Spain

Question 1

Why is Garnacha an important blending partner in the wines of Priorat and Rioja; what does it contribute to the wine in those blends?

Answer 1

• In Priorat
o blended with Carignan/Mazuelo
o to produce deeply coloured wines with high levels of tannin, fresh black fruit and toasty oak. (prioratdan body+alcohol ; carignandan acidity+tannin+colour
• In Rioja
o Blended with Tempranillo
o contributes perfume, body and alcohol to the wine
It is also widely grown in Calatayud, Carinena and Navarra. A number of regions also produce rose wines from Garnacha.

Question 2

What is the most widely planted grape variety in the Southern Rhone?

Answer 2

Grenache

Question 3

Where is Grenache producedin the world, and how are the styles?

Answer 3

• Spain (Garnacha)
o blending partner in the wines of Priorat and Rioja.
o In Priorat, blended with Carignan to produce deeply coloured wines with high levels of tannin, fresh black fruit and toasty oak.
o In Rioja, blended with Tempranillo, it contributes perfume, body and alcohol to the wine. It is also widely grown in Calatayud, Carinena and Navarra. A number of regions also produce rose wines from Garnacha.
• Southern Rhone
o usually blended with other grape varieties typical of the south of France, in particular Syrah and Mourvedre, to produce fullbodied, richly textured wines with concentrated spicy red fruit.
• Languedoc and Roussillon
o often blended with varieties such as Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and Cinsault. The wines may vary in style depending on the blend of grapes and the vineyard climate but most tend to have a spicy, perfumed character reminiscent of the local herbs.
• Australia, particularly in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.
o These wines used to be produced in intensely concentrated, full-bodied styles with high levels of alcohol.
o Old bush vines yield low volumes of highly concentrated grapes, giving robust, ripe wines with intense flavours of red berries and peppery spice. Grenache tends to be destemmed and crushed on arrival at the winery.

Question 4

How does the winemaking techniques change in Grenache?

Answer 4

• Pre-fermentation maceration
o promoting the extraction of flavour and colour before alcohol levels rise in fermentation.
o Some producers choose to retain a proportion of whole bunches to enhance the ripe red fruit flavours of this grape.
• Fermentation
o in open top fermenters, often made from stainless steel or cement
o old oak
• Gentle cap management techniques
o punching down, are used on premium wines to produce wines with more finesse.
• Post-fermentation maceration
o may be carried out if the winemaker wants to enhance the tannic structure of the wine.
o However, usually Grenache will be drained off the skins at the end of fermentation.
• Maturation
o Grenache is usually matured in large vessels such as foudres made from old oak, as the toasty notes from new oak can overwhelm Grenache’s fruit flavours.

Question 5

Why is Grenache usually matured in large vessels such as foudres made from old oak?

Answer 5

toasty notes from new oak can overwhelm Grenache’s fruit flavours.

Question 6

How does the hot climate effect the style of the blends in Grenache?

Answer 6

In hot climates it can be jammy and high in alcohol and therefore grape varieties that are even more tolerant of heat, such as Carignan and Mourvedre, can lend fresher fruit flavours as well as greater tannin and colour to the blend.

Question 7

Spain has three broad climatic zones:

Answer 7

• The north and north-west coast of Spain
o moderate maritime climate dominated by Atlantic weather systems. Rainfall, with its associated risks, is high.
• The east coast :
o warm Mediterranean climate.
o Many of the vineyards are moderated by the influence of the sea or altitude, depending on their location.
• South
o Hot continental
o The Meseta Central, a large plateau in the centre of Spain, is mostly cut off from the influence of the sea by encircling mountains and has a hot continental climate. In winter, temperatures fall below freezing and in the summer temperatures are very high and rainfall is very limited. However, the summer temperatures can be moderated by the cool nights of high altitude sites.

Question 8

What are the biggest challenges to grape growing in Spain? How is this managed?

Answer 8

exception of north-west Spain, heat and the lack of water; resulting in heavy stress on the vine.
• Low density : maximising the amount of water available to each vine
• bush-trained : shading the fruit from excessive heat.
• Where it is practical and affordable wire training is slowly being introduced to facilitate machine harvesting.

Question 9

What are the ranges of styles of red wine made in Spain?

Answer 9

• Inexpensive wines may be made without oak and semicarbonic maceration to enhance the fruity nature of these wines.
• The best wines see oak maturation, usually with at least a proportion of new oak.
• Traditionally, American oak was mostly used, but now French oak is also common.

Question 10

What is Spain’s premier black grape variety?

Answer 10

Tempranillo

especially from Rioja and Ribera del Duero

Question 11

What climate and areas would best fit Tempranillo and why?

