Spain - Valencia and Murcia; Castilla-La Mancha; Other regiones Flashcards
Valencia and Murcia
Where is the region located?
Eastern/south-eastern coast of Spain
Valencia
How much wine is produced?
500,000 hL
Valencia
What is the climate and rainfall (is irrigiation used)?
- Warm Mediterranean
- Cooling influences from altitude or coast
- Low rainfall with 450mm
- Irrigation is widely used
Valencia
What is the name of the coolest sub-zone and at what altitudes are vineyards located?
- Alto Turia
- 700-1100m
Valencia
What wines are produced in Alto Turia and what varieties are used?
- White wines
- Moscatel de Alejandría
- Merseguera
Valencia
What is the name of the warmer sub-zone, at what altitude are vineyards located and influence exist?
- Valentino
- 200-650m
- Cooled from sea breezes
Valencia
What wines are produced in Valentino and what varieties are used for it?
- Red and rosé:
- Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet)
- Tempranillo
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Monastrell
- White:
- Merseguera
- Macabeo
Valencia
Name two other sub-zones and the types of wines they produce
- Clariano
- Similar to Valentino
- Moscatel
- Sweet wines “Moscatel de Valencia” and “Vino de licor” (unfermented grape must, fortified) from Moscatel de Alejandría
Valencia
What are the two categories of quality and who is producing what? (incl. quality, price)
- Co-ops
- Fruity style for immediate consumption
- Acceptable to good quality
- Inexpensive
- Individual producers
- Good to very good quality
- Mid-priced
Utiel-Requena
What is the size?
34,000 ha
Utiel-Requena
What is the climate, altitude, and rainfall? What does that mean?
- Continental
- High altitude (750m)
- Cooler summer nights
- Low rainfall (450mm)
- Risk of spring frost
Utiel-Requena
What is the ratio of black and white varieties planted?
Mostly black (87%)
Utiel-Requena
What is the most planted variety (incl. %) and what are its characteristics? (budding time, drought tolerance, acidity, ripening, tannin, vigor, color)
- Bobal (70% of plantings)
- Mid-to late budding -> avoid spring frost
- Very drought tolerant
- Retains acidity well
- Can ripen unevenly
- Tannins can be a little grippy
- Vigoros and high yielding
- High levels of color
Utiel-Requena
Describe the range of red wine styles produced from Bobal (aromas, tannin, body, acidity, method, quality, price)
- Range of styles, from
- Light body
- Medium tannin
- Semi-carbonic maceration
- to concentrated
- Blackberry, black cherry aromas and often notes of chocolate
- Medium(+) tannin
- Medium(+) to full body
- High acidity
- Matured in oak
- Overall
- Acceptable to very good quality
- Inexpensive to mid-priced
Alicante
What is the size?
9,000 ha
Alicante
What is the climate and rainfall?
- Mediterranean
- Extremely dry (250mm)
Alicante
What are the top varieties?
- Black
- Monastrell (75% of plantings)
- Alicante Bouschet, Garnacha and Bobal (often blended)
- White
- Moscatel de Alejandría
Alicante
Why is Monastrell well suited to the hot, dry climate and how is it trained?
- Late ripening
- Retains acidity
- Drought tolerant
- Low density with bush vines
Alicante
Describe the typical red wines (varieties, aromas, sweetness, body, tannin, alcohol, maturation, quality, price)
- Min 80% Monastrell
- Blended with Alicante Bouschet, Garnacha and Bobal
- Ripe black fruit
- Dry
- Full body
- High tannin
- High alcohol
- Maturation in American oak
- Good to very good quality
- Mid-priced (some premium)
Alicante
What wines are produced from Moscatel de Alejandría
Dry and sweet wines
Alicante
What other historic wine is produced here? And what are the requirements? (name, varieties, aromas, sweetness, alcohol, maturation, method)
- Fondillón
- Late-harvested Monastrell
- Oxidised character with dried fruit and nuts
- Medium-sweet red wine (max 40 g/L)
- Min alcohol 16% abv
- Min 10 years in oak
- Either añada (grapes from one year) or made by a solera system
Jumilla
What is the size?
25,000 ha
Jumilla
What is the climate, altitude, rainfall, and soil?
- Warm continental
- Altitude from 400-800m
- Low annual rainfall (250-300mm)
- Sand over a layer of limestone -> good water retention, so no irrigation needed
Jumilla
What is the dominant variety (incl. %) and why?
