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WSET Level 4 - D3 > Spain - Introduction > Flashcards

Spain - Introduction Flashcards

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1
Q

How has the Spanish wine industry evolved since the 1970s?

A
  • 1986: EU bringing investment
  • 1996: irrigation was allowed
  • Greater research, investment, education and experience from other countries
  • New regions and styles are explored
  • Interest in indigenous varieties and traditional approaches
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2
Q

On what latitude is Spain located and what is the resulting general climate?

A
  • 36-43°N
  • Warm
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3
Q

What is the size of vineyard plantings in Spain and production compared to other countries?

A
  • Largest in the world
  • 969,000 ha
  • Behind France and Italy in terms of production (volume)
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4
Q

How come that vineyard plantings are highest, while production is lower than in other countries?

A
  • A lot of bush vines at low density because of low rainfall (as little as 300mm)
  • Often old vines with lower yields
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5
Q

Is irrigation allowed? If yes, how is it controlled?

A
  • Yes
  • Controlled by Consejo Regulador
  • Permitted depending on region and circumstances (e.g., drought or young vines)
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6
Q

What are general hazards and diseases and how are they managed?

A
  • Heavy storm with rising temps afterwards -> risk of mildew
  • Spring frost (in continental areas)
  • European grapevine moth -> pheromone tags
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7
Q

Is organic winemaking practiced?

A

Yes, but often not certified as consumers are not willing to pay for it

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8
Q

What are the avg. vineyard holdings and what does that mean for mechanization?

A
  • 66% of plots are < 0.5 ha
  • 22% of plots are 0.5-3 ha
  • ->Low level of mechanization
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9
Q

What are by far the two most planted varieties and how many ha are roughly planted to them?

A
  • Airén and Tempranillo
  • 200,000 ha each
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10
Q

What are the top 6 varieties? (descending order in ha planted)

A
  • Airén (white)
  • Tempranillo (black)
  • Garnacha Tinta (Grenache Noir) (black)
  • Bobal (black)
  • Macabeo (white)
  • Monastrell (Mourvèdre) (black)
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11
Q

Airén
Where is it mainly planted, what wine is produced from it and what is it mainly used for?

A
  • Castilla-La Mancha
  • Inexpensive white wines for early consumption
  • Distilled into Brandy de Jerez
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12
Q

Tempranillo
What wines is the variety able to produce?

A
  • Inexpensive, fruity red wines
  • But also a leading component in some of Spain’s most prestigious and expensive wines
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13
Q

Tempranillo
What is the ripening time and how much yields is it able to produce?

A
  • Early ripening -> best in warm climate with cooling influences
  • Medium to high yields -> popularity with growers
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14
Q

Bobal
Where is it mainly grown and used for what types of wines?

A
  • East coast
  • Red and rosé
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15
Q

Garnacha Tinta
Where is it mainly grown and used for what types of wines?

A
  • Central north and north east
  • Red and rosé
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16
Q

Macabeo
Where is it mainly grown?

A
  • Catalunya (still wine and Cava)
  • Rioja (under the name “Viura”)
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17
Q

Macabeo
What two types of still wines is it mainly used for?

A
  • Inexpensive, neutral white wines
  • Leading component in premium-priced wines, fermented and matured in oak
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18
Q

Monastrell
What is another name for it?

A

Mourvèdre

19
Q

Monastrell
Where is it mainly grown and in what climate does it thrive (why)?

A
  • Valencia and Murcia
  • Warm Mediterranean climate (as it is late ripening)
20
Q

Winemaking
How has winemaking evolved regarding inexpensive, fruity wines?

A
  • Protective winemaking
  • Temperature-controlled stainless steel vats
  • Use of inert gases
  • Cultured yeasts
  • Fining and/or filtration
  • Carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration maybe used
21
Q

Winemaking
What is the max capacity for oak barrels to classify for ageing categories?

A

Max 330 L

22
Q

Winemaking
RED WINE: State the min ageing and min barrel times for the three ageing categories

A
  • Crianza: 24; 6
  • Reserva: 36; 12
  • Gran Reserva: 60; 18
23
Q

Winemaking
WHITE and ROSÉ WINE: State the min ageing and min barrel times for the three ageing categories

A
  • Crianza: 18; 6
  • Reserva: 24; 6
  • Gran Reserva: 48; 6
24
Q

Winemaking
What are critiques about the ageing categories?