Answer 11

It is a thick-skinned grape with medium levels of acidity, and so while it needs sufficient warmth to develop its flavours, hot climates without a high diurnal temperature range could cause the wine to lack the necessary acidity for an ideal balance.
So best in areas where summer temperatures are moderated by the sea and/or altitude.
ex : rioja and ribera del duero

Question 12

How is the wine style for Tempranillo?

Answer 12

Fermented on its own, often using semi-carbonic maceration, it can produce a fresh strawberry scented Joven wine, an increasingly popular early drinking style.
It also plays a key role in more concentrated ageworthy oaked blends either with the traditional varieties Garnacha, Graciano and Carineena/ Mazuelo or international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Question 13

In which area Granacha has importance in Spain and wihy?

Answer 13

Priorat, where low-yielding old vines enable the production of intense, complex, full-bodied reds.

Question 14

Where does Monastrell (Mourvedre) grown and how is the style?

Answer 14

Monastrell is a thick-skinned grape variety that is drought tolerant, but needs hot, sunny conditions to ripen. It is grown in south-eastern Spain, where it can easily reach full ripeness and produces very deeply coloured, fullbodied wines with high levels of tannin and alcohol, low to medium acidity and flavours of ripe blackberry fruit.
Ex: Valencia

Question 15

What are the Other Black Spanish Grape Varieties except from Tempranillo, Garnacha and Monastrell?

Answer 15

• Graciano is a highly valued grape but challenging to grow. It is cultivated mainly in Rioja, where it is used as part of the blend in many of the finest wines. Small quantities are used to add concentrated black fruit aromas, acidity and tannins to the structure of a wine to help it age.
• Carinena=Carignan=Mazuelo . Cariniena gives wines that are high in acidity, tannin and colour. A small proportion of this makes an ideal blend with Tempranillo. It is also grown in Priorat, where it is blended with Garnacha to enhance the tannic structure of the wines.
• Mencia. This suits moderate climates, giving wines with fresh fruit, medium to high acidity, and sometimes a hint of herbaceousness

Answer 16

• Harvesting at night or early morning
• Fermenting in temperature controlled stainless steel vessels.
However, some producers use oak fermentation and maturation, as well as techniques such as lees stirring, to add texture and different flavours to their wine

Question 17

How does Verdejo style changes with wine making techniques?

Answer 17

• Verdejo is highly susceptible to oxidation and was used to make Sherry like wines.
• light -bodied, high-acid, melon and peach flavoured style similar in style to Sauvignon Blanc, with which it is often blended with protective winemaking it can be made in a
• richer fuller bodied style when it has undergone skin contact and barrel fermentation.

Question 18

Why is Albarino suitable for North-west of Spain?

Answer 18

It is thick-skinned and thus able to resist fungal disease, which is useful in the damp climate in which it is grown.

Question 19

Why is Airen suitable for Meseta Central?

Answer 19

Airen is the most widely planted grape variety in Spain and the vast majority of this is planted in La Mancha in central Spain, as it is one of the few varieties that is able to cope with the extreme heat and drought conditions of the Meseta Central.

Question 20

List the principal DO regions of Spain may be grouped together into six geographical regions, based on climate and grape varieties:

Answer 20

• the Upper Ebro
• Catalunya
• Duero Valley
• North West
• Levante
• Castilla-La Mancha

Question 21

What is the most widely planted variety and does best in the cooler western sub-regions in Rioja?
.

Answer 21

Tempranillo

Question 22

How does Tempranillo benefit from Garnacha in blends?

Answer 22

• Tempranillo is the main component of most blends giving red fruit flavours and a medium level of tannins.
• It benefits from the body and alcohol from the addition of Garnacha, which grows best in the Rioja Baja

Question 23

How is Rioja made depending on the style the winemaker wishes to achieve?

Answer 23

• early drinking wines may undergo semi-carbonic maceration to produce wines that have vibrant red fruit flavours and low levels of smooth tannin.
• long-term maturation wines are usually destemmed and crushed and undergo a traditional fermentation.
• Some producers use vigorous cap management techniques and extended maceration to produce heavily extracted wines, deep in colour and full of fruit flavours, but many are making more subtle, elegant styles.
• Oak maturation has a defining role in Rioja. Traditionally, the wines were aged in American oak, and often had pronounced aromas of vanilla

Question 24

Describe the traditional white Rioja’s.

Answer 24

Traditionally, the white wines were aged for extended periods in American oak and developed a deep golden colour and nutty flavours. These deliberately oxidised wines have fallen out of favour with modern consumers.
Modern white Riojas are often made with minimal contact with oxygen in order to preserve the maximum amount of fruit. Some bodegas are now also producing barrel-fermented white wines, but in a less oxidative style than traditional white Riojas.

