The Ebro River Valley Flashcards

1
Q

What is significance of San Fermín?

A

The annual festival honoring this saint is famous for the running of the bulls in Pamplona in July

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2
Q

What are the borders of Navarra?

A

N: France; W: País Vasco; E: Aragón; S: La Rioja**

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3
Q

What is sequence of civilizations in Navarra?

A

Vascones, Romans, Visigoths, Franks, Moors, Christians

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4
Q

What are the Fueros?

A

medieval legal system that elucidates the rights of the people (similar to a constitution with self-government) in Navarra, Aragón and Catalunya that acted as a check on the king**

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5
Q

What are the geographic (not wine) sub-regions of Navarra?

A

Montaña, Zona Media and Ribera

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6
Q

What is the climate of Navarra?

A

predominantly continental**

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7
Q

What is pattern of temperature and rainfall in Navarra?

A

temperature increases and rainfall decreases from north to south [mountains in the north]

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8
Q

What are main geographic features in Navarra?

A

Three: mountains (Pyrenees, Sierra Cantábrica); Ebro river basin, Cierzo

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9
Q

What are the soils of Navarra?

A

from north to south: alluvial (northern areas,) clay, limestone (Sierra de la Demanda)

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10
Q

What two international grapes contribute significantly to vineyard area in Navarra?

A

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, 30% (more than most Spanish regions, but still less than Tempranillo and Garnacha)

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11
Q

What are the NTK DO’s in Navarra?

A

DO Navarra is sole DO.** [Pagos in this region are not testable.]

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12
Q

What are the sub zones in DO Navarra?

A

5: Tierra Estella, Valdizarbe, Baja Montaña, Ribera Alta, Ribera Baja**

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13
Q

Which DO Navarra subzone is at highest elevation?

A

Tierra Estella** [most upstream on Ebro; the name Estella is primarily a female name of Spanish origin that means Star. “Star is at the top.”]

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14
Q

What are the most common grapes in Tierra Estella sub zone of DO Navarra?

A

Tempranillo (50%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%)** [This region is adjacent to Rioja DOCa where ironically, Cabernet Sauvignon is not ‘authorized.’]

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15
Q

What is foral?

A

Communidad Foral is a descriptor for Navarra region - a reference to the long-standing fuero legal system that persists in this region**

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16
Q

What wine styles are found in Tierra Estella sub zone of DO Navarra?

A

tinto, rosado

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17
Q

When did Navarra lose its access to the sea?

A

in 1200, the Basque territories were lost to Castile**

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18
Q

When were the Carlist wars?

A

3 in the 19th century** (1833-40, 46-49, 72-76)

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19
Q

What is the wine style breakdown in DO Navarra?

A

mostly tinto, (but fairly diverse)**; T, B, R: 58, 13, 29

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20
Q

What is the most western subzone of DO Navarra?

A

Tierra Estella

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21
Q

What wine styles are found in Valdizarbe sub-zone of DO Navarra?

A

tinto, blanco, rosado [“most diverse palette of grapes” and styles]

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22
Q

Where is Mesa de los Tres Reyes?

A

The highest peak in Navarra, it is at intersection of Navarra, Aragon and French province of Béarn.

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23
Q

Pamplona is found in what DO?

A

It is not in a DO, as it located in the northern half of Navarra. All the delimited wine regions are located in the southern half of the region.

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24
Q

Which DO Navarra subzone has the most diverse palette of grapes?

A

Valdizarbe (serving pilgrims on Camino de Santiago)

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25
Q

Which DO Navarra subzone is the most humid?

A

Valdizarbe (maritime influence)

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26
Q

Which DO Navarra subzone is the largest?

A

Ribera Alta

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27
Q

Which DO Navarra subzone is the warmest?

A

Ribera Baja (southernmost)

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28
Q

What are the 3 rivers that traverse Ribera Alta?

A

Ega, Arga and Aragón

29
Q

Which DO Navarra subzone is known for vinos rosados of intense color?

A

Baja Montaña**

30
Q

Which DO Navarra subzone is the lowest?

A

Ribera Baja** [not Baja Montaña]

31
Q

What is an exceptional aspect of the climate in Navarra?

A

unusual convergence of Atlantic, Continental and Mediterranean climates [speaks to geographic location; also a similar situation for Rioja DOCa]

32
Q

Which DO Navarra subzone has the highest production?

A

Ribera Alta [both largest and most productive]

33
Q

Who was King when the Spanish empire was reunited in 1492?

A

Ferdinand II (aka Ferdinand the Catholic, Ferdinand V {Castilla y León} and Ferdinand III {Sicily})

34
Q

What two Spanish DO’s are historically linked to rosé production?

A

DO Cigales and DO Navarra**

35
Q

What are the borders of Aragón?

A

N: France; E: Cataluña, Valencia; S: Castilla - La Mancha; W: Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y León**

36
Q

What are main topographic features of Aragón?

