Cms Spain

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1100 BCE - Phoenicians founded the city of Gadir on the coast of southern Spain

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Phoenicians established the value of viticulture and wine as a commodity in Andalucía

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Modern wine varieties of Spain

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Genetics came from the Mediterranean islands and the Iberian peninsula

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Sherry wines, possibly the first vinous export to North America, became increasingly popular with the English market from the end of the 15th century onward.

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-- 17th century Spanish law barred the colonies from producing wine; resulted in Spain falling behind Europe in the development of new viticultural techniques.

-- 1850s and 1860s - Oidium and Phylloxera struck France; resulted in an influx of French winemakers and merchants to lay roots in Spain.

-- Bordeaux-trained Marqués de Riscal and Marqués de Murrieta returned to Rioja with grape varieties and lessons from the Médoc, including barrique aging (called barricas in Spain) and estate bottling (performed at their newly constructed bodegas).

-- Used American oak (Quercus alba) rather than French—an economic decision based on Spain’s history of transatlantic colonial trade

-- Many of today’s great traditionalist Rioja wineries got their start in the latter half of the 19th century: López de Heredia, CVNE, La Rioja Alta, and Berceo

-- The second half of the 19th century also saw the birth of Spanish traditional method sparkling wine—champaña, now known as Cava—at San Sadurní d’Anoia

-- Phylloxera and fungal disease reached Spain in Rioja in the early 20th century

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1930s - Consejos Reguladores established for the major regions of Rioja, Jerez, and Málaga to focus on quality

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-- Spain under dictator rule under Francisco Franco - suppression of economic freedom under Franco hindered winemakers (late 19030s to 1975)

-- Several advances during this time:

1906s - Miguel Torres brought stainless steel and temperature-controlled fermentations to Catalonia

1970s - Denominación de Origen regulations finally approved

-- Enthusiastic young vignerons sought to showcase their Spanish identity through modern technique, looking both forward and backward for inspiration. Today, Spain is a diverse mix of experimental, modern, and traditional winemaking technique, and the country’s wine laws are some of the most adaptable in Europe

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Tiers in Spanish wine:

Denominación de Origen (DO)

Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa)

Vinos de Calidad con Indicación Geográfica (VCIG) = equal to DO and DOCa

Vino de la Tierra (VdlT) = Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) scheme

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DO Pago (Vinos de Pago)

Represent a theoretically superior appellation to the basic DO.

An estate within an existing DO must surpass the basic DO requirements in DO Pago legislation, typically through lowered yields and other measures suggestive of quality winemaking.

In order to apply for DO Pago status, an estate should show international critical praise and a decade's worth of quality production, although some young Pagos have sped through official channels with astonishing speed. Interest in Pagos is notably absent in Spain's top quality appellations, such as Rioja and Ribera del Duero

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A few major regions (Rioja, Ribera del Duero) have adapted more stringent requirements. However,
following label definitions are consistent throughout Spain.

Forward-looking Spain that perceives terms like "Crianza" and "Reserva" as old-fashioned

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Red Wine
Vino Joven less aging than required for Crianza
Crianza 2 years (including 6 months in cask)
Reserva 3 years (including 1 year in cask)
Gran Reserva 5 years (including 18 months in cask)

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White/Rosado Wine
Vino Joven less aging than required for Crianza
Crianza 18 months (including 6 months in cask)
Reserva 2 years (including 6 months in cask)
Gran Reserva 4 years (including 6 months in cask)

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-- Additionally, quality wines may use the following aging terminology:

Noble: 18 months aging in a cask of less than 600 L or bottle
Añejo: 24 months aging in a cask of less than 600 L or bottle
Viejo: 36 months aging, demonstrates marked oxidative character

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North Central Spain

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-- North-Central Spain essentially comprises the three autonomías of:

Navarra
La Rioja
Aragón

-- Sheltered by the Pyrenees Mountains to the NE, which divide France and Spain, and the Cantabrian Mountains to the NW, the region’s highlands are in a rain shadow, and summer temperatures rise further inland.

-- The Ebro River emerges from the western Cantabrian Mountains, and flows on a southeasterly course toward the Mediterranean, passing though the historic Rioja DOCa

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Rioja DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada)

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-- Spain’s premier red wine region

-- Rioja, named NOT after the Ebro but for the Oja, a smaller tributary

-- 1st region for DOC in 1991; has been a viable wine-producing area for over 2000 years

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History and wine style in La Rioja

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-- Christian monks guided viticulture in the Middle Ages

-- The 13th century Benedictine clergyman Gonzalo de Berceo, whose name is commemorated in Berceo’s reserva and gran reserva bottlings, extolled the virtues of Rioja wine in verse.

