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Spain Flashcards

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Introductory Sommelier Exam (CMS) flashcards
1
Q

What are the two mountain ranges that separate France from Spain in the North?

A

Pyrenees (directly north)

Cantabrian (northwest)

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2
Q

Who was responsible for the expansion of Spanish wine at the end of the 1400s?

A

Christopher Columbus and Spanish explorers opened up a new world for Spanish trade.

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3
Q

Where did French winemakers turn to in the 1850s and 1860s when oidium and phylloxera struck their vineyards?

A

Rioja - a sudden influx of French winemakers and merchants sought to bridge the interruption of their own disease-ridden vineyards with Spanish wine.

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4
Q

Who were the pioneers in Rioja that were trained in Bordeaux during the 1850s and 1860s? What ideas did they bring with them?

A

Marqués de Riscal
Marqués de Murrieta

Barrique aging (barricas)
Estate bottling (bodegas)
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5
Q

What was the biggest vinification technique difference that the Rioja pioneers implemented?

A

Use of American Oak (Quercus Alba) - an economic decision based on Spain’s history of transatlantic colonial trade

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6
Q

Who are some of the top Rioja wineries that received their start in the late 1800s?

A 
Marqués de Riscal
Marqués de Murrieta
López de Heredia
CVNE
La Rioja Alta
Bereceo
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7
Q

Who is credited for the birth of champaña, or Cava?

A

San Sadurní d’Anoia

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8
Q

What group was created that focused on quality and major regions of Rioja, Jerez, and Malaga in the 1930s?

A

Consejos Reguladores

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9
Q

Who was responsible for the dark period of time for wine in Spain post WWII?

A

Fransico Franco - fascist dictator until his death in 1975

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10
Q

What are the two highest tiers of quality in Spain equivalent to the EU’s Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) status? What is the third?

A

Denominacion de Origen (DO)
Denominacion de Origen Calificada (DOCa)
Vinos de Calidad con Indicacion Geografrica (VCIG) - once considered a stepping stone to DO

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11
Q

What is the lowest level of quality wine?

A

Vindo de la Tierra (VdIT) - falls within the EU’s Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) scheme

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12
Q

What is the DO Pago?

A

Theoretically superior appellation to the basic DO. An estate within an existing DO must surpass the basic DO Requirements in DO Pago Legislation, typically through lowered yields and other measures suggestive of quality winemaking.

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13
Q

What are the consistent aging requirements throughout Spain outside of Rioja and Ribera del Duero?

A

Red
Crianza - 2 years (incl. 6 months in cask)
Reserva - 3 years (incl. 1 year in cask)
Gran Reserva - 5 years (incl. 18 months in cask)

White/Rosado
Crianza - 18 months (incl. 6 months in cask)
Reserva - 2 years (incl. 6 months in cask)
Gran Reserva - 4 years (incl. 6 months in cask)

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14
Q

What do the additional DOP terms Noble, Añejo and Viejo mean?

A

Noble - 18 months aging in cask of less than 600 L or bottle
Añejo - 24 months aging in cask of less than 600 L or bottle
Viejo - 36 months aging, demonstrates marked oxidative character

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15
Q

What are the three autonomias of North Central Spain?

A

Navarra
La Rioja
Aragón

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16
Q

What is the river that flows through Rioja?

A

Ebro River

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17
Q

What is Rioja named after?

A

The Oja tributary

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18
Q

What was the first DOCa?

A

Rioja - 1991

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19
Q

What is the classic Rioja style?

A

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

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20
Q

What are winemakers doing differently now in Rioja?

A

Use of French Oak

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21
Q

What is the traditional red grape of Rioja and it’s blending partners?

A 
Tempranillo
Mazuelo (Carignan)
Graciano
Garnacha
Maturana Tinta (authorized in 2007)

These five grapes must comprise 85% of the red Rioja blend, or 95% if destemmed. “Experimental” grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon may make up the remainder

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22
Q

What is the synonym for Viura?

A

Macabeo

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23
Q

What are the dominant white grapes of Rioja?

A 
Viura (Macabeo)
Garnacha Blanca
Malvasia
Riojano
Maturana Blanca

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo may be used but cannot account for more than a combined 49% of the blend.

Rosado wines must have a minimum 25% red grapes.

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24
Q

What are the aging requirements for Rioja?

A

Red
Crianza - Two years total, one of which in oak
Reserva - Three years total, one of which in oak
Gran Reserva - Five years total - two years in oak, three years in bottle

White/Rosado
Crianza - Two years, 6 months in cask
Reserva - Two years, 6 months in cask
Gran Reserva - Four years, 6 months in cask

Whereas producers may age white and rosado crianza wines in a non-oxidative environment like stainless steel, reserva wines must remain in oak or bottle for the the minimum period of aging.

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25
Q

What are the three distinct regions of Rioja?

A

Rioja Alta
Rioja Alavesa
Rioja Baja

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26
Q

What is Rioja Alavesa?

