Regions of Spain - Red

Question 1

What are the six geographical regions the principal DO regions can be grouped into?

Answer 1

the Upper Ebro,
Catalunya,
the Duero Valley,
the North West,
the Levante
Castilla-La-Mancha

Question 2

What is the term most commonly used for regions designated for the production of PGI wines?

Answer 2

Vino de la Tierra (VdlT)

Question 3

What is the most extensive Vino de le Tierra region and what is it near?

Answer 3

Castilla y Leon

Meseta Central

Question 4

What are the three sub-regions of Rioja?

Answer 4

Rioja Oriental
Rioja Alta
Rioja Alavesa

Question 5

Which Rioja region is based in the Cantabrian foothills?

Answer 5

Rioja Alavesa

Question 6

Which river is Rioja associated with?

Answer 6

the Ebro

Question 7

What do Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Alta have in common? (2)

Answer 7

Elevation and Atlantic moderation/influence

Question 8

What shields Rioja from the worst of Atlantic weather?

Answer 8

Cantabrian Mountains

Question 9

Which is the largest subregion in Rioja? What grape does best here?

Answer 9

Rioja Oriental

Garnacha

Question 10

Most finessed could describe Rioja wine from which subregion?

Answer 10

Rioja Alavesa

Question 11

Describe the climate in Rioja Oriental in comparison with the West sub-regions

Answer 11

Less maritime
hotter summers
more severe winters
low annual rainfall - drought

Question 12

What is the most planted grape in Rioja?

What sort of fruit flavours and tannin does it bring to blends?

Answer 12

Tempranillo

Red fruit, medium tannins

Question 13

What does Garnacha bring to Rioja blends?

Answer 13

Body and Alcohol

Question 14

Which two grapes play a supporting role in Rioja blends?

Answer 14

Mazuelo and Graciano

Question 15

What process may winemakers employ to make an early-drinking style Rioja with bright red fruit and low levels of smooth tannin?

Answer 15

Semi-carbonic maceration

Question 16

What are two techniques used to make heavily-extracted Rioja? Describe the colour and fruit style of these wines

Answer 16

Extended maceration
Vigorous cap management
Deep colour, full fruit flavour

Question 17

Are many making more elegant, subtle Rioja reds?

Answer 17

Yes

Question 18

Oak maturation has a defining role in Rioja. What type of oak was traditionally used and what type is increasingly more common? Why are they using this type?

Answer 18

American, many shifting to French or other European oak

To impart more subtle spice aromas

Question 19

Which region shares Riojas north-eastern border? What is the climate like here compared to Rioja?

Answer 19

Navarra DO

Similar climate but becomes cooler and wetter near the mountains

Question 20

What is the most widely planted grape in Navarra DO? What is it blended with traditionally, and increasingly?

Answer 20

Tempranillo
Traditionally: Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano
Increasingly: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

Question 21

Are all designation styles made in Navarra DO? Up to high quality Gran Riservas?

Answer 21

Yes

Question 22

Rose is made in Navarra in what style? What grapes are used? What level of alcohol?

Answer 22

Refreshing, fruity style
Garnacha
Medium alcohol

Question 23

Which two Upper Ebro DOs are south of the Ebro River?

Answer 23

Carinena and Calatayud

Question 24

What is the climate for both Carinena and Calatayud? What is low here?

Answer 24

Warm, continental with low rainfall

Question 25

What is the main grape in both Carinena and Calatayud?

Answer 25

Garnacha

Question 26

Inexpensive wines from Calatayud and Carinena are fruity and early-drinking. What differentiates higher-quality wines in terms of grape-growing? What quality do these wines possess?

