Spain Flashcards
(30 cards)
What are the main climatic influences across Spain’s wine regions?
- Atlantic/Maritime (Green Spain: Galicia, Basque Country) – cool, wet
- Continental (Castilla y León, La Mancha) – hot summers, cold winters
- Mediterranean (Catalonia, Valencia, Andalusia) – warm and dry
- Altitude (e.g., Ribera del Duero, Rioja Alta) – moderates heat, adds diurnal range
What is the quality classification hierarchy in Spain (from basic to highest)?
- Vino de Mesa – Table wine
- Vino de la Tierra (VdlT) – Equivalent to IGP
- Denominación de Origen (DO)
- Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) – Top quality (only Rioja & Priorat)
- Vino de Pago (VP) – Single estate DO with highest standards
Name the main wine regions (DOs or DOCas) of Spain and their general location.
- Rías Baixas – Galicia (NW Atlantic coast)
- Rioja – North-central, along Ebro River
- Ribera del Duero – Castilla y León (north-central plateau)
- Toro – Castilla y León
- Rueda – Castilla y León
- Navarra – North, east of Rioja
- Penedès – Catalonia (NE), near Barcelona
- Priorat – Catalonia, mountainous inland
- Valdepeñas – Castilla-La Mancha (central Spain)
What is the principal grape of Rías Baixas, and what style is produced?
Albariño; dry, aromatic white wine with high acidity.
What are the main grape varietals of Rioja, and what styles are produced?
- Red: Tempranillo (main), Garnacha, Mazuelo (Carignan), Graciano
- White: Viura (Macabeo)
- Styles: Mainly red, with some white and rosado
What is the principal grape of Ribera del Duero, and how does it differ from Rioja?
Tempranillo (aka Tinta del País); wines are generally more powerful, darker, and modern in style.
What grape is used in Toro, and how is it labelled locally?
Tempranillo, known locally as Tinta de Toro; produces bold, high-alcohol reds.
What style of wine is Rueda DO known for, and what grapes are used?
Crisp, dry white wines from Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viura.
What are the key grapes and styles of Navarra DO?
- Traditionally rosado (Garnacha)
- Now also red (Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon) and white (Chardonnay, Viura)
What types of wine is Penedès DO known for?
- Sparkling wine: Cava (Macabeo, Xarel·lo, Parellada)
- Still red and white wines (Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Merlot)
What is unique about Priorat DOCa and what grapes are used?
- Llicorella slate soils, steep terraces
- Old-vine Garnacha and Cariñena (Carignan)
- Bold, structured red wines
What grape is dominant in Valdepeñas DO and what is its style?
Tempranillo, known locally as Cencibel; typically used for red wines, often oak-aged.
What are the official ageing classifications for red wines in Spain?
- Joven – Little/no oak
- Crianza – Min. 2 years aging (1 year in oak)
- Reserva – Min. 3 years aging (1 year in oak)
- Gran Reserva – Min. 5 years aging (2 years in oak, 3 in bottle)
Give common synonyms for Spanish grape varieties.
- Tempranillo = Tinta Roriz (Portugal), Tinta del País, Tinta de Toro, Cencibel
- Mazuelo = Carignan
- Viura = Macabeo
- Garnacha = Grenache
- Cariñena = Mazuelo (in Rioja), Carignan (in France)
What styles of wine are produced in Spain, and which varietals are used?
- Red wines: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo (Carignan), Monastrell, Bobal
- White wines: Albariño, Verdejo, Viura (Macabeo), Godello
- Rosado (rosé): Garnacha, Tempranillo
- Sparkling wines (Cava): Macabeo, Xarel·lo, Parellada, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
- Sweet wines: Pedro Ximénez, Moscatel (especially in Andalusia)
What is Cava, and how is it produced?
Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine made by the Traditional Method (Méthode Traditionnelle), with second fermentation in bottle.
Grapes: Macabeo, Xarel·lo, Parellada, plus Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
What are the label terms for sweetness levels in Cava?
- Brut Nature (0–3 g/L)
- Extra Brut
- Brut
- Extra Seco
- Seco
- Semi Seco
- Dulce
What are the label ageing terms for Cava?
- Cava: min. 9 months on lees
- Reserva: min. 18 months
- Gran Reserva: min. 30 months (Brut style only)
- Cava de Paraje Calificado: min. 36 months, from single vineyard
What are the official ageing classifications for red Rioja wines?
- Crianza: 2 years (min. 1 year in oak)
- Reserva: 3 years (min. 1 year in oak, 6 months in bottle)
- Gran Reserva: 5 years (min. 2 years in oak, 2 years in bottle)
How many DOCa regions are there in Spain, and what are they?
2:
- Rioja DOCa (1991) – first and most famous
- Priorat DOCa (2009) – located in Catalonia
What is the quality hierarchy within Rioja and Priorat?
DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada)
Within Rioja:
- Village (Zona)
- Municipal
- Viñedo Singular – single-vineyard designation
Priorat: uses Vi de Vila (village wine) and Vi de Finca (estate wine)
What are the subzones (sub-districts) of Rías Baixas DO?
- Val do Salnés – classic coastal, crisp Albariño
- Condado do Tea – inland, warmer
- O Rosal – near Portugal, blends allowed
- Soutomaior – smallest zone
- Ribeira do Ulla – north, near Santiago
What are the sub-regions of Navarra DO?
- Baja Montaña – Garnacha for rosado
- Ribera Alta – largest subzone
- Ribera Baja – warmer, more international grapes
- Valdizarbe – cooler area
- Tierra Estella – western, higher altitude
What are the sub-zones of Penedès DO?
- Alt Penedès – higher altitude, cooler, best whites (Xarel·lo, Macabeo)
- Medio Penedès – balanced climate
- Baix Penedès – warmer, more reds and rosés
