Spain Flashcards
How many ha under the vine in Spain?
0.95 million ha; 50 million hl; country with biggest acreage under the vine
What is Vino de la Tierra; VT or VdT?
“Wine of the country”. The quality level just above Vino de Mesa, this designation emulates France’s Vins de Pays and offers a wine of a particular place, but with few requirements of grape varieties, yields, site, or, especially, aging. As of 2012, there are 46 VTs.
What are Vinos de Pagos?
Top quality wines from single estates but are not necessarily higher quality than DO or DOCa wines. These wines must be from single estates and produced on the estate; so producers who buy in grapes or whose winery is not on this estate cannot use this categorization; these rules out a large number of the top quality wines.
What is mean Joven?
Joven means no cask aging; or less than the legal minimum for Crianza wines.
What is mean Crianza?
Red wines must be matured for two calendar years following the harvest; including a minimum of six months in barricas (225 liter oak casks); which means a 2004 vintage may be sold from January 1 2007.
White and rose must be matured for one calendar year; of which six months must be in barricas.
Rioja; Ribera del Duero; and Navarra require one year in barrel for reds.
What is mean Reserva?
Red wines must be matured for three calendar years following the harvest; including a minimum of one year in barricas.
White and rose must be matured for two calendar years; of which six months must be in barricas.
What is mean Gran Reserva?
Red wines must be matured for five calendar years following the harvest; including a minimum of 18 months in barricas.
White and rose must be matured for four calendar years; of which six months must be in barricas.
Rioja; Ribera del Duero; and Navarra require two years in barrel for reds.
What is mean Noble?
Noble wine has been matured 18 months in cask (min size 60 liters).
The term can be applied only to a Vino de la Tierra wine or better.
What is mean Añejo?
Añejo wine has been aged 24 months in cask (min size 60 liters).
The term can be applied only to a Vino de la Tierra wine or better.
What is mean Viejo?
Viejo wine must undergo 36 months aging in cask (min size 60 liters) and the wines must show an oxidative character.
The term can be applied only to a Vino de la Tierra wine or better.
Name three towns where production of Sherry occurs?
Jerez de la Frontera is the home of Sherry; other two towns are Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda.
Name most common Malaga Styles?
The most common styles are as follows: Lágrima; Moscatel; and Pedro Ximénez.
What is the name of Spanish appellation which produce similar wines as Sherry?
Montilla-Moriles DO. Wine-making practices in Montilla parallel those for Sherry; however in the hot climate of Montilla-Moriles; far removed from the cooling winds of the Atlantic; the flor is usually less thick than in Jerez and the wines tend to have less finesse as a result.
Name Montilla-Moriles DO varieties?
Pedro Ximénez (70%); Lairén (Airén) and Muscat of Alexandria.
Name Balearic Islands two official DO?
Pla i Llevant (introduced in 2001) and Binissalem-Mallorca; both of which are on the island of Majorca. The latter was the islands’ first DO title; and the first ever granted outside the Spanish mainland.
Basque Country?
Basque: Euskadi; Spanish: País Vasco; French: Pays Basque.
What is the most important wine in Basque Country?
Pais Vasco wine is synonymous with Txakoli; Like Vinho Verde it is strongly Atlantic influenced and is usually sold young; very slightly sparkling; and low in alcohol.
The high trained Hondarribi Zuri white grape variety accounts for 85 per cent of Txakoli;;
Hondarribi Beltza makes light reds for local consumption.
What are the most important Canary Islands varieties?
Most important varieties are Listán Negro and Negramoll for reds; whites from Listán Blanco and sweet Malvasías.
What is the largest delimited wine region in Spain?
La Mancha DO is the largest delimited wine region not only in Spain; but in the whole of Europe; with more than 500;000 acres (202;350ha) of vineyard here.
The finest vineyards are those with high limestone and chalk content in the sub-soil. These semi-porous stones retain precious moisture and help to even out the vines’ water supply.
What are the most important La Mancha DO red varieties?
