Spanish Wine Flashcards
Castilla y Leon
Where is it? And what are most popular appellations, styles, grapes?
Northwest Spain - continental
Ribera del Duero is most famous - Tempranillo oak aged
Bierzo - Mencia grapes and also Tempranillo
Several crisp whites
What are the most common red styles from our shop’s producer Finca Torremilanos? Where are they?
Tempranillo, Castilla y Leon
What are the names for levels of aged and time spent in oak in Spain?
Joven
Crianza
Reserva
Gran Reserva
What are Spain’s main wine classifications?
Vino de Mesa (Table Wine),
Vino de la Tierra (VT)
Denominación de Origen (DO)
Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa)
What are the two DOCa regions in Spain?
Rioja and Priorat
What is Spain’s most planted red grape?
Tempranillo
What are the aging classifications for Spanish wine?
Joven (young), Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva
What are the typical flavors of Rioja red wines?
Red cherry, dried fruit, vanilla, tobacco, leather (more pronounced with aging)
What red grape dominates Ribera del Duero?
Tempranillo (locally called Tinto Fino or Tinta del País)
How does Ribera del Duero compare to Rioja?
Ribera is more powerful and full-bodied, with darker fruit and firmer tannins
What is the main red grape of Priorat?
Garnacha, often blended with Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah
What flavors are typical of Priorat wines?
Rich, intense black fruit, licorice, spice, and mineral notes from slate soils (Llicorella)
What red grape is famous in Bierzo in Castilla y Leon?
Mencía (producing fresh, floral, medium-bodied reds)
What is Spain’s most important white grape?
Albariño (mainly from Rías Baixas, Galicia)
What are the main characteristics of Albariño?
Crisp, high acidity, flavors of citrus, green apple, peach, and saline minerality
What white grape is dominant in Rueda DO?
Verdejo
What are the typical flavors of Verdejo?
Green apple, citrus, herbal, and nutty notes when aged
What white grape is grown in Rioja?
Viura (also called Macabeo)
What is Spain’s main sparkling wine?
Cava
What are the typical flavors of Cava?
Crisp apple, pear, citrus, with nutty and toasty notes from aging
What is Spain’s best-known rosé-producing region?
Navarra (rosés made mostly from Garnacha)
What are the main styles of Sherry?
Fino (dry, light, salty), Amontillado (nutty, oxidative), Oloroso (rich, full-bodied), Pedro Ximénez (PX) (very sweet, raisiny)
What does “Vino de Pago” mean?
A prestigious single-estate wine designation, higher than DO/DOCa
What is the dominant grape in Montsant?
Garnacha and Cariñena, similar to Priorat but more affordable
What is Spain’s signature dessert wine?
Pedro Ximénez (PX) Sherry, very sweet and rich, with dried fruit and caramel flavors
