Spain: Galicia and Castilla y Leon Flashcards
Who was Manuel Quintano y Quintano? What did he do?
Holy guy in Rioja, late 18th century
Travelled to Bordeaux, brought back winemaking expertise and barriques
Which two noble Spaniards sought refuge in Bordeaux during Spanish civil wars?
Marques de Murrieta
Marques de Riscal
First Spanish region for a Consejo Regulador?
Rioja, 1926
Spain returned to a constitutional monarchy and democratic rule when?
mid 1970s
Spanish climate
Generally it’s warm but with extensive coastline, mountain ranges and large raised plateau,there are different climates.
north-west: maritime
south and east: metierannean, warm
meseta: continental
Climate in north-west Spain (eg Rias Baixas)
Influenced by Atlantic -> maritime
High rain
South and east of Spain: climate
directly face Mediterannean
Moderate Mediterannean climate with warm, dry summers, mild winters
Meseta is at what altitude?
600-900m
Climate of meseta in Spain?
continental
hot days, cool nights
heat moderated by altitude
What is the meseta?
Large raised plateau in Spain
Land under vine in Spain?
969,000ha
largest plantings in the world
Spain has largest plantings in the world (969,000ha). Is it the largest producer of wine by volume?
No, behind Italya dn Farnce
Five-year average volume production in Spain
39 million hectolitres
Spain has largest land under vine but is not largest volume producer. Why?
Lots of bush vines at low density, 1,000 vines per hectare = low yields
Mildew is a risk in Spain. Why?
Rain can fall in heavy storms
Rising temperatures after
Humidity and mildew
Regions in Spain that weren’t affected by phylloxera? So what?
Toro and Rueda
They have some very old, undrafted vines
Is average vineyard holding high or low in Spain?
Average is very small
66% of vineyards are less than 0.5ha
Account for low level of mechanisation in Spain, despite better understanding of vineyard management?
Average vineyard holding is very small
Most planted grape in Spain?
Airen
Most planted white grape and most planted black grape in Spain?
Airen
Tempranillo
Where is Airen mostly planted in Spain? For what?
Centre of Spain, Castilla-La Mancha
Inexpensive neutral whites, and Brandy de Jerez
Account for Tempranillo’s popularity among growers?
Medium to high yields, depending on the site
Tempranillo is early ripening. So what?
Makes it finest wines in warm climates w/ cooling influence (altitude, wind)
Garnacha Tintorera aka
Alicante Bouschet
Macabeo planted mostly where in Spain, and used for what styles?
Catalunya
Still wines for early consumption
Main component in white Rioja (called Viura)
Cava
Viura aka
Macabeo
Macabeo aka
Viura
Monastrell aka
Mourvedre
Monastrell grown mostly in which two Spanish regions
Valencia
Murcia
Why is Monastrell suitable for warm Mediterannean climate (eg Valencia)
Late ripening
Needs hate late in the growing season to fully ripen
Last 40 years in Spain have seen the rise in popularity of what style(s), made how?
Youthful, fruity red, white and rose Protective winemaking Stainless steel, temperature control Inert gases Cultured yeasts Some young reds: carbonic and semi-carbonic
Spanish government sets out rules for ageing times (Reserva, Gran Reserva etc). And what?
Individual DOs may be stricter, but cannot specify lower minimum ageing
National rules: max capacity 330L, but individual DOs can do differently
Spanish NATIONAL rules for Crianza ageing
RED WINES
24 months, 6 in barrel
WHITE AND ROSE
18 months, 6 in barrel
Spanish NATIONAL rules for Reserva ageing
RED WINES
36 months, 12 in barrel
WHITE AND ROSE
24 months, 6 in barrel
Spanish NATIONAL rules for Gran Reserva ageing
RED WINES
60 months, 18 in barrel
WHITE AND ROSE
48 months, 6 in barrel
Criticisms against Spanish national rules for ageing?
- too prescriptive
- not prescriptive enough
- doesn’t reflect quality, just ageing
- age and quality of oak not mandated
- give little indication of style
What is “roble”?
