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Master Sommelier Exam > Spain > Flashcards

Spain Flashcards

1
Q

Who is responsible for planting a mix of local and French vine in the soils of Gratallops? Who did he work for? What is the soil called and what is its makeup?

A

Barbier who worked for Alvaro Palacios

Llicorella

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2
Q

What sort of dichotomy exists in regards to style in Rioja today? (Tinto and Blanco)

A

Modern style which is clean and fruity

Traditional style of wood-toned, oxidative and textural.

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3
Q

What are the three most common red grapes found in Rías Baixas?

A

Caiño
Espadeiro
Mencía

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4
Q

What are the subzones of Navarra? (5)

A 
Valdizarbe
Baja Montaña
Tierra Estella
Ribera Alta
Ribera Baja
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5
Q

What are the two Vinos de Pagos found in Valencia (Utiel-Requena)?

A

El Terrerazo

Los Balagueses

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6
Q

What are the three altitude zones of Priorat and what grapes grow or dominate in each zone?

A

Alt-Penedès
Medio-Penedès
Baix-Penedès

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7
Q

What is considered the classic style of Rioja and when was this style first created (what century)?

A

Soft, with muted red fruit, firm acidity, and the unmistakable oak aromas of dill, vanilla, and cedar

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8
Q

What indigenous grape is used to produce white wine in Somonatano? Red?

A

Alcañon (white)

Parraleta (red)

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9
Q

What wine region in Spain lays claim to phylloxera never invading it?

A

Canary Islands

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10
Q

What characteristics do fruit from each sub zone contribute to Rioja wines?

A

Alta (structure)
Alavesa (freshness)
Baja (alcoholic warmth)

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11
Q

Which region in Spain was the first to be christened Denominación de Origen Calificada and in what year did this happen?

A

Rioja in 1991

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12
Q

What is Vinos de Pago? What is required to gain this recognition?

A

A theoretical superior appellation to DO.

In order to gain status, an estate within an existing DO must surpass the basic DO requirements in DO Pago legislation, typically through lower yields and other measures suggestive of quality winemaking. Estate should show international critical praise and a decade’s worth of quality production.

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13
Q

In what town was said to be the birth of Spanish sparkling wine?

A

San Sadurní d’Anoia

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14
Q

What are the two main red varietal of Navarra? What are the two main international varieties here?

A

Garnacha and Tempranillo

Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir are the major international varieties here.

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15
Q

What is the Vino de Pago found in Cariñena?

A

Aylés

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16
Q

What are the three DOs for Txakolina from west to east?

A

Bizkaiko
Arabako
Getariako

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17
Q

What is the preferred red and white grape respectively for Ribeiro?

A

Red: Caiño
White: Treixadura

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18
Q

What river flows through Castilla y Leon and from west to east what DOs does it pass? What are the other DOs i Castilla y Leon? (9 total)

A

Duero

Arribes
Tierra del Vino de Zamora
Toro
Rueda
Ribera del Duero

Other DOs in the region are Arlanza, Bierzo, Cigales, and Tierra de León

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19
Q

What is the synonym for Tempranillo in Castilla-La Mancha?

A

Cencibel

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20
Q

What DO is said to be the ancestral home for Mazuelo? What is this grape called in France?

A

Cariñena

Carignan

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21
Q

For how long must a bottle labeled Cava be aged? Cava Reserva? Cava Gran Reserva?

A

9 months for basic Cava
15 months for Cava Reserva
30 Months for Cava Gran Reserva

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22
Q

What are the subregions of Ribeiro Sacra? (5)

A 
Amandi
Chantada
Riberas do Sil
Riberas do Miño
Quiroga-Bilbei
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23
Q

What are the eight Vinos de Pagos in Castilla-La Mancha?

A 
Dominio de Valdepusa
Finca Élez
Guijos
Dehesa del Carrizal
Pago Florentino
Campo de la Guardia
Casa del Blanco
Pago Calzadilla
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24
Q

Which 4 grapes make up the traditional Rioja blend and what is the main grape? Which additional grapes along with these four must comprise a majority of the blend in Rioja? What is the percentage (and stipulation) and what may the remainder of the blend be comprised of?

A 
Main Four:
Tempranillo (Main grape)
Mazuelo/Carignan
Graciano
Garnacha/Grenache

Can also be blended with Maturana Tinta and together must comprise a minimum of 85% of the red Rioja blend or 95% if destemmed.Experimental grapes such as Monastrell or Cabernet Sauvignon may make up the rest.

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25
Q

What is Malvasia de Sitges?

A

Sweet fortified wine that is a historical specialty of Penedès, produced primarily in Baix-Penedès.

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26
Q

What are the aging requirements for Rioja Gran Reserva Blanco/Rosado?