A

2; mountains (Pirineos and Sistema Ibérico) and the bisecting Ebro River;

37
Q

What is the Aljafería Palace?

A

Located in Zaragoza, Aragón, it is one of the best examples of Islamic architecture in Spain, constructed 11th century [speaks to longer influence of Moors in Aragon than in Rioja and Navarra.]

38
Q

Which DO’s in Aragón are authorized for Cava?

A

2, DO Campo de Borja, DO Cariñena** [CAva-CBC, not Calatayud]

39
Q

What are the NTK DO’s in Aragón?

A

4 - DO Calatayud, DO Campo de Borja, DO Cariñena, DO Somontano** [3C’s]

40
Q

What was the impact of Alfonso II on wine in the 12th century?

A

Serving as both King of Aragón and Count of Barcelona, he contributed to the future of wine making with the donatation of a castle to Cistercian monks in Aragon (Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de Piedra) and gave land to Carthusian monks at base of Serra del Montsant (Escaladei in Priorat)

41
Q

Which DO’s in Aragón are north of the Ebro River?

A

only DO Somontano**, northern most DO of the region [Solo Somo]

42
Q

What are the defining aspects of DO Calatayud?

A

2**, altitude (foothills of Sistema Iberica) and focus on Garnacha (62%)

43
Q

What is the primary grape of Aragón?

A

Garnacha Tinta**

44
Q

What is the meaning of Calatayud Superior label?

A

85% Garnacha, low yielding vines at least 50 years old [Superior GPA - Garnacha, Productivity, Age, at least 50 years old]

45
Q

What region of Spain lays claim to the origin of Garnacha?

A

Aragón** (Robinson: from northeast Aragon) [arag(o)n-cha]

46
Q

What is predominant wine style in DO Campo de Borja?

A

Tinto (red)** (91%)

47
Q

What are the defining aspects of DO Campo de Borja?

A

2, focus on Garnacha and large cooperative production**

48
Q

What is predominant wine style in DO Cariñena?

A

Tinto (red) ** (89%)

49
Q

Which DO in Aragón borders Navarra?

A

DO Campo de Borja**

50
Q

Which DO in Aragón is the wettest and greenest?

A

DO Somontano** (Ironically, wineries in this area still struggle with lack of rain.)

51
Q

What is dominant grape in DO Somontano?

A

Cabernet Sauvignon, speaks to French influence [not Garnacha!]

52
Q

Which DO in Aragon has the greatest diversity of international grapes?

A

DO Somontano**

53
Q

What percentage of vineyards did Navarra lose from phylloxera?

A

approximately 95%

54
Q

The majority of Aragón’s vines use what training method?

A

bush trained [more mechanization is seen in Navarra with espaldera training]

55
Q

What is the most planted white grape in Navarra?

A

Chardonnay**

56
Q

What are three threats to Aragón’s growing season?

A

Cierzo wind, frost, hail**

57
Q

What was source of conflict in the Carlist Wars?

A

a series Spanish Civil Wars in the 19th century over claims to the throne, trying in succession to seat Carlos V, Carlos VI and Carlos VII as king

58
Q

Aragón’s climate is primarily what?

A

continental

59
Q

What method is usually used for producing vinos rosados in Navarra?

A

saignée [not clarete]

60
Q

What grapes are dominant in the blend of many Navarra vinos tintos?

A

Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot; Garnacha is second only to Tempranillo in Navarra, but it is used more in varietal wines and rosado rather than red blends.

61
Q

What grape was largely planted to replace vines lost from phylloxera in Navarra?

A

Garnacha Tinta**

62
Q

Which Aragón DO is one of Spain’s oldest demarcated wine regions?

A

DO Cariñena, oldest in Aragón, oldest vines in Spain! {the only DO in the world that has the same name as a grape variety]

63
Q

In which Aragón DO do six cooperatives account for the majority of wine produced?

A

DO Campo de Borja

64
Q

What are the predominant soils of Aragón?

A

clay and limestone [in DO Navarra, alluvial is also significant]

65
Q

Where is Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de Piedra?

A

southern aspect of Aragón, 12th century outpost of Cistercian monks, built at site of a Moorish castle, now a national monument, named after Piedra River

66
Q

What is etymology of Garnacha?

A

unknown, one concept is “garnaxa” in Catalan meaning gown worn by the king of Spain’s judges because the grape’s deep color resembled that of official regalia; the idea that the name comes from the Italian Vernaccia has been discredited.

67
Q

What does the name Somontano mean?

A

It means “under the mountains” – this DO sits in the foothills of the central Pyrenees mountains in the region of Aragón. This lush, green, hilly region lies less than 60 km from France.

68
Q

Which DO subzones in Navarra are authorized for Cava?

A

only some parts of Rioja DOCa within Navarra region [not DO Navarra!]

69
Q

What was the lasting impact of the Carlist wars on Spanish winemaking?

A

Winemakers fled Spain during the wars, some learning new techniques in Bordeaux and later returned with new skills.