Question 25

Why are Garnacha grapes picked earlier?

Answer 25

The grapes that are used for rose production are picked earlier when acid levels are higher and sugar levels lower. They are then handled protectively to create refreshing, fruity wines with medium levels of alcohol.

Question 26

Why does Catalunya has a generic DO for still wines that covers the entire region?( Unlike any of the other Spanish administrative regions)

Answer 26

to enable the blending of wines from the various areas to provide the opportunity to create significant volumes of branded wine. Catalunya is also where nearly all Cava is made.

Question 27

What are the 3 climatic zones in Penedes?

Answer 27

• hottest is on the coastal plain where the climate is Mediterranean
• inland, in the valleys, the climate is slightly cooler than that on the plain, but still warm
• further into the hills, where vines are grown up to 800 metres above sea level, the climate is moderate

Question 28

How is the weather in Priorat?

Answer 28

Summers are long, hot and dry, and annual rainfall is very low.
This is ideal for the old Garnacha and Carinena vines found in the region, both being late ripening grape varieties.
Cool night-time temperatures provide some relief from the heat of the day.

Question 29

How is the soil effecting the vine growing in Priorat?

Answer 29

The best soils, known locally as licorella, consist of layers of red slate with small particles of mica that sparkle in the sun. They help ripening by reflecting and conserving heat and, because of their depth, they are able to retain sufficient water throughout the growing season.

Question 30

Why is Priorat so expensive?

Answer 30

• Bush vines and steep slopes mean that mechanisation is almost impossible, and thus the vineyards are expensive and time consuming to manage.
• The low nutrient soils and age of the vines produce very small yields of grapes, which undoubtedly contribute to the complexity and intensity of Priorat.

Question 31

Describe Red Priorat.

Answer 31

Red Priorat is usually deeply coloured with high tannins, medium to high alcohol and concentrated black fruit often accompanied by toasty aromas from new French oak. Although Garnacha and Carinena remain the core of many blends some producers add some international varieties, especially Cabernet Sauvignon.

Question 32

How is the climate effecting wine style in Ribera Del Duero?

Answer 32

• It has short, hot and dry summers and very cold winters.
• The vineyards of the Ribera del Duero are situated on the highest part of the Meseta Central, with some vineyards planted at over 850metres.
• This altitude ensures the region experiences cool night-time temperatures throughout the year, which helps to retain acidity and fresh fruit flavours in the grapes.

Question 33

How are the winemakers accentuaring concentrated fruit flavours and tannins in their grapes today?

Answer 33

• undertaking long macerations
• ageing the wines for a relatively short period of time in new oak barrels, which are increasingly made from French rather than American oak.

Question 34

Which area focuses on white wine production in Ribera del Duero?

Answer 34

Rueda

Question 35

Which grape variety is used to make white wines in Rueda, Ribera del Duero?

Answer 35

The region’s continental climate, with cool summer nights, is ideal for the Rueda’s traditional grape variety, Verdejo. Sauvignon Blanc is the other important variety in this region. Both Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo can be made and labelled as single varietal wines. Blended whites must contain at least 50 per cent Verdejo. Styles range from simple and fruity to richer, barrel-fermented versions.

Question 36

What are the styles of Albarino?

Answer 36

• refreshing unoaked style taking advantage ofthe grape’s naturally high acidity and ripe stone fruit flavours
• richer style, occasionally with a touch of oak or lees stirring

Question 37

How is training system in Raixas Baixas?

Answer 37

Situated on the Atlantic coast, Rias Baixas has a moderate, damp climate. The humid conditions mean that vine diseases such as mildew and rot are a common problem. For this reason, vines are trained on pergolas to encourage air circulation. Some producers are using other training and trellising systems that are easier to maintain.

Question 38

What is the garpe variety in Bierzo, and how is the style?

Answer 38

Mencia, which can produce elegant red wines with naturally high acidity and red fruit aromas. Many of the best wines come from old vines grown on the region’s steep stony slopes.
• unoaked wines to retain the perfumed red fruit of the grape variety
• new oak to add toasty aromas

Question 39

What is the most planted red grape in Valencia?

Answer 39

Monastrell

Question 40

Why is Jumilla and Yecla climate is perfect for Monastrell?

Answer 40

The rugged heartland of Located further inland, Ju mi Ila and Yecla have hot, arid (kurak) climates, perfect for the dominant local grape variety, Monastrell.

Question 41

Which is the largest DO in Spain?

Answer 41

La Mancha

Question 42

What is the most widely planted grape variety in La Mancha?

Answer 42

Airen, which is used to produce neutral, fresh white wines.