Spain North Central

Question 1

LA Rioja DOs

Answer 1

Rioja DOCa

Question 2

Rioja Climate

Answer 2

• continental

- mountains create rainshadow

Question 3

Rioja Red Grapes

Answer 3

• Tempranillo (Alavesa/Alta)
• Grenache (Baja)
• Graciano
• Mazuelo (Carinena)
• Maturana Tinta
• these 5 grapes must be 85% of Rioja blend [95% if destemmed] rest cab sav etc

Question 4

Rioja White Grapes

Answer 4

• Viura [Macabeo]
• Garnacha Blanca
• Malvasia Riojano
• Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo cannot be > 45%

Question 5

Rioja Soils

Answer 5

• Calcarious clay: Rioja Alavesa/Alta

- alluvial soils and ferrous clay: Rioja Baja

Question 6

Rioja Aging

Answer 6

Crianza: 2 years before release
Reserva 3 years, one in oak
Gran Reserva 5 years, two in oak

Question 7

Rioja Alavesa Overview

Answer 7

• North Of Ebro River
• Tempranillo dominant
• vino joven wines common
• carbonic maceration sometimes

Question 8

Rioja Alta Overview

Answer 8

• south of Ebro River
• warmer than Alavesa
• Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano-ageworthy wines

Question 9

Rioja Baja Overview

Answer 9

-south of ebro
furthest east
-hottest of 3 regions
-Garnacha performs best here

Question 10

Navarra DO Climate

Answer 10

• climate similar to Rioja

- cooler / wetter near Pyrenees mountains

Question 11

Navarra DO Overview

Answer 11

-traditionally famous for Garnacha Rosado’s but now 60% dry Reds

Question 12

Navarra Grapes

Answer 12

Reds

• Tempranillo
• Garnacha
• Cab, merlot, pinot on rise

Whites 6%-Chardonnay

Question 13

Navarra DO Pagos

Answer 13

Prado Irache

Question 14

Aragon DOs

Answer 14

• Carinena DO
• Calatayud DO
• Campo de Borja DO
• Somontano DO

Question 15

Campo de Borja DO Overview

Answer 15

-Hot climate-Garnacha is 66% of plantings-Reds/Rosado’s from Garnacha and Tempranillo-Whites from Viura

Question 16

Carinena/Calatayud DOs overview

Answer 16

-Garnacha dominates-Ironically Carinena is NOT most planted grape in DO w/ same name

Question 17

Somontano DO overview

Answer 17

-name means “beneath the mountain”-white: Alcañón -red: Parraleta

Question 18

Galicia DOs

Answer 18

Rias Baixas DORibeiro DO

Question 19

Rias Baixas Soils

Answer 19

-Granite, alluvial, slate

Question 20

Rias Baixas Grapes/Labelling

Answer 20

-Albarino (90% of plantings in area)-must be 100% if varietally labeled

Question 21

Rias Baixas Vinification

Answer 21

-stainless steel mainly-crisp, dry, aromatic white wines

Question 22

Rias Baixas Subregions

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Rais Baixas Producers

Answer 23

-Mar de Frades-Martin Codax-Filaboa

Question 24

Ribeiro DO Grapes

Answer 24

White: TreixaduraRed: Caiño

Question 25

Ribeiro DO Overview

Answer 25

-along Miño river-one of Spains oldest DOs-Viño Tostado [dried grape wine]: is local speciality

Question 26

Castilla y León DOs

Answer 26

Ribera del DueroToroRuedaBierzo

Question 27

Castilla y Leon overview

Answer 27

-Spains largest autonomia-“The land of castles”

Question 28

Bierzo Climate

Answer 28

-moderate-cooling maritime influence

Question 29

Bierzo Grapes/Vinification

Answer 29

-Mencia (high acid, red fruit) 70% minimum-best from old vines / steep stony slopes

Question 30

Bierzo Producers

Answer 30

-Descendientes de José Palacios [biodynamic “Corullon”] [Alvaro Palacios project who is big in Priorat]

Question 31

Ribera del Duero climate/topography

Answer 31

-continental w/ hot/dry summers cold winters-altitude helps for cool nights (many over 850 meters)-on high Meseta plateau (2500 ft, highest in spain)

Question 32

Ribera Del Duero Grapes

Answer 32

-Tempranillo [called “Tinto Fino”]-Garnacha [for rose]-red wines only, +very small amount rose’

Question 33

Ribera Del Duero producers

Answer 33

Tinto Pesquera Vega Sicilia Aalto [winemaker Mariano Garcia from Vega sicilia left and started this]

Question 34

Vega Sicilia Unico

Answer 34

-Unico is a first growth quality level gran reserva, -10 yrs typically agedgrapes: Tinto del País, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot

Question 35

Ribera Del Duero Aging

Answer 35

Crianza: 2 years before release [one in oak] Reserva 3 years, one in oak Gran Reserva 5 years, two in oak

Question 36

Rueda Grapes

Answer 36

- Verdejo | - Sauvignon Blanc

Question 37

Rueda Labelling re Grapes

Answer 37

- blended wines must have 50% Verdejo | - varietally labelled must have 85% as per EU

Question 38

Rueda Vinification

Answer 38

- crisp aromatic whites | - also Sparkling (Espumoso) wines [85% Verdejo]

Question 39

Toro Climate

Answer 39

-continental w/ extremely hot summers

Question 40

Toro Grapes

Answer 40

-Tempranillo [“Tinto del Toro”] 75% min of reds

Question 41

Toro producers

Answer 41

Vega Sicilia’s Bodegas Pintia

Question 42

Catalonia DOs

Answer 42

Penedes Priorat Cava

Question 43

Catalonia Location

Answer 43

-across Pyranees from Roussillon

Question 44

Priorat Overview

Answer 44

-one of only two DOCas in Spain

Question 45

Priorat Climate

Answer 45

- hot and dry | - rugged area few miles from mediterranean sea but isolated/surrounded by mountains

Question 46

Priorat Soils

Answer 46

- Stony Schist soils, | - best vineyards on “llicorella” a mix of black slate and quartzite-soils have to dig deep for their water

Question 47

Priorat Grapes

Answer 47

- Garnacha | - Carinena

Question 48

Priorat Producers

Answer 48

- Clos Mogador [winemaker Rene Barbier, basically rediscovered Priorat and made it what it is today] - Alvaro Palacios [one of the original partners of the “clos” project w/ Barbier]

Question 49

Vino de Pueblo

Answer 49

Priorat Labelling: village category from estate grown wines in one of 12 villages

Question 50

Catalunya DO

Answer 50

-created to allow blending from whole area/bulk production

Question 51

Penedes/Cava Climate

Answer 51

-mediterranean

Question 52

Cava White Grapes

Answer 52

- Macbeo - Xarel-Lo - Parellada - Chardonnay

Question 53

Cava Red Grapes

Answer 53

- Ull del Llebre [Tempranillo] - Garnacha - Pinot Noir - Monastrell - Trepat - Malvasia