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Brock - Certified Sommelier > Spain > Flashcards

Spain Flashcards

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1
Q

In what year did Phylloxera reach Spain?

How badly did it affect the vineyards?

A

1901

70% of vineyards were destroyed.

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2
Q

What is the significance of the year 1970 in Spain?

A

After the Phylloxera epidemic of 1901, the subsequent exodus of many growers, WWI, the Spanish Civil War, WWII, and a hunger crisis that called for the replacement of grapevines with wheat, the year 1970 was when Rioja regained its footing.

tl;dr it was a turning point for the resurgence of the Spanish wine industry.

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3
Q

What is the difference between Traditionalist and Modernist philosophies in Rioja?

How do they wines they produce differ?

A

Traditionalists age wines in old American oak barrels, often for far longer

Modernists age wines more briefly in new French oak.

Traditionally made wines are more mellow and earthy, modernist wines are more fruit driven and more oaky.

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4
Q

Describe the basic geography of the Rioja.

Location, climate, geographical landmarks, and soil

A

Rioja is on a 1500ft high plateau in north central Spain, centered along both banks of the Ebro river. It is 60 miles south of the Bay of Biscay, and is shielded by the Pyrenees Mountains to the northeast and the Cantabrian Mountains to the northwest.

Rioja is dicided into 3 subregions:

  • Rioja Alavesa in the northwest, on the northern bank of the Ebro (cooler climate)
  • Rioja Alta, opposite Rioja Alavesa on the southern bank (cooler climate)
  • Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja) in the southeast (warmer, drier, more Mediterranean climate)

Soil in Rioja is dominated by clay mixed with limestone and sandstone, iron-rich clay, and loamy soil with aluvial silt from the Ebro.

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5
Q

What are the aging requirements for Rioja Crianza?

Red & White

A

Red: 2 years, 1 must be in oak

White: 6 months in oak

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6
Q

What are the aging requirements for Rioja Reserva?

Red & White

A

Red: 3 years, 1 must be in oak

White: 2 years, 6 months in oak

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7
Q

What are the aging requirements for Rioja Gran Reserva?

Red & White

A

Red: 5 years, 2 must be in oak, 3 in bottle

White: 4 years, 1 must be in oak

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8
Q

What are the main grapes of Rioja Tinto?

A

Tempranillo
Garnacha (Grenache)
Mazuelo (Carignan)
Graciano

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9
Q

What are the grape requirements of Rioja Tinto?

A

85% (95% if destemmed) must be composed of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano.

The remainder can be “experimental” grapes like Cabernet.

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10
Q

What is the principal grape of Rioja Blanco?

A

Viura (Macabeo)

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11
Q

Name 3 great Rioja Tintos and one Rioja Blanco.

A

Red:

  1. R. Lopez de Heredia “Vina Tondonia”
  2. Cune “Imperial”
  3. Muga “Prado Enea”

White:
1. R. Lopez de Heredia “Vina Tondonia”

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12
Q

What kind of wine is made in Rioja?

A

Red, white, rose, and sparkling.

90% of production is red

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13
Q

What kind of wine is made in Ribera del Duero?

A

Almost exclusively red, but there are some simple roses.

Whites are not allowed.

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14
Q

What is the name for Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero?

A

Tinto Fino (also Tinta del Pais)

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15
Q

How and why do the red wines of Ribera del Duero compare to those of Rioja?

A

Ribera del Duero’s local clone of Tempranillo (Tinto Fino) has adapted to the harsher climate, creating smaller berries with tougher skins.

This adaptation results in wines that are more powerful (but sometimes less polished) than those of Rioja.

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16
Q

What are the 3 main grapes of Ribera del Duero?

A

Tinto Fino (Tempranillo)
Garnacha
Cabernet Sauvignon

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17
Q

Describe the basic geography of Ribera del Duero.

Location, climate, geographical landmarks, and soil

A

It is in the Castilla y Leon region of north central Spain, about 100 miles southwest of Rioja. Centered on the Duero river, it is situated atop Spain’s grand plateau called the meseta, over 2500ft above sea level.

The climate is continental - very hot in the summer (over 100F) and very cold in the winter (up to -20F). Diurnal shifts are huge.

There are two main soil types in RDD - the vineyards near the river have soils of sandy sediment, marl, and riverbed stones. The higher vineyards are on the slopes above the riverbed, and contain more limestone and clay.

