
First released 1965.
Current 2023 (09,11,12).
Único menaing?
vinatge not produced?
“Unique”
1977, 1978, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2001.
Sister bodega to Vega Sicilia?
first vinatge?
Bodegas Alión
Aged for a shorter time in French Oak, more modern in style.
- Made at the Vega Sicilia winery untill the 1993 vintage.
Tinto Pesquera
Top wine?
Valladolid. Founded 1970.
Wines are made exclusively with Tempranillo grapes. Vineyards exist on some of the highest points in the Ribera del Duero region. No fining or filtering.
Millenium Gran Reserva (2008): 100% Tempranillo from Viña Alta. Aged 30 months in French oak barrels, then 10 months in bottle.
Dominio de Pingus
Owner?
3 wines and first vintages?
Which vintage sunk in the Atlantic?
Valladolid. Founded by Peter Sisseck (Danish) in 1995; trained in Bordeaux.
Pingus (1995) Comes from two vineyards in La Horra planted in 1929 which total 4.5ha, One is on gravel and sand over chalky subsoils, the other is mostly clay.
1997 - 1/4th of total prod.
Flor de Pingus (1996)
Amelia (2003) 100-year-old vines. Single barrel cuvée aged 18 months in one Darnajou barrique.
All 100% Tinta del Pais/ Tempranillo
2nd oldest producer under Ribera del Duero DO?
Torremilanos
Aranda de Douro. 1903 (2nd oldest).
First biodynamic certified winery in the region (Demeter, 2015).
Some vines over 100+. All oak both American and French is produced onsite in their cooperage.
3rd oldest producer under Ribera del Duero DO?
Bodega Protos
1927 (3rd). Peñafiel – the famous hilltop castle here adorns the label.
Protos is Greek for “the first” as it was the regions first Co-operative.
Approximately 1,900ha under winery control, 168ha owned.
Protos 27: Top wine, named after their inception in 1927.
Name Mariano Garcia’s project after leaving the wine making position at Vega Sicilia?
Top wine?
AALTO Bodegas y Viñedos
- Mariano Garcia former winemaker at Vega Sicilia (1968-1998). Rich, extracted and modern in style.
AALTO PS: 100% Tempranillo from select clones. The fruit comes from 60- to 100-year-old vines from a parcel in Burgos. The wine ages for two years before it is clarified and fined with egg whites. Produced only in the best vintages.
Name Bodega Roda’s Ribera del Duero project?
Bodega La Horra
2009, La Horra (Burgos). Cooler terroir along the Duero banks. Less new oak, more traiditonal in style.
Corimbo & Corimbo I (older vines, 50% max new oak)
Basque Country/ País Vasco/ Euskadi
3 DO’s largest to smallest and distinguishing features?
Closer to the Bay of Biscay with more humid influence. Sandy, alluvial soils and lie at lower elevations and well drained slopes:
Txakoli de Getaria DO (1989): @ 440ha is the oldest, largest & most traditional.
Txakoli de Bizkaia DO (1994): 426ha. Centred to the west around Bilbao. Looser regulations: no specified plantings density and allows for additional blanco varieties: Folle Blanche (Mune Mahatsa) & Sauvignon Blanc.
Txakoli de Álava DO (2001): 100ha. Newest & smallest. Further inland for less coastal influence. Allows for Sauvignon Blanc.
Txakoli de Getaria DO
Txakoli de Bizkaia DO
Txakoli de Álava DO
5 styles and varieties of note?
1 bottling term?
Blanco: Ondarrabi Zuri (Hondarribi Zuri & Courbu) + Authorized: Ondarrabi Zuri Zerratia (Petit Courbu), Izkiriota (Gros Manseng), Riesling, Chardonnay. Folle Blanche (de Bizkaia) & Sauvignon Blanc (de Bizkaia & de Álava)
“Fermentado en Barrica”: fermented in barrels of no more than 350 litre capacity
Rosado (Ojo de Gallo): min. 50% Ondarrabi Beltza
Tinto: Ondarrabi Beltza (Hondarribi Beltza)
Vendimia Tardía: Potential 15% abv - 12% actual; must be aged in cask for up to December 31 of the year following the harvest (exact aging set each year by the Consejo Regulador).
Vino Espumoso
