Spain Presentation and Wine Flashcards
Spanish History
1492 > Columbus > 1469 Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella Castilla
Spanish Geography
- Land Mass is known as the Iberian Peninsula which it shares with Portugal.
- The pyrenees in the north and the Sierra Nevada in the South are the two major mountain ranges.
- Spain owns he Balearic islands off of the eastern coast and the Canary Island off of the Moroccan coast in the Atlantic
- Spain also owns two free trade ports on the Moroccan Coast (Ceuta and Melilla)
Northern Spain - richer/industrial/seafood/shellfish
Southern Spain - Poorer/agricultural
Spain Population
- The fifth most populated country in western Europe.
- 40 million in 2003 with main concentration in urban areas of Madrid and Barcelona and rich Spain.
- Rich Spain comprises about 1/2 of the country’s GNP. Mass exodus from rural areas occurred during the democratization era of the 1970’s.
- The Moors brought agriculture to Spain.
- Original “Empire where the Sun never sets” in the 16th and 17th centuries. The title then moved to the British Empire.
- Largest acreage of wine, but 3rd largest producer
- 5th most populated European country.
Spain Agricultural Product
- Grains
- vegetables
- Olives - largest Olive Oil Producer
- Wine Grapes - Most planted in the world (2.9 Million Acres)
- Sugar Beets
- Citrus
- Beef
- Pork
- Poultry
- Dairy
- Fish
a. 3rd largest fish consumer. #1 is Japan, #2 is China. - Almonds
- Sugar
- Saffron
Spain Regions - Basque
Language Spoken: Euskera
The hotbed of the Spanish new culinary wave which started in 1970 by Juan Mari Arzak (father of Nuevo Cucina) and Luiz Irizar.
Spanish Regions - Basque Foods/Products/Wine
Basque Culinary: Regional Dishes: 1. Land of Pintxo (Skewered Tapas) 2. Salt Cod with Garlic Mayonnaise 3. Piperrada - Pepper and Ham Frittatta
Fish:
Hake, Lobster, Crab, octopus, sea urchin, mussels, clams oysters, sea scallops, squid, eels and elvers
Cheese:
- DO Idiazabal (From longhaired Latxa breed of sheep)
- DO Cabralas (Blue cheese made of cow/sheep/goat milk)
Wine:
Txacoli white wine made from Honderabbu Zuri (a great seafood wine full of acidity and mineralogy)
Hot New Chef:
- Andoni Aduriz
- Elena Arzak
- Several others on notes from Chef.
Spanish Regions - Catalonia Foods/Products/Wine
Catalonia Language - Catala
Regional Dishes:
1. Mar i Muntanya sea and mountain dishes that contain seafood, meat and poultry such as Pollo con langosta (chicken and lobster)
2. Mahon - Aioli like emulsion of egg, olive oil and garlic.
3. Patatas Bravas - Brave Potatoes.
Vegetables and Fruit
- DO Olive oils Les Garrigues (Aberquinia olives)
- Black Truffles (33-44 tons annual Spanish harvest with 90% exported to France)
Desserts:
Creme Catalan & Leche Frita
Wines:
- DO Penedes biggest producer of Cava sparkling wine
- DO Priorat an up and coming wine raging using garrote and Carinena (Carignan) also successfully blending with Cab Sauv, Merlot and Syrah
Spanish Regions - Estremedura
Extremedura:
Very fertile region of Spain due to river Tagus and Guadiana, Cork Country
Meats: Homeland to the Cerdo Iberico Black Free range DO (Pata Negra) pig. Feeds on acorns across Cork and oak trees. Produces the Pata Negra Ham with a black hoof usually still attached during the curing process.
Three Quality Grades:
1. Bellota - feeds on acorns only
Cinco Bellota’s = 5 acorns
2. Recebo - Acorn with supplement of grain during final feeding
3. Pienso/Cebo/Campo - exclusively finished on grain
Spanish Regions - Rioja
Not reference to the color red or the wine fame but of the River Rio Oja - Land of the banks of river Oja (River called the Ebro)
Rio - River
Oja - Means to “Watch Out”
- Most famous wine region in Spain
- Tempranillo grape
- Also use Garnacha - which is the Granache grape used in France.
Levels of Aging
- Joven - Young Wine, no aging
- Crianza - 2 years old/1 year in barrel
- Reserva - 3 years / 1 in oak barrel
- Gran Reserva - 5 years / 2 yrs in barrel/3 yrs in bottle
Spanish Regions - Castilla Y Leon
Regional Dishes
Whole Roasted suckling Pig
Wine: Ribera de Duero main grape varietal (Clone of Tempranillo) Also use Cab Sauv, Merlot, Malbec, Garnacha
Spanish Regions - Navarra
Navarra Region:
1. Running of the bulls in Pomplona every July
Spanish Regions - Galicia
Galicia - Known as Green Spain for their wet and harsh climates. Speak Gallego, no Moorish influence.
Regional Products/Dishes:
- Seafood. Vigo - 3rd largest fishing port
- Small Green Peppers
- Tetilla (cow cheese in the form of a breast)
- San Simon (Smoked Cow Cheese)
Wine:
Region of Rias Baixas - White wine made with the Albarino Grapes. Also Orujo which is the equivalent to Grappa
Spanish Wine Basics
Spanish Wine Basics:Spanish Wine Basics:
1. More land planted in vines than anywhere in the world. 2.9 million acres
- 3rd in Production
- Over 600 grape varieties – 20 of which account for 80% of their production
- Very mountainous country – Pyrenees in the north, Sierra Nevada in the south
- Great diversity of climate – very wet and Atlantic climate along the Asturian coast, Mild Mediterranean climate along the eastern coast, continental in the center, dry and cold in the high plateau of La Mancha and much hotter in the south.
- North Central Region of Spain
a. Ribera del Duero
b. Rioja
Both use the Tempranillo grape. Rioja also blends in Garnacha, Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano grape varietals. - Rias Baixas - Means Low Fjords - Albarino grape)
Spanish Wine Laws:
D.O. – Denominacion de Origen – first started in 1932 – 77 in the country
D.O.C. - Denominacion de Origen Calificada – only 2 – Rioja and Priorat
Wines from Northeast Section of Spain
Cava - Sparkling wine made in the Champagne method.
Penedes region is the one of the largest. Uses Macabeo grapes, Parelleda and Xarel-lo grapes to make Cava by traditional Champagne Method
Priorat and Montsant Regions of Spain
Amazing high quality of Red Wines. One of my new favorites. This is in the Northeast Section of Spain.