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18
Q

What is the flagship estate of Ribera del Duero?

A

Vega Sicilia

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19
Q

What are the aging requirements for Ribera del Duero Crianza?

Reserva?

Grand Reserva?

A

Crianza: 2 years from Oct 1st, one must be in oak.

Reserva: 3 years from Oct 1st, one must be in oak.

Gran Reserva: 5 years from Oct 1st, two must be in oak.

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20
Q

Name 2 great Ribera del Duero wines.

A
  1. Dominio de Pingus

2. Vega Sicilia “Unico”

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21
Q

Describe the basic geography of Jerez.

Location, climate, geographical landmarks, and soil

A

It is in the Andalucia region of southern Spain, which stretches from far south-central Spain nearly to Portugal. Jerez is the 2nd farthest sub region to the west, in a small wedge of land between the coastal, northernmost town of Sanlucar de Barrameda, Jerez de la Frontera inland to the east, and El Puerto de Santa Maria on the coast to the south.

The climate is Mediterranean, with long, often drought-ridden summers.

There are 3 main soil types in Jerez:

  1. Albariza (bright white, chalky, limestone-rich soil) which is found in higher elevation areas of the best pagos, or vineyards.
  2. Arena, sandy soil found in coastal areas.
  3. barro, a fertile clay soil that grows more crops than vines.
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22
Q

Describe the Palomino grape.

A

A white grape that is one of the least acidic and highest yielding grapes in the world. It is relatively neutral in aroma, flavor, and character.

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23
Q

What are the 3 grapes used to make Sherry?

In descending order of importance

A
  1. Palomino (Listan)
  2. Pedro Ximenez
  3. Moscatel
24
Q

What kind of wines are made in Jerez?

A

White wines only.

25
Q

Describe the basic process of making Sherry.

A
  1. The grapes are picked early, when just ripe - not overripe.
  2. The grapes are crushed and fermented in stainless steel tanks (much like any other white wine)
  3. The wine is fortified according to style (lighter styles like fino are fortified less, fuller styles like oloroso more)
  4. The fortified wine in poured into oak barrels and set aside for 6months to a year. (this is called the sobretable)
  5. It enters the Solera.
26
Q

What is a solera?

A

A solera is a network of barrels, stacked into rows, that is used to create blended-vintage wines.

The oldest wine is in the bottom barrels, and this is where the wine is drawn off from.

As wine is taken from the barrels at the bottom, it is replenished with an equal amount from the barrel in the row above it, and that barrel from the one above it - etc.

27
Q

What is flor?

A

A foamy, waxy film of yellow-white yeasts that forms on the surface of some styles of Sherry.

28
Q

How can we be sure true Sherry can never be made outside of Jerez?

A

Because flor taken outside of Jerez quickly mutates or dies.

29
Q

Which two styles of Sherry employ the use of flor?

A

Fino and Manzanilla

30
Q

What is the difference between Fino and Manzanilla Sherry?

A

Manzanilla Sherry can only be made in the highly humid, salty air of the beach-side bodegas of Sanlucar de Barrameda.

31
Q

How is Amontillado Sherry made?

A

By taking Fino Sherries and fortifying them a little more, and placing them through their own flor-free solera.

32
Q

How is Oloroso Sherry made?

A

It is made from pressed juice (not free-run, like Fino/manzanilla), fortified more than lighter styles, and places in a flor-free solera.

33
Q

How is Pedro Ximinez Sherry made?

A

It is made from Pedro Ximinez grapes that are sun-dried on straw mats.

34
Q

Name 2 great producers of Sherry.

A
  1. Hidalgo

2. Barbadillo

35
Q

Where is Catalunya?

What are the 2 most important wine regions there and where are they?

A

It is a region in far northeastern Spain, beginning just south of the Pyrenees mountains on the Spain/France border and following the Mediterranean past Barcelona.

  1. Penedes - just west of Barcelona
  2. Priorat - enveloped by Montsant, which is enveloped by Tarragona - the region just west of Penedes.
36
Q

Describe the basic geography of Penedes.

Location, climate, geographical landmarks, and soil

A

Located in the Catalunya wine region of coastal, northeastern Spain, the land here land rises steadily (like rugged steps) from the coast toward the inland Meseta - the land divided between three distinct altitude zones: Baix-Penedès, Medio-Penedès, and Alt-Penedès.