Spanish for “oak”
labelling term increasingly used to indicate some (unspecified) oak ageing - usually less than for Crianza
Why do many Spanish regions traditionally uses American oak?
Strong trading relationships
Cheaper than French oak
French oak increasingly found in which Spanish regions?
Penedes
Priorat
Ribera del Duero
Spanish rosés traditionally what sort of colour? And what are they like now?
Traditionally deep colour
Now: paler, Provencal trend
but some producers still make deep ones with long skin contact (Lopez de Heredia)
Traditional producers e.g. Lopez de Heredia make their rose how?
Black and white grapes (mainly black)
Macerated (sometimes continuing into the fermentation), pressed and fermented together
Mature in oak for a long time -> lose fruit flavour, gain texture, complexity, secondary and tertiary
How many DOs in Spain?
70
making up the vast majority of vineyard plantings
Name Spain’s two DOCas
Rioja
Priorat
What is DOCa
Denominacion de Origen Calificada (aka DOQ, Catalan term)
To apply for this status, DO must be established for min 10 years
All wines bottled at producer’s own property
DO must have rules and regulations
Are DOCa and DOQ the same thing?
Yes, DOQ is the Catalan spelling
What is VP?
Vino de Pago
Small number of single estates in Spain with high reputations, mostly in Castilla-La Mancha
Approved estates use only their own grapes
Vinified and matured at the estate
Also within PDO category
Vino de Pago vs Grandes Pagos de Espana
two different things!
Vino de Pago (VP) = single estates with high reputations
Grandes Pagos de Espana = association of prestigious estates (some of which are VPs)
Spanish term for PGI?
VT
Vino de la Tierra
What is VT?
Vino de la Tierra
Spanish PGI category
How many VTs are there in Spain? What is the largest?
40 VTs
Largest: Castilla
Is bottling within the region mandatory for Spanish PDOs?
Mostly yes: Rioja and Priorat (DOCa) and most DOs
Some exceptions eg La Mancha => can ship in bulk
Are co-ops important in Spain? Why is that the case?
Yes, many regions are dominated by coops
Spain has many producers with tiny landholdings
Negociants also important
Largest wine producers (still, non-fortified) in Spain?
J. Garcia Carrion Felix Solis Avantis Pernod Ricard (Campo Viejo) Miguel Torres Bodegas Martin Codax
Spain is the world’s largest exporter of wine. T/F
True!
21 million hL in 2018
Spain is largest exporter of wine in the world, but what’s the catch?
Average price per litre is lowest of any major exporting country
(under half that of Italy; one fifth of France)
Bulk wine accounts for what % of Spain’s exports?
56% of total exports
Most Spanish exports (56%) are in bulk. So what?
Lower selling price than bottled wine
Some value within supply chain going to foreign bottler (eg Kingsland, UK) rather than domestic producer
Main export markets (volume) for Spain?
France
Germany
Important markets for inexpensive wine
Largest DO in Galicia?
Rias Baixas
4,000ha
How many growers in Rias Baixas?
5,500 growers
4,000ha
How many wineries in Rias Baixas
170
small to very large, dominated by co-ops
Martin Codax the biggest
What happened in Rias Baixas after phylloxera?
Vines replatned with hybrids and Palomino (!), which was high yielding
Climate in Rias Baixas
Maritime
Most westerly DO in Spain, bordering the Atlantic
Atlantic moderates temperatures: warm summers, mild winters
High rainfall 1,700mm
There’s a lot of rain in Rias Baixas. Mitigated by what?
Free draining soils (sand over granite bedrock)
Ensure the roots aren’t sitting in water
Albarino is what % of Rias Baixas production?
95%
Why is Albarino well suited to damp climate in Rias Baixas?
Thick skins (less prone to rot) Early to mid-ripening - can ripen fully most years
Albarino style
High acid
Medium (-) or medium body
Medium alcohol
Apple, lemon, grapefruit, peach, floral
Other grapes blended with Albarino in Rias Baixas?
Loureira
Treixadeura
Caino Blanco