-- Further decrees protecting the wines’ regional identity were issued by the 17th century, and in the 19th century the style of Rioja wines shifted, subject to French influence.

-- Aging in American oak barrels became a standard, and the red wines started to resemble what is now considered the classic style: soft, with muted red fruit, firm acidity and the unmistakable oak aromas of dill, vanilla and cedar. Today, however, a new spectrum of styles emerges from Rioja, as many producers are emphasizing French oak, more extraction, and riper, darker fruit.

-- A similar dichotomy exists in the region’s white wines: some are produced in a clean, fruity, modern style, whereas others are wood-toned, oxidative and textural. Occasionally, Rioja white wines may be off-dry.

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Red grapes in Rioja

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-- Main grape Tempranillo
(blending partners are Mazuelo (Carignan), Graciano, Garnacha, and Maturana Tinta)
(Maturana Tinta, authorized for Rioja in 2007)

-- Must comprise a minimum 85% of the red Rioja blend, or 95% if destemmed.

-- “Experimental” grapes such as Monastel or Cabernet Sauvignon may make up the remainder

-- Rosado wines require a minimum 25% of red grapes.

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White grapes in Rioja

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-- Main grape Viura
Viura—known elsewhere as Macabéo—is the dominant white grape

-- Followed by Garnacha Blanca, Malvasía Riojano, and Maturana Blanca.

-- Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Verdejo may be used but cannot account for a more than a combined 49% of the blend.

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Oak usage

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-- Rioja casks must be 225 liters—the size of a barrique.

-- All three categories (red, rose, white) require a minimum 6 months in cask.

-- Whereas producers may age white and rosado crianza wines in a non-oxidative environment like stainless steel, reserva wines MUST remain in oak or bottle for the the minimum period of aging

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Rioja follows the path of the Ebro through 3 climatically distinct subzones:

Rioja Alta
Rioja Alavesa
Rioja Baja

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-- Rioja Alavesa: the smallest, northernmost zone (it is located within Basque country) and Tempranillo here often produces vino joven wines for early consumption. Carbonic maceration may be employed for such wines.

-- Rioja Alta: the southwestern zone, and with its slightly warmer climate the zone is capable of producing classic, ageworthy Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano.

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Soil of Rioja

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-- Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa share a similar soil structure, with a high proportion of calcareous clay

-- Whereas Rioja Baja, the hottest subregion, contains more alluvial soils and ferrous clay
(Garnacha performs best in Rioja Baja’s hot climate).

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-- Many producers will source blends from all three subregions to create a base style, combining the freshness of Rioja Alavesa, the extract and alcoholic warmth of Rioja Baja, and the acidity and structure of Rioja Alta.

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-- Others, however, prefer the typicity that results from single region and single vineyard bottlings: staunch traditionalist López de Heredia produces single vineyard wines from estate vineyards such as Bosconia and Tondonia; and Ysios (produces pure Tempranillo from its estate vineyards in the Rioja Alavesa region)

-- Ysios—a modern winery renowned for its avant-garde architectural design—produces pure Tempranillo from its estate vineyards in the Rioja Alavesa region. Architecturally, Ysios is at the forefront of a new movement in spectacular modern bodega design sweeping through Rioja.

-- Marqués de Riscal’s estate now includes an impressive new structure designed by Frank Gehry, famed architect of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and even de Heredia, the oldest winery in Haro, now features a sleek new visitors’ boutique designed by Zaha Hadid.

