Spain Flashcards
What country has more land under vine than any other country in the world?
What do they rank in terms of actual wine production?
Spain
3rd- much of the grapes are used for spirit mash.
What Mountain range separates France Spain?
The Pyrenees
What three major mountain chains serve as borders between major geographic areas in Spain?
The Picos de Europa and Pyrenees to the north
The Central Mountain System separates Madrid and La Mancha
And the Penbetic System cuts through Andalucia
In What year did Spain unite under one flag?
1978
What are ‘regions’ called in Spain?
Autonomias
What does DO stand for in Spain?
Denominacion de Origen
What does DOCa stand for in Spain?
Denominacion de Origen Calificada
What does DO Pago stand for in Spain?
Denominacion de Origen Pago
What does VCIG stand for in Spain?
Vinos de Calidad con Indicacion Geografica
What does VdT stand for in Spain?
Vino de la Tierra
What are the five quality levels for Spanish wines, entry level to best?
Vino de la Tierra Vinos de Calidad con Indicacion Geografica Denominacion de Origen Denominacion de Origen Pago Denominacion de Origen Calificada
What’s the aging minimum for red wines labeled ‘Crianza?’
Two Years
6 Months in Oak
What’s the aging requirements for red wines labeled Joven?
One Year
What is the aging requirement for Crianza white and rosados?
18 Months, 6 months in cask
What’s the aging requirements for Crianza wines in Rioja and Ribero del Duero?
Two years
1 year in cask
What’s the aging requirement for ‘Riserva’ red wines in Spain?
3 years
1 year in oak
What’s the aging requirement for ‘Riserva’ whites and rosados in Spain?
2 years, 6 months in cask
What are the aging requirements of red ‘Gran Riserva’ wines?
5 years
18 months in oak
What are the aging requirements of ‘Gran Riserva’ whites and rosados?
4 years
6 months in cask
What are the aging requirements of ‘Gran Riserva’ wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero?
5 years
2 years in cask
3 years in bottle
What is carignan called in Spain?
Mazuelo
The second most widely grown grape in Spain. It is used for bulk wine and is best grown in DOs Utiel-Requena and DO Valencia.
Bobal
Carinena, aka Mazuelo, has found a home in these two DOs
Monsant DO
Priorat DOCa
This is the 3rd most widely planted red grape in Spain. It is used in Priorat, Rioja, Navarra and northern Spain.
Garnacha- Late ripening and thin skinned
‘Cannonau in Sardinia, Grenache in France’
This red grape is from the Galicia region and is the focal point of Bierzo DO.
The wines are bright, crisp and age worthy. Though to be the parent of Cabernet Franc
Mencia
What grape is often used to make Cava pink and is known as Mourvèdre in France?
Monastrell
What is the most widely planted grape in Spain?
Tempranillo
What are some other names (5) for Tempranillo in Spain?
- Ull de Llebre- Catalunya
- Cencibel - The South
- Tinto Fino, Tinto Pais and Tinto de Toro in Castilla Leon
What is Spain’s most widely planted white varietal?
Airen
2nd only to Tempranillo. Simple, basic bulk wines
What white grape is considered Spain’s best native grape?
Albarino
What is ‘Albarino ‘ called in Portugal?
Alvarinho - the back bone of Vinho Verde
What white grape makes an aromatic, high quality wine from Galicia, DO Valdeorras and Bierzo?
Godello
This is one of the three main grapes used to make Txokali wines
Hondurrabi Zuri Zerratia
What is Hondurrabi Zuri Zerratia called in SW France?
Petit Corbu
What white grape provers the acidic and crisp fruit backbone for Cava?
Macabeo
What is Macabeo called in Rioja?
Viura
What Ubiquitous sweet grape from Greece does well in DO Valencia, DO Zamora and the Canary Islands?
Malvasia
What grape produces some of the world’s best dessert wines in DO Valencia and Andalusia?
Moscatel
What is Moscatel called in France?
Moscatel d’Alexandrie
What’s the main grape of Jerez?
Palomino
What’s another name for Palamino?
Listan
Which of the three cava grapes added the soft, creamy component?
Parellada
What grape produces a thick, sweet molasses like wine from Andalusia and DO Montilla-Moriles?
Pedro Ximenez
is the principal grape in Rueda, and one of Spain’s greatest treasures. Creates full-bodied,
aromatic white wines that are considered one of Europe’s noble white wines.
Verdejo
the third varietal found in Cava, providing the weight,
strength and alcohol.
Xarel-lo
refers to the Northwest corner of the country, spanning from Galicia, in the Northwest corner of
Spain, along the northern Atlantic coast and bordering Portugal all the way and encompassing Basque
country. This part of Spain is unlike any other part of the country and is very atypical-Spanish in both culture and
landscape, having been settled and influenced by the Galicians and the Basques. It is a very lush area by
Spanish standards which combined with the cooler maritime climate allows for
production of some of the best white wines in the country
Green Spain
What are the DOs of Green Spain?
Rías Baixas DO Ribeiro DO Ribeira Sacra DO Valdeorras DO Monterrei DO Getariako Txakolina DO Bizkaiko Txakolina DO Arabako Txakolina DO
What are the 5 sub zones of Rias Baixas?
There are five subzones within the D.O. Val do Salnés O Rosal Condado do Tea Soutomaior Ribeira do Ulla
A wine labeled “Rías Baixas Albariño” contains 100% of which grape?
Albariño
Wines in Rias Baixas
labeled as “Albariño Blanco” will use any combination of Which recommended grapes?
Albariño, Loureira, Treixadura,
Caiña Blanca, as well as authorized Torrontés or Godello
The Pais Vasco contains 3 principal DO zones:
Getariako Txakolina, Bizkaiko Txakolina, and Arabako Txakolina
most widely produced Grape and accounts for most of the planted acreage The Pais Vasco
Ondarrabi Zuri
The Pais Vasco red grape is called?
Ondarrabi Beltza
What are the
DOs of Castilla y Leon?
Bierzo DO Tierra del León DO Ribera del Duero DO Rueda DO Toro DO Tierra del Vino de Zamora DO Arribes DO Cigales DO Arlanza DO
Spain’s largest autonomía. The region is generally characterized by a
continental climate, subjected to extreme highs and lows. The terrain consists of the northern part of the
Meseta Central – the arid central plateau of Spain – and the mountains that encircle it. The Duero Rivers flows
westward through the center of the region.
Castilla y Leon
one of the rising star appellations of modern Spain (achieving DO status as recently as 1989), though
wine was made here before the Romans. Geographically is sits in the province of León, though it shares
borders and traits with León, Galicia and Asturías. The potential for incredibly fresh and vibrant reds, often from
very old vines, is what has drawn attention, and winemakers, to the region
Bierzo DO