A

Smallest, northernmost zone (it is actually located within Basque Country) and Tempranillo here often produces vino joven wines for early consumption. Carbonic maceration may be employed for such wines.

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27
Q

What is Rioja Alta?

A

Southwestern zone, and with it’s slightly warmer climate the zone is capable of producing classic, ageworthy Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano.

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28
Q

What are the soil types of the Rioja subregions?

A

Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa share a similar soil structure, with a higher proportion of calcareous clay

Rioja Baja is the hottest subregion, contains more alluvial soils and ferrous clay.

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29
Q

What is Rioja Baja?

A

Hottest region, contains more alluvial soils and ferrous clay. Garnacha performs best in Rioja Baja’s hot climate.

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30
Q

What will a lot of producers do with the three subregions of Rioja?

A

Create a base style, combining the freshness of Rioja Alavesa, the extract and alcoholic warmth of Rioja Baja, and the acidity and structure of Rioja Alta

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31
Q

Where do major traditionalists source their fruit from in Rioja?

A

Lopez de Heredia produces single vineyard wines from estate vineyards such as Bosconia and Tondonia

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32
Q

What is unique about Ysios?

A

Modern winery known for its avant-garde architectural design - produces pure Tempranillo form its estate vineyards in the Rioja Alavesa region.

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33
Q

Who is the architect who built Marques de Riscal’s new estate?

A

Frank Gehry, famed architect of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao

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34
Q

What is Navarra DO known for?

A

Rosado wines - however, 60% of production is now red and rosados only make up 25% of total production

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35
Q

What are the major varieties in Navarra?

A

Red
Tempranillo
Garnacha

White
Chardonnay

French red grapes are on the rise - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir

36
Q

What are the 5 subzones of Navarra?

A 
Valdizarbe - higher altitude
Baja Montaña - north
Tierra Estella - north
Ribera Alta - center
Ribera Baja - south
37
Q

What three estates recently received their own DO Pago appellation status in Navarra DO?

A 
Señorio de Arínzano (Tierra Estella)
Prado Irache (Tierra Estella)
Bodegas Otazu (Valdizarbe)
38
Q

What are the four DOs of Aragon?

A

Campo de Borja (hot - Garnacha) red and rosado made from Garnacha and Tempranillo. Whites - Viura
Calatayud - Garnacha
Cariñena - Garnacha.
Somontano

39
Q

What varietals and wines are produced in Campo de Borja?

A

Garnacha dominates
Red and Rosado wines made from Garnacha and Tempranillo
White wines are Viura

40
Q

What varietals and wines are produced in Calatayud?

A

Garnacha dominates

41
Q

What varietals and wines are produced in Cariñena?

A

Garnacha dominates
Also one of Spain’s longstanding delimited zones (dating to 1932) is the ancestral home of the Carignan/Mazuelo grape, but today the grape is a secondary player in the region’s blends.

42
Q

What varietals and wines are produced in Somontano?

A

Local grapes such as the white Alcañón and red Parralleta

“Beneath the mountain” lies in the foothills of the Pyrenees near Catalaonia

43
Q

What autonomias within Green Spain?

A

Galicia

Asturias
Cantabria
Pais Vasco (Basque Country)

44
Q

What are rias?

A

Estuaries

45
Q

What are the five DOs within Galicia?

A 
Rias Baixas
Ribeiro
Valdeorras
Ribeira Sacra
Montererrei
46
Q

What are the five sub zones of Rias Baixias?

A 
Val do Salnes
Ribeira do Ulla
Soutomaior
O Rosal
Condado do Tea
47
Q

What wine will not contain any blending grapes from Rias Baixas?

A

Rias Baixas Albariño

48
Q

What are the blends stipulated in the northern sub zones of Val do Salnes or Ribeira do Ulla

A

Must contain a minimum 70% Albariño

49
Q

What are the blends stipulated in the southern sub zones of O Rosal and Condado do Tea

A

Must contain a minimum 70% Albariño as well as either Loureira or Treixadura - the favored white grapes in Portugal’s neighboring Vinho Verde - in any combination

50
Q

How would you know if a bottle of Alnariño was subjected to oak aging?

A

It will be on the label - Barrica

51
Q

What reds are produced in Rias Baixias?

A

Caiño
Espadeiro
Mencía

52
Q

How much of the vineyard acreage of Rias Baixas is devoted to Albariño?

A

90%

53
Q

Where is the Ribeiro DO located?

A

Along the Miño River to the east of Rias Baixas

54
Q

What wines are produced in Ribeiro DO?

A

Reds and Whites based on Galician varietals - Treixadura is the favored white grape, Palomino and Caiño is preferred for reds

55
Q

What is the local specialty wine of Ribeiro DO?

A

Dried grape wine Vino Tostado

56
Q

What are the five subregions of Ribera Sacra DO? The “Sacred Bank”

A 
Amandi
Chantada
Quiroga-Bibei
Riberas do Sil
Riberas do Miño
57
Q

What are the wines of Ribeira Sacra DO based on?