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Navarra DO

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-- adjacent to the northern and eastern borders of Rioja

-- Like Rioja, Navarra wines gained prominence in the Middle Ages due to clerical support, and the rosados of the region achieved recognition by the 15th century

-- Has long been famous for rosado bottlings; today, however, red wine accounts for approximately 60% of the Navarra’s production, with rosado wines representing only a quarter of the region’s output

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Navarra DO

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-- Major Reds: Garnacha and Tempranillo

-- Major White: Viura

-- Int'l grapes allowed (CS, Chard, PN)

-- White vineyards account for only 6% of vineyard acreage

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Navarra contains 5 subzones

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Valdizarbe (higher altitude)
Baja Montaña and Tierra Estella (in the north)
Ribera Alta (in the center of the zone)
Ribera Baja (in the hot southern sector)

3 estates promoted to DO Pago status:
(Tierra Estella) Señorio de Arínzano and Prado Irache
(Valdizarbe) Bodegas Otazu

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Aragon DO

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-- to the east of Rioja and Navarra

-- 4 DOs:

Campo de Borja
Calatayud
Cariñena
Somontano

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Campo de Borja DO

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-- Hot climate of Navarra’s Ribera Baja and Rioja’s Baja zones extends southward into here

-- Garnacha commands around two-thirds of the vineyard acreage

-- Red/rosado wines: mostly Temp and Garnacha
-- Whites: based on Viura

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Calatayud DO and Cariñena DO (to the south)

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-- Garnacha dominates

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Cariñena DO

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-- (1932) one of Spain’s longstanding delimited zones

-- ancestral home of the Carignan/Mazuelo grape, but today the grape is a secondary player in the region’s blends.

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Somontano DO

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-- “beneath the mountain”

-- Up and coming. Lies in the foothills of the Pyrenees near Catalonia.

-- Local grapes: White Alcañón and Red Parraleta, as well as a larger compliment of Spanish and international varietals

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DOs of La Rioja, Navarra, and Aragón

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Rioja
Navarra
DO Pago Arínzano
DO Pago Prado Irache
DO Pago Otazu
DO Pago Aylés
Campo de Borja
Calatayud
Cariñena
Somontano

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DOs of La Rioja, Navarra, and Aragón

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Rioja
Navarra
DO Pago Arínzano
DO Pago Prado Irache
DO Pago Otazu
DO Pago Aylés
Campo de Borja
Calatayud
Cariñena
Somontano

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Green Spain: Galicia and Basque Country

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-- Galicia borders Portugal in the northwestern corner of the country

-- Green Spain includes 5 autonomías:
Galicia
Asturias
Cantabria
País Vasco (Basque Country) along the northern Costa Verde, or green coast.

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Galicia

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-- Galicia is a verdant region of lush vegetation and dense forests, riddled with rías (estuaries) and small rivers cutting through low mountain ranges.

-- The cooler maritime climate of the region is ideal for the production of crisp, refreshing white wines, and Galicia is emerging as one of Spain’s best areas for such wines.

-- As the moniker of “Green Spain” implies, Galicia is a world removed from the popular conception of an arid Spanish landscape.

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Galicia: 5 DOs

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Rías Baixas
Ribeiro
Valdeorras
Ribeira Sacra
Monterrei

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Albariño

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-- “Rías Baixas Albariño” = will not contain any blending grapes

-- labeled with one of the northern subzones (Val do Salnés or Ribeira do Ulla) = min 70% Albarino

-- Many of the best producers make pure varietal Albariño; wine may undergo MLF and barrica aging, indicated on the bottle

-- Whether oaked or not, classic Albariño wines tend to show stone fruit and citrus flowers, with the suggestion of bubble gum and an undercurrent of minerality

-- About 90% of vineyard acreage is devoted to Albariño

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Red grapes in Rias Baixas

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Caiño
Espadeiro
Mencía

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Rías Baixas DO

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-- (the “low estuaries”)

-- Borders Portugal on the coast

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

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O Rosal

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-- min. 70% combined Albariño and Loureira (favored white grapes in Portugal’s neighboring Vinho Verde)

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Condado do Tea

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-- min. 70% combined Albariño and Treixadura (favored white grapes in Portugal’s neighboring Vinho Verde)

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Ribeiro DO

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-- one of Spain’s oldest recognized wine regions; exports to England dating to the 17th century

-- Located along the Miño River to the east of Rías Baixas

-- Galician varietals—Treixadura is the favored white grape, (gradually replacing the neutral, heavier Palomino)

-- Caiño is preferred for reds

-- Viño Tostado = dried grape wine; a local specialty

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Ribeira Sacra DO

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-- “sacred bank”

-- named for its large concentration of churches, is located further inland and uprive

-- 5 subzones:

Amandi
Chantada
Quiroga-Bibei
Riberas do Sil
Riberas do Miño

-- Steeply terraced slopes recall the better-known regions of the northern Rhône—the Romans also built these terraces, some 2000 years ago.

