Green Spain: Galicia and Basque Country

Question 1

Galicia DOs

Answer 1

• Rias Baixas
• Ribeiro
• Ribeira Sacra
• Valdeorras
• Monterrei

Question 2

Rías Baixas

Blanco

Grapes

Answer 2

• R: Albariño, Loureira, Treixadura, Caiña Blanca
• A: Torrontés, Godello

Question 3

Rías Baixas

Styles

Answer 3

• Albariño: 100%
• Blanco
• Blanco Barrica (3mos in wood, max 600L)
• Blanco with Subzone
• Tinto
• Espumoso

Question 4

Rías Baixas

Blanco

Subzone designations

Answer 4

• Val do Salnés/Ribeira do Ulla
  
  • min 70% Albariño
• O Rosal
  
  • min 70% comb. Albariño and Loureira
• Condado do Tea
  
  • min 70% comb. Albariño and Treixadura

Question 5

% of Albariño required for varietally labeled Albariño

Answer 5

100%

Question 6

Rias Baixas

5 subzones

Answer 6

• Ribeira do Ulla
• Val do Salnés
• Soutomaior
• Condado do Tea
• O Rosal

Question 7

Rias Baixas

Soils by Subzone

Answer 7

• Ribeira do Ulla
  
  • Alluvials
• Val do Salnés, Soutomaior, O Rosal
  
  • Alluvial over granite
• Condado do Tea
  
  • Granite and slate with granite subsoil

Question 8

Ribeiro DO

Major grapes

Answer 8

• Treixadura
• Caiño

Question 9

Ribeira Sacra DO

Major grapes

Answer 9

• Mencia
• Treixadura
• Godello

Question 10

Ribeira Sacra

Subzones

Answer 10

• Chantada
• Riberas do Miño
• Amandi
• Riberas do Sil
• Quiroga-Bibei

Question 11

Valdeorras

Styles

Answer 11

• White
  
  • Godello, Dona Branca
• Red
  
  • Mencía, Merenzao, Sousón, Brancellao
• Rosado
• Varietal Godello and Mencía
• Valdeorras Superior: min. 85% recommended varieties
• Best known for whites of Godello

Question 12

Valdeorras

Crianza

Min aging

Answer 12

• 2 years age
• Red: 12 mo in wood
• White: 6 mo in wood

Question 13

Valdeorras

Soil types

Answer 13

• Slate, Granite
• Calcareous clay, argillo-ferrous
• Alluvials

Question 14

País Vasco

DOs

Answer 14

• Arabako
• Bizkaiko
• Getariako

Question 15

País Vasco

Grapes

Answer 15

• Ondarribi Zuri (95% of acreage)
• Ondarribi Beltza

Question 16

What is Ojo de Gallo?

Answer 16

• Txakoli Rosé
  
  • Min. 50% Ondarribi Beltza

Question 17

What are rías?

Answer 17

Small inlets (fjord-like) in Rías Baixas

Question 18

What is Moscatel de Grano Menudo also known as?

Answer 18

Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains

Question 19

Galicia

Blanco Barrica

Answer 19

White wine aged in oak (max 600L) for 3 months

Question 20

Vino Tostado

Answer 20

• Wine of dried grapes from Ribeiro
  
  • Treixadura, Loureiro, or Caiño, Ferrón, plus, plus
• Aged min. 6mos in oak or cherry wood.
• Dried min. 3 months
• Min. must weight of 300g/L
• Min. RS of 70 g/L

Question 21

Where would you find a wine labeled Súmmum, and what does that imply?

Answer 21

Ribeira Sacra DO

• Reds:
  
  • P: min. 85% red grapes, including min. 60% Mencía (Mencía, Merenzao, Brancellao, Sousón, Caiño Tinto, Tempranillo)
  • May be varietally labeled Mencía at min. 85%
• Whites:
  
  • P: 100% white grapes (Albariño, Godello, Treixadura, Loureira, Torrontés, Dona Branca)

Question 22

Monterrei

Subzones

Answer 22

• Valle de Monterrei
• Ladera de Monterrei

Question 23

Ribeiro DO

Soils and Climate

Answer 23

• Soil
  
  • mostly sandy/alluvial - terraced sides of river valleys
  • granite bedrock - btwn 100 to 350 m
• Maritime influence from the Atlantic Ocean; relatively high rainfall and humidity

Question 24

Ribeiro DO

Answer 24

• Whites (85% production is white wines)
  
  • R: Treixadura
  • A: Palomino, Torrontés, Godello, Macabeo, Albillo, Loureira, Albariño
• Reds:
  
  • R: Caino (aka Caiño Bravo, Caiño Longo)
  • A: Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), Ferrón, Sousón, Tempranillo, Brancellao, Mencía

Question 25

Ribeiro DO Rivers

Answer 25

**4 rivers converge in Ribeiro** * **Barbatino** * **Avia** * **Arnoia** * **Miño**

Question 26

Monterrei DO Climate

Answer 26

**Monterrei DO** * **Very different from the rest of Galicia, more in line with the vineyards of Castilla y Leon to the east** * **Largely due to the rain shadow effect produced by the Sierra de Larouca mountain range** * **Inland location makes it warm and dry during summer and very cold in winter**

Question 27

Monterrei DO Subzones

Answer 27

* **Ledeira de Monterrei** (Slopes of Monterrei) * **Val de Monterrei** (Monterrei Valley)

Question 28

Monterrei DO Varieties

Answer 28

* **Blanco - min 60% recommended** * **R: descending order; Godello (Verdelho), Treixadura, Dona Blanca** * **A: Albariño, Blanca de Monterrei, Caiño Blanco, Loureira** * **Red - min 60% recommended** * **R: Mencía, Merenzao (Trousseau/Bastardo)** * **A: Caiño Tinto, Sousón, Araúxa (Tempranillo)**

Question 29

Sagardoa

Answer 29

Sagardoa * Type of cider house found in the Basque Country * The word sagardotegi is composed of 3 elements: * sagar "apple" and ardo "wine", yielding sagardo or "cider" and the suffix -tegi which denotes a building where an activity takes place

Question 30

What wines are produced in Basque territory?

Answer 30

* **Rioja (Alavesa)** * **Txakolina**

Question 31

Which Rias baixas sub favors Treixadura?

Answer 31

**Contado do Tea**

Question 32

Galicia Southernmost subregion

Answer 32

**Monterrei**

Question 33

Rias Baixas Northernmost subzone

Answer 33

**Ribeira do Ulla**

Question 34

DO zone closest to the Bay of Biscay

Answer 34

**Bizkaiko Txakolina​**

Question 35

Rias Baixas Red Grapes

Answer 35

* **Caiño** * **Espadeiro** * **Mencía**