A

4 years (6 months in cask) must be aged in oxidative environment.

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27
Q

What is Europe’s largest single demarcated wine region?

A

La Mancha

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28
Q

For Rosado in Rioja, what percentage of the grapes used must be red?

A

25%

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29
Q

What is the synonym for Tempranillo in Penedès?

A

Ull de Llebre

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30
Q

What is the main red grape of Utiel-Requena?

A

Bobal

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31
Q

What are the three subzones of Rioja? Which is the best for Tempranillo? Garnacha?

A 
Rioja Alta (best for Tempranillo)
Rioja Alavesa
Rioja Baja (best for Garnacha)
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32
Q

Who is the producer that is considered the world’s largest producer of sparkling wine?

A

Freixenet

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33
Q

What is the easternmost DO in Galicia? What is the southernmost?

A

Valdeorras is the eastern most

Monterrei is the southern most

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34
Q

What white grape is used to produce Txakoli? Red grape? What is the rosado style known as?

A

White: Ondarrabi Zuri

Red: Ondarrabi Beltza

Ojo de Gallo is the name for the rosé style here.

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35
Q

What are the aging requirements for Rioja Crianza Blanco/Rosado?

A

2 years (6 months in oak) and aged the rest in non-oxidative environment)

36
Q

What is the star white grape of Valdeorras?

37
Q

What is the minimum % of Albariño that goes into a bottle labeled Val do Salnes or Ribeira do Ulla?

A

minimum 70%

38
Q

What is the DO known for jamón serrano and jamón iberico? What autonomía is this located in?

A

Ribera del Guadiana

39
Q

What is the star grape of Jumilla? What its synonym in France?

A

Monastrell Known as Mourvèdre in France

40
Q

What are the five original “Clos” of Priorat? After 1991 the project split. Today there are 7 estates that are building on this legacy. What are they?

A 
5 Original 
Clos de l'Obac
Clos Martinet
Clos Erasmus
Clos Dofí
Clos Mogador
7 Estates Today
Clos Mogador
Clos Erasmus
Alvaro Palcios
Costers del Siurana
Mas Martinet 
Vall Llach
Scala Dei
41
Q

What are the aging requirements for Rioja Reserva Blanco/Rosado?

A

2 years (6 months in oak) and must be aged oxidatively

42
Q

What are the aging requirements for Noble?

A

18 months aging in a cask of less than 600L or in bottle

43
Q

What is Fondillón and where is it produced?

A

Specialty wine of Alicante, a solera-style, oxidative dessert wine produced from overripe Monastrell grapes and aged for a minimum of ten years.

44
Q

What does Valdepeñas mean? What is the most planted grape here? What s the main soil type here?

A

“valley of rocks”

Bobal is the most planted grapechalk

45
Q

What are the three DOs of Murcia?

A

Jumilla
Yecla
Bullas

46
Q

Who is responsible for introduction stainless steel and temperature-controlled fermentation to Spain and in what autonomía was it first introduced?

A

Miguel Torres

47
Q

What is main white grape of Rioja and what is its synonym elsewhere in Spain? What other three traditional white grapes of Rioja can be blended in? Which three additional grapes, two of which are classic international varieties may also be blended? What percentage is there combined total limited to?

A

Viura, known as Macabéo elsewhere in Spain, is the main white grape of Rioja. Other traditional white grapes, Garnacha Blanca, Maturana Blanca, and Malvasia Riojano can be blended. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Verdejo may also be blended but together cannot comprise more than 49% of the blend.

48
Q

What does Rías Baixas mean?

A

Low estuaries

49
Q

What are the two most sought after wines produced by Alvaro Palacios today and the grapes in each?

A

Finca Dofí made from a blend of Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah

L’Ermita which is made of 100% Garnacha

50
Q

Table wines from Málaga are released under what DO?

A

Sierras de Málaga DO

51
Q

What does Somontano mean?

A

Beneath the mountain

52
Q

What are the two main grapes of Málaga? What is the name of the process they are subjected to classically? For how many days?

A

Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez Soleo process for up to 20 days.

53
Q

What are the four DOs of Aragon?

A

Campo de Borja
Somontano
Cariñena
Calatayud

54
Q

What are the 3 VCIGs of Castilla y Leon?

A

Sierra de Salamanca
Valles de Benavente
Valtiendas

55
Q

What three estate vineyards do Lopez de Heredia produce from?

A

Bosconia, Tondonia, and Gravonia

56
Q

What are the 16 autonomías of Spain?

A 
Navarra
La Rioja
Aragón
Galicia
Castilla y Leon
Catalunya
Valencia
Murcia
Castilla-La Mancha
Extremadura
Andalucía
Canary Islands
Asturias
Balearic Islands
La Rioja
Basque Country
57
Q

What are the two traditional grapes of Priorat?

