The North West (Galicia) Flashcards
Rias Baixas
Northern Atlantic coast, cool, damp maritime climate. Top soils of sand or alluvial over a bedrock of granite. Damp conditions mean disease control and care around harvesting are critical. Often large vintage variation. Albarino (Alvarinho of Vinho Verde in Portugal) gives distinctive peach aroma, crisp acidity and light body, perfect with local cuisine. Not cheap due to quantity variation with vintages.
Galicia
North of Spain Green part High Precipitation Mild Climate due to proximity to ocean Lot of Celtic background (lots of the people have red hair due to Celtic past)
Northwest Spain is dominated by red or white wines?
White, pair well with seafood from the Atlantic Coast (lobsters, clams, squids). “Wines taste like the sea”
Albarino
Delicate, needs humidity of region, floral, great structure. Stainless steel, no oak. Drunk young. Can have lees or oak maturation (to extend ageing), but most are designed to be drunk young whilst still floral and young.
How are vines grown in Rias Biaxas?
Pergola (traditionally). The space under the pergola was traditionally used for growing vegetables.
What does Rias Biaxas mean?
Low Estuaries
What are the three regions of Rias Biaxas formed in 1988?
Val Do Salnes (largest, with a crisp, aromatic character), O Rosal (white peaches), Condado de Tea (more savoury, less fruity)
1996 Soutomaier came along and 2000 Ribera do Ulla.
Did Albariño start in Portugal or Galicia?
Not sure but there are plantings of Albariño in Gailicia which are 200 years old.
Galicia- DO
Monterrei DO Rias Biaxas DO Ribeira Sacra DO Ribeiro DO Valdeorras DO
Monterrei DO- Subzones:
Valle de Monterrei
Ladera de Monterrei
Rias Baixas DO- Subzones:
Val do Salnes Ribeira do Ulla Soutomaior O Rosal Condado do Tea
Ribeira Sacra DO- Subzones:
Amandi Chantada Ribeiras do Mino Ribeiras do Sil Quiroga- Bibei
Valdorras DO- Communes of Production:
Amandi Chantada Ribeiras do Mino Ribeiras do Sil Quiroga-Bibei
Mencia
- Nth- West Of Spain: Bierzo, Ribera Sacra and Valdeorras
- Used to believed to be related to Cabernet Franc, but recently it has been found to be related to Jaen or Jaen Du Dao
- Used to be believed to produce light reds, but recently old vine vineyards have been found to produce wines very much like Priorat
Green Spain?
Includes Galicia, near Portugal (North West Corner) and the autonomias of Asturias, Cantabrian and Pais Vasco (Basque Country) along the northern Costa Verde (Green Coast)
Galacia?
- Lush vegetation and dense forests
- Lots Of Rias (estuaries) and small rivers cutting low northern ranges
- Cool maritime climate, ideal for crisp refreshing white wines
- Extremely different from popular Spanish thinking
- 5 DOs: Rias Biaxas, Ribero, Valdeorras, Ribera Sacra and Monterrei
What does Rias Baixas mean?
The low estuaries
What are the five subzones of Rias Baixas DO?
Val Do Salnes Ribeira do Ulla Soutomaior O Rosal Condado do Tea
Does a wine labelled Rias Baixas Albariño contain only Albariño?
Yes it is the only grape allowed
If a wine is labelled any of Northern subzones of Rias Baixas what can it contain?
Val do Salnes or Ribeira do Ulla
70% of recommended varieties- Albariño, Loureiro, Treixadura, Caino Blanco
What must the Southern subzones of Rias Baixas contain?
O Rosal and Condado do Tea
Must contain a minimum of 70% Albariño, combined with either Loureiro or Treixadura (both borrowed for Portugal’s Vinho Verde)
What are the characters of Rias Baixas Albarino?
Can be oaked or unoaked, stonefruit and citrus flowers, suggestions of Bubble gum and some minerality
What are the red wines of Rias Baixas comprised of?
Caino, Espadeiro and Mencia, but 90% of vineyard of Albariño
What is one of the oldest wine regions in Spain dating back to the 1700s?
Ribeiro DO, wines have always been popular with Spainards
Ribeiro DO
- Along the Mino River
- Red and Whites- Galician Varietals
- Treixadura- white grape/ Caino- Red grapes
- Used to focus on Palomino
- Vino Tostado- dries grape wine is a specialty locally
Why is Ribeira Sacra DO named “the sacred bank”?
The large concentration of churches in the area
Ribeira Sacra DO
- Located inland and upriver
- 5 subregions: Amandi, Chantada, Quiroga- Bibei, Riberas do Sil, Riberas do Mino
- Steeply terraced slopes, built
What is Valdeorras DO most famous for?
Clean, fruit driven, high- acid Godello. But it also produces Red and Roses.
Monterrei DO?
Southernmost DO in Galicia, home to a small amount of wineries
Do the Asturias and Cantabrian DO produce any wine?
No
What are the three principal zones of Pais Vasco DO?
Getariako Txakolina, Bizkaiko Txakolina and Aranako Txakolina. Wines can be white, red or rosado. The white wines are from the Ondarrabi Luri grape. The red wines are made from Ondarrabi Beltza. Rosado is rare and called Ojo de Gallo, and are unusually blended from two grapes.
