The Ebro River Valley Flashcards
What is significance of San Fermín?
The annual festival honoring this saint is famous for the running of the bulls in Pamplona in July.
What are the borders of Navarra?
N: France; W: País Vasco; E: Aragón; S: La Rioja**
What is sequence of civilizations in Navarra?
Vascones, Romans, Visigoths, Franks, Islamists, Christians
What are the Fueros?
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**
What are the geographic (not wine) sub-regions of Navarra?
Montaña, Zona Media and Ribera
What is the climate of Navarra?
predominantly continental**
What is pattern of temperature and rainfall in Navarra?
temperature increases and rainfall decreases from north to south [reflects the influence of the mountains in the north]
What are main geographic features in Navarra?
Three: mountains (Pyrenees, Sierra Cantábrica); Ebro river basin, Cierzo
What are the soils of Navarra?
from north to south: alluvial (northern areas,) clay, limestone (Sierra de la Demanda)
What two international grapes contribute significantly to vineyard area in Navarra?
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, 30% (more than most Spanish regions, but still less than Tempranillo and Garnacha)
What are the NTK DO’s in Navarra?
DO Navarra is sole DO.** [Vinos de Pago in this region are not testable.]
What are the sub zones in DO Navarra?
5: Tierra Estella, Valdizarbe, Baja Montaña, Ribera Alta, Ribera Baja**
Which DO Navarra subzone is at highest elevation?
Tierra Estella** [most upstream on Ebro; the town Estella is also a female name meaning Star > “Star is at the top.”]
What are the most common grapes in Tierra Estella sub zone of DO Navarra?
Tempranillo (50%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%)** [This region is adjacent to Rioja DOCa where ironically, Cabernet Sauvignon is not ‘authorized.’]
What is foral?
Communidad Foral is a descriptor for Navarra region - a reference to the long-standing fuero legal system that persists in this region**
What wine styles are found in Tierra Estella sub zone of DO Navarra?
tinto, rosado
When did Navarra lose its access to the sea?
in 1200, the Basque territories were lost to Castile**
When were the Carlist wars?
3 in the 19th century** (1833-40, 46-49, 72-76)
What is the wine style breakdown in DO Navarra?
mostly tinto, (but fairly diverse)**; T, B, R: 58, 13, 29
What is the most western subzone of DO Navarra?
Tierra Estella
What wine styles are found in Valdizarbe sub-zone of DO Navarra?
tinto, blanco, rosado [“most diverse palette of grapes” and styles]
Where is Mesa de los Tres Reyes?
The highest peak in Navarra, it is at intersection of Navarra, Aragon and French province of Béarn.
Pamplona is found in what DO?
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.
Which DO Navarra subzone has the most diverse palette of grapes?
Valdizarbe (serving pilgrims on Camino de Santiago)
Which DO Navarra subzone is the most humid?
Valdizarbe (maritime influence)
Which DO Navarra subzone is the largest?
Ribera Alta
Which DO Navarra subzone is the warmest?
Ribera Baja (southernmost)
What are the 3 rivers that traverse Ribera Alta?
Ega, Arga and Aragón
Which DO Navarra subzone is known for vinos rosados of intense color?
Baja Montaña**
Which DO Navarra subzone is the lowest?
Ribera Baja** [not Baja Montaña]
What is an exceptional aspect of the climate in Navarra?
unusual convergence of Atlantic, Continental and Mediterranean climates [speaks to geographic location; also a similar situation for Rioja DOCa]
Which DO Navarra subzone has the highest production?
Ribera Alta [both largest and most productive]
Who was King when the Spanish empire was reunited in 1492?
Ferdinand II (aka Ferdinand the Catholic, Ferdinand V {Castilla y León} and Ferdinand III {Sicily})
What two Spanish DO’s are historically linked to rosé production?
DO Cigales and DO Navarra**
What are the borders of Aragón?
N: France; E: Cataluña, Valencia; S: Castilla - La Mancha; W: Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y León**
What are main topographic features of Aragón?
2; mountains (Pirineos and Sistema Ibérico) and the bisecting Ebro River;
What is the Aljafería Palace?
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.]
Which DO’s in Aragón are authorized for Cava?
2, DO Campo de Borja, DO Cariñena** [CAva-CBC, not Calatayud]
What are the NTK DO’s in Aragón?
4 - DO Calatayud, DO Campo de Borja, DO Cariñena, DO Somontano** [3C’s]
What was the impact of Alfonso II on wine in the 12th century?
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)
Which DO’s in Aragón are north of the Ebro River?
only DO Somontano**, northern most DO of the region [Solo Somo]
What are the defining aspects of DO Calatayud?
2**, altitude (foothills of Sistema Iberica) and focus on Garnacha (62%)
What is the primary grape of Aragón?
Garnacha Tinta**
What is the meaning of Calatayud Superior label?
85% Garnacha, low yielding vines at least 50 years old [Superior GPA - Garnacha, Productivity, Age, at least 50 years old]
What region of Spain lays claim to the origin of Garnacha?
Aragón** (Robinson: from northeast Aragon) [arag(o)n-cha]
What is predominant wine style in DO Campo de Borja?
Tinto (red)** (91%)
What are the defining aspects of DO Campo de Borja?
2, focus on Garnacha and large cooperative production**
What is predominant wine style in DO Cariñena?
Tinto (red) ** (89%)
Which DO in Aragón borders Navarra?
DO Campo de Borja**
Which DO in Aragón is the wettest and greenest?
DO Somontano** (Ironically, wineries in this area still struggle with lack of rain.)
What is dominant grape in DO Somontano?
Cabernet Sauvignon, speaks to French influence [not Garnacha!]
Which DO in Aragon has the greatest diversity of international grapes?
DO Somontano**
What percentage of vineyards did Navarra lose from phylloxera?
approximately 95%
The majority of Aragón’s vines use what training method?
bush trained [more mechanization is seen in Navarra with espaldera training]
What is the most planted white grape in Navarra?
Chardonnay**
What are three threats to Aragón’s growing season?
Cierzo wind, frost, hail**
What was source of conflict in the Carlist Wars?
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
Aragón’s climate is primarily what?
continental
What method is usually used for producing vinos rosados in Navarra?
saignée [not clarete]
What grapes are dominant in the blend of many Navarra vinos tintos?
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.
What grape was largely planted to replace vines lost from phylloxera in Navarra?
Garnacha Tinta**
Which Aragón DO is one of Spain’s oldest demarcated wine regions?
DO Cariñena, oldest in Aragón, oldest vines in Spain! {the only DO in the world that has the same name as a grape variety]
In which Aragón DO do six cooperatives account for the majority of wine produced?
DO Campo de Borja
What are the predominant soils of Aragón?
clay and limestone [in DO Navarra, alluvial is also significant]
Where is Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de Piedra?
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
What is etymology of Garnacha?
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.
What does the name Somontano mean?
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.
Which DO subzones in Navarra are authorized for Cava?
None, only some parts of Rioja DOCa within the Navarra region but not within DO Navarra.
What was the lasting impact of the Carlist wars on Spanish winemaking?
Winemakers fled Spain during the wars, some learning new techniques in Bordeaux and later returned with new skills.
This annual festival, famous for the running of the bulls in Pamplona in July, honors what saint?
San Fermín
