Spain - General

Question 1

What borders Spain?

Answer 1

France to the North
Portugal to the West
Mediterranean Sea to the East

Question 2

Who founded the trading post of Cadiz? Where is it?

Answer 2

Phoenicians

Southwestern Spain

Question 3

When did the Phoenicians find the trading post?

Answer 3

1100 BC

Question 4

Who followed the Phoenicians in cultivating vines? Who followed them?

Answer 4

Carthaginians

Romans after the Roman Conquest, known as Hispania

Question 5

Who ruled after the decline of the Roman Empire and what did this do to the wine production in Spain?

Answer 5

Moors (Reconquista) conquered the land after the decline of the Roman Empire
Islamic dietary laws declined wine production, however it was still produced as caliphs and emirs owned vineyards and continued to drink wine

Question 6

How was Wine-Making after the Reconquista?

Answer 6

• The accidental discovery of North America by C. Columbus opened up the Bilbao as a trading port
• Lots of exporting of Spanish wines into European areas North of Spain
• Often Full bodied, higher alcohol wines in order to blend with the delicate wines of France and Germany

Question 7

Spain is ranked where in wine production?

Answer 7

3rd

Question 8

T or F - France has more vineyard acreage than Spain?

Answer 8

False - Spain has the most acreage in the world for Vineyards

Question 9

When did Phylloxera hit Spain?

Answer 9

1890s and early 1900s

Question 10

What method helped Phylloxera in Spanish winemaking?

Answer 10

Grafting vines

Question 11

What happened during the period of Phylloxera in France and how did it affect Spain?

Answer 11

Many french winemakers moved to Spain, spreading their knowledge and practices

Question 12

What wars effected Spanish wine, how and why?

Answer 12

The 1930’s civil wars and the Second World War. Many vineyard were abandoned which froze the wine market.

Question 13

When did Spain enter the European Union and what did that do?

Answer 13

1989

Help modernize Spanish wine

Question 14

What is a Consejo Regulador?

Answer 14

A governing body that enforces wine policy for a given are Every Spanish wine region with a Denominacion de Origen has a C.R.

Question 15

What does Spanish DO stand for?

Answer 15

Donominaciones de Origen Laws

Question 16

What is Spanish table wine?

Answer 16

Vino de Mesa

Lax production standards

Question 17

What is a subregion of Vino de Mesa?

Answer 17

Vino de la Tierra

• Known as Country wines
• restrictions are stricter as grapes must be grown fro specific area in a handful of recognized areas

Question 18

VCIG breakdown

Answer 18

Vino de Calidad con Indicacion Geografica
Strict wine laws
Gateway for areas to be DO’s
Labels will say “Vino de a calidad de” followed by a specific region or area

Question 19

Denominacion de Origen Breakdown

Answer 19

• Only approved grapes
• Approved yields
• Permissible winemaking
• Minimum age requirments
• Responsible for 50% of Spain’s production
• Labeled by their region or origin

Question 20

When was DO changed to DOP ?

Answer 20

In 2016 the term Denomincaion de Origen was updated to Denominacion de Origen Protegida by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Question 21

DOCa

Answer 21

Denominacion de Origen Calificada
Only Rioja and Priorat awarded this
Top Classification
Must have had DO status at least 10 years and a track-record of historically top wine

Question 22

When was Priorat given DOCa status?

Answer 22

2003

Question 23

When was Rioja given DOCa status?

Answer 23

1991

Question 24

How many DOPs in Spain?

Answer 24

96

Question 25

Awarded to only single estate wines from Spain?

Answer 25

Vino de Pago