A

Better reds and whites are based on Mencia, Treixadura and Godello

58
Q

What is Valdeorras DO predominantly known for?

A

Clean, fruit-driben, high-acid Godello whites. Reds are allowed

59
Q

What are the three zones in the Pais Vasco (Basque Country)?

A

Getariako Txakolina DO
Bizkaiko Txakolina DO
Arabako Txakolina DO
Wines from all 3 may be white, red or rosado, but the white wines, produced from the Ondarrabi Zuri grape are predominant.

60
Q

What is Ojo de Gallo?

A

Rare rosado wine from Pais Vasco that is a blend of Ondarrabi Zuri and Ondarrabi Beltza

61
Q

What is the largest autonomia in Spain?

A

Castilla y Leon

62
Q

What type of climate does Castilla y Leon have?

A

Continental climate, slightly moderated by its proximity to the Atlantic an Mediterranean but still subject to extreme highs and lows

63
Q

What is the main body of water in Castilla y Leon?

A

The Duero Riber. It flows westward through the center of the region and passes the DOs of Ribera del Duero, Ruedo, Toro, Tierra del Vino de Zamora, and finally Arribes on its path toward Portugal.

64
Q

What are the DOs of Castilla y Leon?

A 
Ribera del Duero
Rueda
Toro
Tierra del Vino de Zamora
Arribes
Arlanza
Cigales
Tierra de Leon
Bierzo
65
Q

What are the requirements for Mencia in Bierzo DO?

A

Reds - Must comprise 70% of blend

Whites - Must comprise 50%

66
Q

Who is the standout producer in Bierzo DO and what are their wines?

A

Alvaro Palacios founded Descendientes de Jose Palacios with his nephew Ricardo Palacios in 1999 and achieved instant recognition with their biodynamic “Corullon” bottling: extracted, old-vine Mencia-based wines sourced from mountainside schist soils

67
Q

What is another top estate in Bierzo?

A

Dominio de Tares

Pittacum

68
Q

What are white wines made from in Bierzo?

A

Godello
Dona Blanca
Palomino (still dominates plantings)

69
Q

What is produced in the Tierra de Leon DO?

A

Red, whites and rosados - red grapes are Mencia and the local Prieto Picudo

70
Q

Where is Ribera del Duero?

A

Surrounds the towns of Aranda de Duero and Peñafiel in the Duero River Valley

71
Q

What is Ribera del Duero’s top estate and who founded it?

A

Vega Sicilia
Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves
1864 - planted bordeaux varietals and pinot noir alongside Tinto del Pais (Tempranillo) in order to make brandy

72
Q

Who was the winemaker who elevated Vega Sicilia and how?

A

1929, following an ownership change and a transition to estate-bottled table wines, new winemaker Domingo Txomin achieved international acclaim at the Barcelona World’s fair with his 1917 and 1918 vintages of Univo, Vega Sicilia’s benchmark wine.

73
Q

What is the cepage of Unico?

A

Tinto del Pais
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Aged for often more than a decade in American and French oak barrels

74
Q

When did Ribera del Duero achieve DO status?

A

1982 - Unico from Vega Sicilia was considered vino de mesa until this time.

75
Q

What are some of the other cult wines of Ribera del Duero?

A

Dominio de Pingus

Aalto

76
Q

How many wineries were there when Ribera del Duero achieved DO status? How many now?

A

9 then

Close to 300 now

77
Q

What wines are permitted within Ribera del Duero?

A

Red and Rosado

Whites not allowed

78
Q

What grapes are grown within Ribera del Duero

A

Tempranillo (Tinto de Pais, Tinto Fino) dominates.
Small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Garnacha
Albillo - permitted for rosado wines, early ripening fresh varietal

79
Q

What are the aging requirements for Ribera del Duero?

A

Crianza - Two years, including one in cask
Reserva - Three years - including one in cask
Gran Reserva - Two years in cask, three years in bottle

80
Q

What are rosado and red wines considered that do not fulfill the aging requirements for Crianza in Ribera del Duero?

A

Vino Joven, young wines

81
Q

When did Rueda receive DO status?

A

1980

82
Q

What is the major white varietal in Rueda?

A

Verdejo, easily prone to oxidation.

Marques de Riscal rejuvenated the varietal in the 1970s as a fresh, crisp alternative to their red Rioja

83
Q

White wines listed as Rueda must have what percentage of which varietal?

A

50% Verdejo, often blended with Viura

84
Q

What white wines are allowed to be labeled varietally and what must the makeup be in Rueda?

A

Rueda - 50% Verdejo minimum typically blended with Viura
Verdejo - minimum 85%
Sauvignon blanc - minimum 85%

85
Q

What is the name of sparkling wines in Rueda?

A

Espumoso produced in both rosado and white styles. Brut Espumoso requires a minimum 85% Verdejo

86
Q

What is Dorado?

A

Wine from Rueda - dry fortified, oxidized wine

87
Q

What wines are produced in Toro DO?

A

Red, white, rosado

Advanced Sommelier (14 decks)

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