- Monastrell (80%)
- Well suited to low rainfall and extreme heat
Jumilla
Describe the typical style of wine from Monastrell (aromas, acidity, body, alcohol, oak, quality, price)
- Ripe blackberry, cherry and spices
- Medium(+) acidity
- Full body
- High alcohol
- Oak maturation
- Good to very good quality
- Inexpensive to mid-priced (some premium)
Jumilla
What are other varieties planted, besides Monastrell? What are they used for?
- Cencibel (Tempranillo)
- Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet)
- Garnacha
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
- Syrah
- Petit Verdot
- Blending component to reduce tannin levels
Jumilla
Roughly, how much and what is exported?
- Majority of wines
- Esp. the most expensive ones
Yecla
Where is it located?
Between Jumilla and Alicante
Yecla
What is the size?
6,000 ha
Yecla
What is the climate, altitude, and rainfall?
- Similar climate to Jumilla
- More moderation from the Mediterranean
- Altitude 500-900m -> cooling influence
- Low rainfall (300mm)
Yecla
Describe the typical wines
- Similar to Jumilla
- Monastrell as main variety
Yecla
How much of wines are exported?
95%
La Mancha
What is the size?
158,000 ha
La Mancha
What is the climate, topography, rainfall, soil, and irrigation
- Extreme continental
- Relatively flat at 500-700m altitude
- Low rainfall (300-400mm)
- Limestone and chalk -> water retention
- 40% of vineyards irrigated
La Mancha
What is the planting density and how are vines trained?
- Very low planting density (down to 1,000 vines/ha) for bush-trained vines without irrigation
- 3,000 vines/ha for trellised vineyards and irrigated
La Mancha
What is the most planted white variety (incl. %) and what wines are produced from it? (aromatic, vessel, intensity, acidity, style). However, how is much of the production used?
- Airén (57%)
- Neutral white variety
- Low intensity
- Medium acidity
- Made for early consumption
- Mostly used for Brandy de Jerez
La Mancha
What is the most planted black variety and in what styles is it produced?
- Cencibel (Tempranillo)
- Mostly fruity style
- Additionally, some Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva wines
La Mancha
What is the largest producer and how much vineyard plantings does it have?
- Co-op: Virgen de las Viñas
- 20,000 ha
La Mancha
How much is exported and what are the main export markets?
- 40%
- China, Germany, Russia, and Netherlands
Valdepeñas
Where is it located and what is the climate?
- South of La Mancha
- Continental climate
Valdepeñas
What type of wine is it mostly known for? (variety, aromas, acidity, tannin, quality, price)
- Cencibel (Tempranillo)
- Ripe red fruit and spice from oak
- Medium acidity
- Soft tannin
- Good quality
- Inexpensive or mid-priced
Castilla-La Mancha
What are the two other classifications?
- Vino de Pago (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot)
- Castilla VT (Vino de la Tierra)
Basque Country
What is the DO located around Bilbao and San Sebastián?
Txakoli
Basque Country - Txakoli
What is the climate and rainfall?
- Moderate, maritime climate
- Rainfall as high as 1600mm -> fungal diseases are a problem
Basque Country - Txakoli
What is the main variety and how are the wines produced?
- Hondarrabi Zuri
- Fermented in stainless steel
- Released soon after
Basque Country - Txakoli
Describe the typical style of wine from Hondarrabi Zuri (aromas, acidity, body, alcohol, lees, oak)
- Fresh apple, pear and lemon
- High acidity
- Medium(-) body
- Low alcohol
- Some examples with lees contact or oak maturation
Sierra de Gredos
Where is it located and how are the wines labeled?
- Mountain range to the west of Madrid
- Labeled as Vinos de Madrid DO, Mentrida DO (within Castilla-La Mancha), Cebreros DO or Castilla y León VT
Sierra de Gredos
What is the region known for and what is the current trend?
- Mosty inexpensive, high volume wines
- New producers focus on quality
Sierra de Gredos
What is the climate and where are vineyards located?
- Continental
- 600-1,200m altitude -> cooling influence
Sierra de Gredos
Describe the typical style of red wine produced (variety, aromas, acidity, tannin, alcohol, winemaking, quality, price)
- Old vine Garnacha
- Fresh strawberry and cherry fruit
- Medium(+) acidity
- Lighter tannin
- Medium to high alcohol
- Mostly low intervention winemaking
- Good to very good quality
- Mid- to premium priced
Sierra de Gredos
Describe the typical style of white wine produced (variety, aromas, acidity, body, winemaking)
- Albillo Real
- Citrus and floral notes
- Medium to medium(+) acidity
- Full body
- Some fermented on skins and/or in oak
ISLANDS
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