A

Garnacha and Cariñena

58
Q

What river is the DO of Ribeiro located on?

59
Q

What is the star DO Pago of Méntrida DO within Castilla-La Mancha?

A

Dominio de Valdepusa

60
Q

Which five Canary Islands have their own DO? What are the other 5 DOs that are located within one island’s boundaries?

A 
La Palma
El Hierro
La Gomera
Gran Canaria
Lanzarote

5 on the same island:

Abona
Tacoronte-Acentejo
Valle de la Orotava
Valle de Guímar
Ycoden-Duate-Isora
61
Q

What are the aging requirements for Rioja/Ribera Reserva Tinto?

A

3 years (1 year in oak)

62
Q

What are the tiers of wine quality in Spain starting from the top?

A 
Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa)
DO Pago
Denominación de Origen (DO) 
Vinos de Calidad con Indicación Geográfica (VCIG)
Vino de la Tierra (VdlT)
63
Q

What is arrope? What is its common use?

A

Grape concentrate made by boiling unfermented grape juice, often from Pedro Ximénez, and reduced down to 50% of its original volume to a syrupy consistency.

Often used for sweetening sherry.

64
Q

What is Viño Tostado and where is it produced? (aging requirement/min must weight/min rs) Red or White Grapes?

A

Local specialty of Ribeiro produced from grapes that have been dried for a minimum of 3 months yielding a minimum must weight of 300 g/L and a final RS of 70g/L.

Both. Red or white.

65
Q

What is the principal wine grape of Montilla-Moriles? Why are wines here typically unfortified below oloroso level? What other style is fortified?

A

Pedro Ximénez Because the grapes ripen here extremely well in the region’s hot climate and will ferment to 15.5% alcohol-the ideal strength for flor to survive and the post fortification strength of fino Sherry.

66
Q

What grapes can go into a bottle that is labeled Rías Baixas Albariño?

A

100% Albariño

67
Q

What are the aging requirements for Viejo?

A

36 months aging, demonstrates marked oxidative character.

68
Q

What are the three Pagos of Navarra and what are the corresponding subregions?

A 
Señorío de Arízano (Tierra Estella)
Prado Irache (Tierra Estella)
Bodegas Otazu (Valdizarbe)
69
Q

What are the 5 aging designations for Málaga and how much time does each mandate?

A 
Málaga Pálido (max 6 months in oak)
Málaga (6-24 months)
Málaga Noble (2-3 years)
Málaga Añejo (3-5 years)
Málaga Transañejo (min 5 years)
70
Q

What other two grapes are commonly blended with Albariño in O Rosal and Condado do Tea? What is the minimum % of Albariño that must be present?

A

Loureiro and Treixadura

Minimum 70%

71
Q

What are the three main grapes of sherry?

A

Palomino (Listán)
Pedro Ximinéz
Moscatel

72
Q

Which two mountain ranges create a rain shadow over Navarra, La Rioja, and Aragón?

A

Cantabrian Mountains

Pyrenees Mountains

73
Q

The region of Rioja is named for what tributary of what river?

74
Q

Sherry must be shipped from one of what 3 towns?

A

Jerez de la Frontera
Sanlucar de Barrameda
El Puerto de Santa Maria

75
Q

What is the standard size of a Rioja barrica?

A

225 liters

76
Q

What is doble pasta and where is this style popular?

A

A style of wine popular in Utiel-Requena wherein twice the normal amount of grape skins and pulp are used for maceration and fermentation resulting in wines of intense concentration, tannin, and color.

77
Q

What are the aging requirements for Rioja/Ribera Gran Reserva Tinto?

A

5 years (2 years in oak, 3 years in bottle)

78
Q

What are the three main soil types of Jerez? Describe them.

A

Albariza (chalky, limestone)
Barros (clay)
Arenas (sandy)

79
Q

Why was Jumilla able to resist phylloxera until the 1980s?

A

sandy soils

80
Q

What symbol is always present on the cork of Cava?

A

four-pointed star

81
Q

What are the aging requirements for Añejo?

A

24 months aging in cask of less than 600L or bottle.

82
Q

What are the four major red grapes found in the Canary Islands? Whites?

A

Listen Negro
Negramoll (Tinta Negra)
Malasía Rosada
Listán Prieto (Mission)

83
Q

What are the aging requirements for Rioja/Ribera Crianza Tinto?

A

2 years (1 year in oak)

84
Q

What are the two traditional styles of wine produced in Tarragona?

A

Fortified rancio & mistela (Vin de Liqueur) are the two traditional styles here.

85
Q

Which style is a specialty of Navarra? What percentage of the region’s total output is made in this style?

Master Sommelier Exam (55 decks)

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