The climate is Mediterranean, but gets cooler on the higher plateaus (some nearly 3000ft above sea level)

The soil is diverse - mostly sedimentary with sand and clay.

37
Q

What is the birthplace of Cava?

Where is it located?

A

San Sadurní d’Anoia

In the Alt-Penedès

38
Q

What is imprinted on the corks of Cava bottles?

A

A four pointed star.

39
Q

What kind of wine is made in Penedes?

What dominates production?

A

Red, white, and sparkling

Sparkling > White > Red

40
Q

What are the aging requirements for Cava?

A

Basic - 9 months on lees

Reserva - 15 months on lees

Gran Reserva - 30 months on lees

41
Q

How many different grapes can be used to make Cava?

What are the main grapes?

A

7

Parellada, Xarel-lo, Macabeo (Viura) and Chardonnay are the 4 main grapes.

42
Q

Name 2 great producers of Cava.

A

1) 1 + 1 = 3

2) Segura Viudas

43
Q

Describe the basic geography of Priorat.

Location, climate, geographical landmarks, and soil

A

Located in the southwest of the Catalunya wine region of coastal, northeastern Spain, it is just west of Penedes, enveloped by the sub-region Montsant, which is enveloped by Tarragona.

The climate is Mediterranean, with hot dry days and very cool nights.

The infertile blackish soil here is called “Llicorella” (licorice), is mixed black slate and quartzite.

44
Q

What kind of wine is made in Priorat?

A

All kinds, but the most famous are all red.

45
Q

What two grapes are native to Priorat?

A

Carinena and Garnacha.

46
Q

How did the “Clos” of Priorat come to be?

A

In 1979 Barbier, a winemaker for Alvaro Palacios, planted a mix of local and French vines in the llicorella soils of Gratallops, and convinced Palacios and several others to join him. In 1989 they cooperatively produced a first effort—a single red wine bottled under five different labels—and turned the eyes of the wine world towards Priorat.

47
Q

What were Barbier and Palacios’ Clos of Priorat?

A

Barbier: Clos Mogador

Palacios: Clos Dofi

48
Q

Which aspect of the wines of Priorat is paramount in managing?

A

Alcohol - the Priorat is a warm, Mediterranean region where grapes can ripen unchecked to a potential alcohol of 18%.

49
Q

Name two great producers of Priorat.

BONUS - name 2 wines and their grapes

A
  1. Clos Erasmus
  2. Alvaro Palacios

BONUS:
Alvaro Palacios “L’Ermita” (100% Garnacha)
Alvaro Palacios “Finca Dofi” (Garnacha, Cab, Syrah, Merlot - unspecified percentages)

50
Q

Describe the basic geography of Rias Baixas.

Location, climate, geographical landmarks, and soil

A

It is in the region of Galicia, in far northwestern Spain, on the border of Portugal. It is on the coast of the Atlantic, which mitigates wide temperature swings.

The climate is maritime, and notoriously rainy. Though rains usually occur in winter, moisture is an issue that is mitigated with high-trained vines and southwestern exposure.

The soils in the best vineyards are well-drained sandy/granitic with clay and limestone mixed in.

51
Q

What kind of wines are made in Rias Baixas?

A

90% white, but also some red.

52
Q

What grapes are in wines labeled Rias Baixas Albarino?

A

100% Albarino

53
Q

What grapes are in wines labeled Rias Baixas Val do Salnes or Rias Baixas Ribeira do Ulla?

A

Minimum 70% Albarino/other recommended varieties.

54
Q

How many subzones are there in Rias Baixas?

What are they?

A

There are 5.

  1. Val do Salnés
  2. Ribeira do Ulla
  3. Soutomaior
  4. O Rosal
  5. Condado do Tea
55
Q

Describe the Albarino grape.

A

Small, thick-skinned, difficult to grow and naturally low-yielding. It creates wines that are aromatic and fresh.

56
Q

Name two great producers of Albarino.

A
  1. Fillaboa

2. Pazo San Mauro

57
Q

Name some of the best recent vintages of Spanish wine.

A 
2004***
2005
2008
2009
2015
2016

Brock - Certified Sommelier (19 decks)

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