Southern Spain

Question 1

Which autonomía in Southern Spain is known for its Catalan and Moorish tradition and includes the capital city Valencia?

Answer 1

Valencia

Question 2

What is the primary focus of Valencia DO in terms of wine production?

Answer 2

White wines produced from the local Merseguera grape and other varieties

Question 3

What is the traditional dish for which Valencia is the birthplace?

Answer 3

Paella

Question 4

What is Alicante DO known for in terms of wine production?

Answer 4

Dessert wines, particularly Fondillón, a solera-style, oxidative dessert wine made from overripe Monastrell grapes

Question 5

What grape is primarily used in Utiel-Requena DO for red wine production?

Answer 5

Bobal

Question 6

What is the traditional style of wine called that is macerated and fermented with twice the normal amount of grape skins and pulp?

Answer 6

Doble Pasta

Question 7

How did the vineyards of Jumilla in Murcia resist phylloxera for nearly one hundred years?

Answer 7

Sandy soils in the region

Question 8

What is the primary grape variety in Jumilla DO, occupying over 80% of the region’s vineyards?

Answer 8

Monastrell

Question 9

What types of wines make up over 95% of Jumilla DO’s output?

Answer 9

Reds and rosados, primarily from Monastrell

Question 10

Which three DO zones are part of the Murcia autonomía in the Levant region?

Answer 10

Jumilla, Yecla, and Bullas

Question 11

What is Europe’s largest single demarcated wine region?

Answer 11

La Mancha DO in the Castilla-La Mancha autonomía

Question 12

Which famous literary character’s silhouette is featured in the logo of the La Mancha DO Consejo Regulador?

Answer 12

Don Quixote

Question 13

What are the principal grapes of La Mancha DO?

Answer 13

Cencibel (Tempranillo) and Airén

Question 14

What environmental conditions make La Mancha suitable for Cencibel and Airén?

Answer 14

The hot, dry environment, which is inhospitable to fungus and mold

Question 15

What grape was once the most planted white grape in the world due to vast plantings in La Mancha?

Answer 15

Airén

Question 16

Which grape is highly recommended by the La Mancha DO Consejo Regulador for replanting in the region?

Answer 16

Cencibel (Tempranillo)

Question 17

Which estate in Méntrida DO adopted the controversial practice of drip irrigation and planted international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot?

Answer 17

Marqués de Griñon estate

Question 18

What was the first estate in La Mancha to receive its own appellation as DO Pago, and when?

Answer 18

DO Pago Dominio de Valdepusa in 2003

Question 19

Which estate of a filmmaker received its own appellation as DO Pago in La Mancha, and when?

Answer 19

DO Pago Finca Élez, also in 2003

Question 20

Which three estates were approved as DO Pagos in La Mancha in 2019?

Answer 20

DO Pagos Vallegarcía, La Jaraba, and Los Cerrillos

Question 21

Which estate became the newest addition to DO Pago status in La Mancha in 2024?

Answer 21

Rosaleja

Question 22

What is the common approach among DO Pago proprietors in Castilla-La Mancha?

Answer 22

Incorporating money and modern methodology in the quick pursuit of concentration, greatness, and expression, rather than timeworn, terroir-driven methods

Question 23

Who are the notable consultants enlisted by Marqués de Griñon in its pursuit of quality?

Answer 23

Pomerol guru Michel Rolland and his mentor, Émile Peynaud

Question 24

What grape is principally relied on for Almansa DO reds?

Answer 24

Garnacha Tintorera, a teinturier grape characterized by red-pigmented juice

Question 25

What are some common Teinturier grape varieties?

Answer 25

Alicante Bouschet, Colorino, Graciano

Question 26

What is the chief grape of Manchuela DO, similar to Utiel-Requena?

Answer 26

Bobal

Question 27

What is the relationship between Ribera del Júcar DO and La Mancha?

Answer 27

Ribera del Júcar was a subzone of La Mancha until it received its own DO status in 2003

Question 28

When did Valdepeñas DO receive formal recognition, and what does it mean?

Answer 28

Valdepeñas DO received formal recognition in 1932, over forty years earlier than La Mancha

Question 29

What benefits do Valdepeñas DO vines have due to the region's chalk bedrock?

Answer 29

The chalk bedrock provides better retention of water in the arid environment

Question 30

What makes Reserva and Gran Reserva wines from Valdepeñas DO particularly good?

Answer 30

These wines, often produced exclusively from Cencibel, can be of excellent quality, especially those from the western sector of Los Llanos and the northern sector of Las Aberturas

Question 31

What are the primary red grape varieties focused on in Uclés DO?

Answer 31

Cencibel, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah

Question 32

What is a unique requirement for vines bearing red grapes in Uclés DO?

Answer 32

Vines must be in their sixth year of age before the fruit may be harvested, and mature vines are divided into three age categories, with maximum yields decreasing as the vines age