Spain Flashcards
Which are the only 2 regions holding DOCa status?
Rioja and Priorat
What does DOCa stand for?
Denominación de Origen Calificada
What term does Priorat use instead of DOCa?
DOQ = Denominació d’Originen Qualificada
What are Vinos de Pago?
Single estates of high reputation who grow the grapes, vinify and mature the wines all on the same estate.
What are PGI wines called in Spain?
Vino de la Tierra (VdlT)
What is the correct order for Gran Reserva, Reserva, Joven, Crianza
Joven, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva
What is the minimum ageing for Joven wines
- In oak
- in bottle
Joven wines are fresh and youthful so there is no ageing requirement, they’re drunk young
What is the minimum ageing for red Crianza wines
- In total
- in oak
for Spain, and also Rioja
24 months total
6 in barrel (12 if Rioja red)
What is the minimum ageing for Reserva wines
- In total
- in oak
36 months total
12 in barrel
What is the minimum ageing for Gran Reserva wines
- In total
- in oak
for Spain, and also Rioja.
60 months in total
18 in barrel (24 if Rioja red)
What is the national grape of Spain and in which regions is it most planted? - identify up to 6.
Tempranillo
Rioja, Navarra, Ribera del Duero, Toro, La Mancha and Veldepeñas where it is called ‘Cencibel’
What is Tempranillo called in La Mancha and Valdepeñas?
Cencibel
What is the grape Carineña called in
Rioja?
In France?
Mazuelo in Rioja
Carignan in France
What are the 4 principal black grape varieties used in the production of red Rioja?
Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo
Whilst others are used what are the 3 grapes commonly used in Priorat?
Garnacha and Carineña (often from old vines for both.
Plus Cabernet Sauvignon as a minor role.
What is the soil in Priorat called, what is its make up and what does it do?
Llicorella
Red slate with small particles of Mica which reflects heat into the vines, conserves heat over night.
In between the layers of slate is powdered clay, which holds water.
What are the 3 regions of Rioja and what are their climates?
Rioja Alta, - Maritime
Rioja Alavesa - Maritime
Rioja Orienytal - Warm with a risk of drought
What is the French grape Mourvèdre called in Spain?
Monastrell
List 3 regions associated with Monastrell?
What is this grape called in France?
What are the characteristics, aromas and flavours of the grape?
Valencia, Jumilla and Yecla
In France the grape is called Mourvèdre
Deep colour, full body, high tannin and alcohol with flavours of ripe blackberry fruit
What role does Graciano play in a Rioja blend?
Use a small percentage to add concentrated black fruit flavours, acidity and tannins
What role does Carineña play in a Rioja blend?
To add acidity, tannin and colour.
Which region is most associated with the grape Mencia?
What is the key feature of a Mencia wine?
Used extensively in Bierzo
Medium plus to high acidity/ fresh fruit, and sometimes slight herbaceous character.
What 2 regions are most associared with the white grape Airen?
What style of wine does it make?
La Mancha and Valdepeñas
Simple style.
What is the traditional white grape of Rioja?
How does a modern white Rioja compare to a traditional style?
Viura
Traditional style is heavily oaked and partially oxidised.
What is the grape of Rias Baixas?
Albariño
What are the characteristics of Garnacha Tinta?
In which 4 regions is it used extensively?
What is it called in France?
High alcohol with spiced red fruit.
Used extensively in Rioja, Navarra, Carineña and Calatayud and old vine Garnacha is key in Priorat. Also extensively used to make Rosados.
Called Grenache in France
What are the four main white ‘Spanish’ grapes?
Verdejo
Albariño
Airén
Macabao (Viura in Rioja)
Where are most VdlT wines produced?
Castilla y Leon
With the exception of north west Spain, heat and lack of water are the biggest challenges to growing grapes in Spain.
How are these challenges met by vinegrowers?
Low density bush trained vines in order to maximise the water available to each vine (less evaporation) and to optimise the shading of fruit.
The drawback is bush vines cannot be mechanically harvested.
Some use a version of VSP with shoots being allowed to flop over the grapes giving them shade - also allowing mechanical harvesting.
What is the climate of Rioja Oriental?
Warm continental - with potential risk of drought
What styles of wine can be made in Rioja?
Semi-carbonic, light and fruity with low tannin
Traditionally de-stem and crush, fermented traditionally, possibly heavy cap management and extended maceration = heavily extracted wines, matured in American / French oak.
What is the climate in Navarra and what style of wines come from here?
Similar climate to Rioja but cooler and wetter near the mountains.
Red wines are very similar to Rioja, additionally fresh rosados (rosé) made from Garnacha which has been picked earlier to maintain some acidity. Fermented protectively to preseve primary aromas.
Where is Navarra located?
North and east of Rioja running into the foothills of the Pyrenees
What styles of wine are commonly associated with Carineña and Calatayud?
- Fruity inexpensive wines from Garnacha
- Higher quality wines from old vine Garnacha and Carineña giving greater flavour intensity and structure
What are the two regions that make up Catalunya?
Penedes and Priorat
Where are the vineyards of Priorat located, what’s the climate like and what black grapes predominate?
Inland hills. Long hot, dry, summers with low annual rainfall.
Ideal conditions for old vine Garnacha and Carineña.
Cabernet Sauvignon is also grown and added to blends.
Describe a typical red wine from Priorat.
Deeply coloured with high tannins, medium plus to high alcohol with concentrated black fruit (due to its intensity) and toasty aromas from French oak.
Why are vineyards in Priorat expensive and time consuming to manage?
Bush vines are managed on steep slopes meaning mechanical harvesting is not possible.
What is the climate in Ribera del Duero?
Short, hot, dry Summers with very cold Winters.
Hot days and cold nights (wide diurnal range.). Slows ripening to retain freshening acidity.
What is the dominant black grape variety in Ribera del Duero?
Tempranillo.
Describe a ‘typical’ Ribera del Duero red wine
Dark in colour, concentrated fruit flavours, vanilla notes, with high tannin and balanced refreshing acidity.
Where is Toro located, what is the climate like and what type wine does it produce?
West of Ribera del Duero,
High daytime temps.
Reds are full flavoured with intense fruit flavours, high tannin and high alcohol
What is significant about Rueda and what is the climate?
Continental climate with cool Summer nights
Mainly white wines produced from Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc
Whare is Rias Baixas located and what is the dominant grape?
North west Spain on the Atlantic coast. Cool maritime climate, wet.
Mainly Albariño producing high acidity wines with ripe stone fruit flavours.
Bierzo - what wines does it mainly produce?
Mainly produces elegant red wines from Mencia with natural high acidity and red fruit aromas. Best wines come from old vines grown on steep slopes.
Where is The Levante wine region?
Name the 3 regions of the The Levante.
On the Mediterranean coast, centered around Valencia
Valencia, Jumilla and Yecla
What is the most planted grape in Valencia and what type of wines does it generally produce?
Monastrell (Mourvèdre) is the most planted grape although a range of local and International grapes are planted.
Largely produces very ripe and simple style of wine.
Where are Jumilla and Yecla located?
What is the climate?
What is the dominant grape?
Inland from Valencia
Hot and arid
Monastrell (Mourvèdre)
What are the main red and white grape varieties grown in Valdepeñas?
Red = Cencibel (Tempranillo)
White = Airen
What Spanish white grape is particularly susceptible to oxidation?
Verdejo
Where are the vineyards of the Ribera del Duero located?
On the highest part of the Meseta Central with some vineyards at 850m
In Rioja a Joven wine is labelled instead as what?
Genérico