Tempranillo (known locally as Cencibel) is by far the most popular red-wine variety; often accompanied by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Spanish varieties such as Graciano; Bobal and Monastrell and international varieties Grenache; Syrah and Petit Verdot.
Name Ribera del Duero DO Varieties?
According to DO regulations; Tempranillo must make up a minimum of 75% while the balance is made up of Cabernet Sauvignon; Merlot and Malbec (varieties that were introduced by Vega Sicilia well over a century ago) or up to 5% of Albillo or Garnacha (used for rose). Only red and rosé wines are covered by the DO.
Name best Ribera del Duero Producers?
The leading local producer is Bodegas Vega Sicilia; which took the wine world by storm with its ‘Unico’ wine.
Tinto Pesquera is another renowned brand; created by the region’s best-known winemaker; Alejandro Fernández.
Other prominent producers include Dominio de Pingus and Emilio Moro.
What is Ribera del Duero Climate?
The region’s inland location; coupled with the sheltering effects of the nearby Sierra de la Demanda and Sierra de Guadarrama mountain ranges; creates an extreme climate in which hot and dry summers are followed by harsh winters.
Layers of limestone; marl and chalk under silt and clay topsoil.
What is Rueda Climate?
The climate here is clearly continental; which means hot; harsh summers; and cold winters when temperatures often drop below freezing; high diurnal variations. The region is deprived of any maritime influence by the Cordillera Cantábrica; the mountain range that separates it from the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean beyond; on the other side of them lie Asturias and Cantabria - regions with relatively cool; fresh climates and fertile green landscapes. Same effect as Vosges in Alsace.
Name Rueda DO Varieties?
Verdejo vines occupy an impressive 90% of this land; Viura and Sauvignon Blanc together constitute just 5%. Tempranillo and Garnacha with a little help from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are responsible for red and rose which are now permitted for Rueda DO.
Name Toro DO Varieties?
Tinta de Toro (locally adapted strain of the Tempranillo grape) is by far the dominant grape variety; a tiny amount of Garnacha is also grown; mostly for use in Toro Rosado alongside small quantities of Malvasia Blanca and Verdejo for use in white Toro Blanco. Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon are being grown experimentally.
Name Bierzo DO red Varieties?
Mencía occupies 70% of the vineyards; Garnacha is another important red grape primarily used in blends while Merlot; Cabernet-Sauvignon and Tempranillo are experimental red grapes.
Rose wine need at lest 50% Mencía in blend.
What is Bierzo Climate?
Bierzo’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean has a profound effect on its overall climate; with average temperatures during the growing season much cooler than in Castilla y Leon’s more inland areas; making it rather mild. Average rainfall is around 28 inches (720mm) comparing to 320mm in Toro.
What is Aranda de Duero?
The capital of Ribera del Duero is the historic town of Aranda de Duero.
What is Castilla-La Mancha Climate?
At altitudes between 500 and 700 m above sea level; this is Spain at her most extreme. Winters are long and cold; in summer the heat is grueling; and little if any rain falls between May and September.
Name Spanish Region that produces the most wine?
Castilla-La Mancha is a large region which lies south and east of the Spanish capital Madrid. Its capital city is Toledo; and its most populous city is Albacete.
Despite very harsh climate; Castilla-La Mancha produces half of all the wine made in Spain but significant proportion goes into the inexpensive mass-produced sector and distillation into brandy.
What is Vinest (formerly Vinum Est)?
Program backed by the European Union that promotes small wine-growing areas based on their individuality and distinctiveness.
What kind of grape is Listan Blanco?
Listan Blanco is Palomino from Andalucia; grape variety used to make Sherry.
What kind of grape is Listan Negro?
DNA profiling identified Listan Negro as a genetic match to the Mission grape of North America. However; the Mission grape of the New World has mutated significantly enough that it is now considered a distinct variety.
What kind of grape is Albillo?
Albillo is the only white grape grown in Ribera del Duero; producing wines for local consumption that don’t qualify for the Ribera del Duero DO title.
Only red and rosé wines are covered by the DO.
