The North West (Galicia)

Question 1

Rias Baixas

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

Galicia

Answer 2

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)

Question 3

Northwest Spain is dominated by red or white wines?

Answer 3

White, pair well with seafood from the Atlantic Coast (lobsters, clams, squids). “Wines taste like the sea”

Question 4

Albarino

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

How are vines grown in Rias Biaxas?

Answer 5

Pergola (traditionally). The space under the pergola was traditionally used for growing vegetables.

Question 6

What does Rias Biaxas mean?

Answer 6

Low Estuaries

Question 7

What are the three regions of Rias Biaxas formed in 1988?

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

Did Albariño start in Portugal or Galicia?

Answer 8

Not sure but there are plantings of Albariño in Gailicia which are 200 years old.

Question 9

Galicia- DO

Answer 9

Monterrei DO
Rias Biaxas DO
Ribeira Sacra DO
Ribeiro DO
Valdeorras DO

Question 10

Monterrei DO- Subzones:

Answer 10

Valle de Monterrei

Ladera de Monterrei

Question 11

Rias Baixas DO- Subzones:

Answer 11

Val do Salnes
Ribeira do Ulla
Soutomaior
O Rosal
Condado do Tea

Question 12

Ribeira Sacra DO- Subzones:

Answer 12

Amandi
Chantada
Ribeiras do Mino
Ribeiras do Sil
Quiroga- Bibei

Question 13

Valdorras DO- Communes of Production:

Answer 13

Amandi
Chantada
Ribeiras do Mino
Ribeiras do Sil
Quiroga-Bibei

Question 14

Mencia

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

Green Spain?

Answer 15

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)

Question 16

Galacia?

Answer 16

• 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

Question 17

What does Rias Baixas mean?

Answer 17

The low estuaries

Question 18

What are the five subzones of Rias Baixas DO?

Answer 18

Val Do Salnes
Ribeira do Ulla
Soutomaior
O Rosal
Condado do Tea

Question 19

Does a wine labelled Rias Baixas Albariño contain only Albariño?

Answer 19

Yes it is the only grape allowed

Question 20

If a wine is labelled any of Northern subzones of Rias Baixas what can it contain?

Answer 20

Val do Salnes or Ribeira do Ulla

70% of recommended varieties- Albariño, Loureiro, Treixadura, Caino Blanco

Question 21

What must the Southern subzones of Rias Baixas contain?

Answer 21

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)

Question 22

What are the characters of Rias Baixas Albarino?

Answer 22

Can be oaked or unoaked, stonefruit and citrus flowers, suggestions of Bubble gum and some minerality

Question 23

What are the red wines of Rias Baixas comprised of?

Answer 23

Caino, Espadeiro and Mencia, but 90% of vineyard of Albariño

Question 24

What is one of the oldest wine regions in Spain dating back to the 1700s?

Answer 24

Ribeiro DO, wines have always been popular with Spainards

Question 25

Ribeiro DO

Answer 25

• 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

Question 26

Why is Ribeira Sacra DO named “the sacred bank”?

Answer 26

The large concentration of churches in the area

Question 27

Ribeira Sacra DO

Answer 27

• Located inland and upriver
• 5 subregions: Amandi, Chantada, Quiroga- Bibei, Riberas do Sil, Riberas do Mino
• Steeply terraced slopes, built

Question 28

What is Valdeorras DO most famous for?

Answer 28

Clean, fruit driven, high- acid Godello. But it also produces Red and Roses.

Question 29

Monterrei DO?

Answer 29

Southernmost DO in Galicia, home to a small amount of wineries

Question 30

Do the Asturias and Cantabrian DO produce any wine?

Answer 30

No

Question 31

What are the three principal zones of Pais Vasco DO?

Answer 31

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.