A
  • Purely specifies minimum ageing periods
  • Suggests a hierarchy of excellence, BUT no quality requirements are specified
  • No age or origin of oak prescribed
  • -> VERY little indication regarding style, quality, or value of wines
25
Q

Winemaking
What is special about the ageing categories?

A
  • They set the minimum
  • Individual DOs can set stricter regulations
26
Q

Winemaking
What are reasons for producers not to follow and use the ageing categories?

A
  • Choose not to meet the criteria of the labelling terms
  • Believe the terms will not benefit the selling potential of their wine
27
Q

Winemaking
Describe the term “roble”

A
  • Spanish for “oak”
  • Used for red wines that have been matured in oak for an unspecified time
28
Q

Winemaking
Describe the term “joven”

A
  • Used for wines that are released young
  • Often with no or minimal oak ageing
29
Q

Winemaking
What type of oak is used and where?

A
  • Mostly American oak
  • French oak increasingly used in DOs, such as Penedès, Priorat, Ribera del Duero
30
Q

Winemaking
What range of rosé wines is produced?

A
  • Inexpensive, bulk wines
  • Very good quality rosé through improvements in vineard and winemaking
31
Q

Winemaking
What styles of rosé wines are mostly produced?

A
  • Mostly deep colored, fruity rosé (longer skin contact)
  • Pale rosé increased (Provence style)
  • Some produce traditional style rosé (oak, maturation, secondary and tertiary flavors)
32
Q

Wine Law
How many DOs exist in Spain? How much of the vineyard plantings do they make up?

A
  • 70
  • Majority of plantings
33
Q

Wine Law
What two regions have the status DOCa/DOQ?

A
  • Rioja (DOCa)
  • Priorat (DOQ -> Catalan)
34
Q

Wine Law
What are the requirements to qualify for DOCa/DOQ status?

A
  • DO established for min 10 years
  • Wines bottled at producer
  • Various quality regulations, incl. tasting assessment, a process to audit extra restrictions and regulations
35
Q

Wine Law
What is Vino de Pago (VP) and what are the requirements?

A
  • Small number of single estates with high reputations
  • Majority are in Castilla-La Mancha, others in Navarra, Valencia and Aragon
  • Use of own grapes and vinification and maturation on the estate
36
Q

Wine Law
What is Vino de la Tierra (VT)? How many are there and what is the largest?

A
  • PGI wines
  • 40
  • Castilla (largest)
37
Q

Wine Law
What is the term “Vino” used for?

A

Wines without geographical indication

38
Q

Wine Business
What businesses are involved?

A
  • Co-ops (important role)
  • Negociants
  • Estates
39
Q

Wine Business
Name some of the largest wine businesses for still, unfortified wines

A
  • J. García Carrión
  • Félix Solís Avantis
  • Pernod Ricard Groupe
  • Miguel Torres SA
  • Bodegas Martín Códax SA
40
Q

Wine Business
How does domestic consumption compare to other wine producing countries and what is the trend?

A
  • Low (10.2 mn hL p.a.)
  • Trend towards higher quality wines with DO status
41
Q

Wine Business
* How much wine does Spain export?
* What is the avg. price per liter compared to other exporting countries?
* How much is exported in bulk?

A
  • World’s largest exporter (21 mn hL)
  • Lowest price per liter
  • More than half is exported in bulk
42
Q

Wine Business
How does Spain compare to France and Italy regarding super-premium wines?

A
  • Only few super-premium wines
  • Still lower prices than those from France and Italy
  • Spain not very fashionable on the investment market despite the quality of the top wines
43
Q

Wine Business
What are the main export markets?

A
  • France (24%, inexpensive)
  • Germany (17%, inexpensive)
  • UK (higher priced wines)
  • USA (higher priced wines)
  • China (higher priced wines)
44
Q

Wine Business
What is the promotional body for the entire country?

A

Foods and Wines from Spain

WSET Level 4 - D3 (56 decks)

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