Answer 26

``` Old Vine (Garnacha and Carinena grapes) Greater flavour intensity and structure ```

Question 27

Which corner of Spain does Catalunya occupy?

Answer 27

North-East

Question 28

Below which major city are most vineyards located in Catalunya? What is the landscape like here?

Answer 28

Barcelona | Coastal plain with hills to the west

Question 29

Why does Catalunya have a generic DO, Catalunya DO?

Answer 29

largely to enable the blending of wines from different areas to create significant volumes of branded wine.

Question 30

What are the 2 smaller DOs that exist within Catalunya?

Answer 30

Penedes and Priorat

Question 31

Penedes stretches from the coast up into the hills. What are it's three distinct climatic zones? How do they differ?

Answer 31

Coastal plain - hottest, mediterranean climate Valleys - slighty cooler, still warm Hills - Moderate due to altitude (up to 800m)

Question 32

What kind of grapes are planted in Penedes? What is Tempranillo called here?

Answer 32

Cava grapes International Varieties (Gewurtz, Chardy, Sauvy B, Merlot, Cab Sauv, Pinot Noir) Tempranillo, here called Ull de Llebre

Question 33

Describe summers and annual rainfall in Priorat

Answer 33

Hot, long, dry summers | Low annual rainfall

Question 34

What type of vines are found in Priorat?

Answer 34

Old bush vine Garnacha and Carinena

Question 35

What are the best soils in Priorat called? Describe them

Answer 35

llicorella, consist of layers of red slate with particles of reflective mica throughout.

Question 36

What are the best soils in Priorat called and why are they so beneficial for the growing and ripening of Garnacha and Carinena?

Answer 36

llicorella are deep soils. They retain and reflect heat well while being able to conserve water.

Question 37

What are night time temperatures like in Priorat

Answer 37

Cool

Question 38

What contributes to the very low yields and thus complexity/concentration of Priorat vines?

Answer 38

Old vines | Low nutrient soil

Question 39

What is the topography of best vineyard sites in Priorat?

Answer 39

Steep-sloped

Question 40

Why are Priorat wines never cheap?

Answer 40

Difficult hand harvest (slopes and bushvines) Low yields (old vines, low nutrient soil) They good

Question 41

What are the DOs of the Duero Valley?

Answer 41

Ribera del Duero Toro Rueda

Question 42

What cuts off Ribera del Duero from any maritime influence?

Answer 42

Ring of Mountains

Question 43

What are summers like in Ribera del Duero? What are the winters like?

Answer 43

Short, hot, dry summers | Very cold winters

Question 44

Why is the altitude of Ribera del Duero important?

Answer 44

Ensures cool night-time temperatures, aiding in acid and fresh-fruit-flavour retention (particularly important as many of the best wines from here are varietal Tempranillo which is naturally lower in acid)

Question 45

What colour grapes are grown in Ribera del Duero?

Answer 45

Black

Question 46

What is the most prominent grape in Ribera del Duero? What style wines are produced with it?

Answer 46

Tempranillo (best wines are varietal) | Dark coloured, high tannin, new-oak-aged (for relatively short periods).

Question 47

What practices are common-place when making Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero?

Answer 47

Long maceration, relatively short maturation in new oak (increasingly more French oak than American being used).

Question 48

What other grapes are allowed in Ribera del Duero DO?

Answer 48

Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Malbec and Merlot.

Question 49

What is Garnacha used for in Ribera del Duero mostly? Is this a major wine style here?

Answer 49

Rose wine-making | Not major but follows DO laws

Question 50

Which Do neighbours Ribera del Duero and has a similar climate?

Answer 50

Toro DO

Question 51

What is the predominate grape in Toro?

Answer 51

Tempranillo

Question 52

Reds from Toro DO are generally? (body, flavour, alcohol)

Answer 52

Full-bodied with intense fruit flavours and high in alcohol

Question 53

What kind of vine training is common in Toro DO?

Answer 53

Bush vine

Question 54

What grape is generally included in Joven Toro DO wines?

Answer 54

Tempranillo blended with portions of Garnacha

Question 55

There age-worthy Reservas and Gran Reservas from Toro DO. Describe them when young

Answer 55

Highly Tannic, deeply coloured

Question 56

Is there rose production in Toro?

Answer 56

Yes

Question 57

Which region in the North West produces elegant red wines?

Answer 57

Bierzo

Question 58

What is the key red grape in Bierzo? What is the climate and cooling influence here?

Answer 58

Mencia Moderate climate Maritime influence

Question 59

Describe Mencia from Bierzo (acid, fruit)

Answer 59

High acid Red fruit aromas Elegant

Question 60

Is Mencia often oaked? Why?

Answer 60

Yes, to add toasty aromas (but some producers make unoaked wines to preserve perfumed qualities of Mencia).

Question 61

What kind of terrain are the best wines of Bierzo often grown on? What kind of vine training is used here?

Answer 61

Stony, steep slopes | Bush vine

Question 62

Which DOs fall under The Levante grouping?

Answer 62

Jumilla Yecla Valencia

Question 63

What is the predominant grape in The Levante (Jumilla, Yecla, Valencia)?

Answer 63

Monastrell

Question 64

Which region in The Levante is known for value-for-money wines?

Answer 64

Valencia

Question 65

What kind of climate would you find in Jumilla and Yecla? What grape thrives here?

Answer 65

Hot, Arid climate | Monastrell

Question 66

What style of Monastrell is generally produced in Jumilla and Yecla?

Answer 66

Youthful and fruity

Question 67

Which group of DOs accounts for almost half of Spain's total wine production? What are the two DOs here?

Answer 67

Castilla-La Mancha: La Mancha Valdepenas

Question 68

What grapes have authorities encouraged the planting of in La Mancha?

Answer 68

Tempranillo (Cencibel) and international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

Question 69

What has been heavily invested in in La Mancha? what has this resulted in?

Answer 69

Technology and expertise | Well-made wines for the export market

Question 70

What is the law-defined category for single estates with high reputations?

Answer 70

Vino de Pago (VP)

Question 71

Where are most Vino de Pago estates found?

Answer 71

La Mancha

Question 72

What is the main black grape in Valdepenas? What is it sometimes blended with here?

Answer 72

Tempranillo | International varieties

Question 73

Which DO has the higher reputation, La Mancha or Valdepenas?

Answer 73

Valdepenas

Question 74

How long does a DO have to be standing to earn DOCa status?

Answer 74

At least 10 years

Question 75

Which two regions have achieved DOCa status?

Answer 75

Priorat and Rioja

Question 76

What term does Priorat use to label it's DOCa status?

Answer 76

DOQ

Question 77

What is the common term for PGI wines in Spain?

Answer 77

Vino de la Tierra (VdlT)

Question 78

Total ageing and minimum time in barrel for Joven reds (months)

Answer 78

0 total | 0 oak

Question 79

Total ageing and minimum time in barrel for Crianza reds (months)

Answer 79

24 total | 6 oak

Question 80

Total ageing and minimum time in barrel for Reserva reds (months)

Answer 80

36 total | 12 oak

Question 81

Total ageing and minimum time in barrel for Gran Riserva reds (months)

Answer 81

60 total | 18 oak

Question 82

When are Gran Riservas made?

Answer 82

Only exceptional vintages