-- The remote region’s better red and white wines are based on Mencía, Treixadura, and Godello

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Valdeorras DO

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-- Galicia’s easternmost zone

-- Region’s best wines are clean, fruit-driven, high-acid Godello whites; while some pleasant red and rosé wines are produced

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Monterrei DO

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-- most southern DO in Galicia

-- small region with only a handful of wineries

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Asturias and Cantabria do not produce any DO wine

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-- However, the País Vasco has 3 principal DO:

Getariako Txakolina
Bizkaiko Txakolina
Arabako Txakolina

-- All 3 DOs may produce red, white, rosado

-- White wines is dominant; made from the native Ondarrabi Zuri grape

-- The white wines, a perfect compliment to oily seafood, are low in alcohol, high in lemony acidity, and retain a light effervescence.

-- In Getariako alone, Ondarrabi Zuri (Hondarribi Zuri) accounts for 95% of vineyard acreage, with the remaining acreage planted to Ondarrabi Beltza, the preferred local red variety.

-- The rare rosado wines, traditionally known as Ojo de Gallo, are often blends of the two grapes.

-- Txakoli wines should be consumed in their youth.

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DOs of Galicia and Basque Country

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Rías Baixas
Ribeiro
Ribeira Sacra
Valdeorras
Monterrei
Getariako Txakolina
Bizkaiko Txakolina
Arabako Txakolina

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Castilla y León

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-- "Old Castile"; “The land of castles”

-- Spain’s largest autonomía

-- Region generally a continental climate; slightly moderated by its proximity to the Atlantic and Mediterranean but still subject to extreme highs and lows

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Castilla y León terrain

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-- northern part of the Meseta Central—the arid central plateau of Spain—and the mountains that encircle it

-- Duero River flows westward through the center of the region and passes the DOs of Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro, Tierra del Vino de Zamora, and finally Arribes on its path toward Portugal (LOOK AT MAP!!)

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Geography of DOs in relation to another (look at MAP!!)

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-- Arlanza DO is located directly north of Ribera del Duero, with Cigales DO to the west of both appellations.

-- Tierra de León DO and Bierzo DO are located in the mountainous northwestern corner of Castilla y León

-- Bierzo borders Valdeorras in Galicia

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Mencía grape

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-- at home in the valleys of the Sil River and its tributaries in the Bierzo DO

-- the grape comprises a minimum 70% of red wines and 50% of rosé wines, although many of the region’s newer and more serious reds are solely produced from Mencía

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Alvaro Palacios

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-- a marquee name in Priorat, founded Descendientes de José Palacios with his cousin Ricardo Palacios in 1999; achieved instant recognition for Bierzo with their biodynamic “Corullón” bottlings; extracted, pure old vine Mencía wines sourced from mountainside schist soils

-- The project, along with other modern trailblazers such as Dominio de Tares and Pittacum, is commanding top dollar for its wines

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Red grapes

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-- Menica and the local Prieto Picudo

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White grapes

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-- Palomino dominates vineyards

-- Godello and and Doña Blanca show promise

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Tierra de León DO

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-- reds, whites and rosados

-- recently upgraded from Vino de la Tierra in 2007

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Ribera del Duero DO

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-- reds and a small amount of rosados; white wines are NOT allowed

-- Tempranillo (Tinto del País and Tinto Fino) dominates

-- Ribera del Duero did not achieve DO status until 1982

-- When Ribera del Duero received DO status, there were only 9 wineries in the region; today the number of producers is nearer to 300.

-- Other grapes:
Garnarcha
CS
Merlot
early-ripening white Albillo grape, permitted for freshness in the rosado wines

-- Aging requirements different from the rest of Spain, as it is in Rioja:

Crianza (must age for two years prior to release (including one year in cask);

Reserva wines must age for three years prior to release (including one year in cask);

Gran reserva wines must age for 5 years prior to release (a minimum two years in cask and three years in bottle)

-- Vino joven, or young wines: Rosados and red wines that do not fulfill the minimum aging requirement for crianza; most commercial rosados today are vino joven
--

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Ribera del Duero DO

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-- surrounds the towns of Aranda de Duero and Peñafiel in the Duero River Valley

-- considered one of Spain’s top red wine-producing region

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Vega Sicilia

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-- Flagship estate has long been Vega Sicilia, founded in by Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves. In 1864 planted Bordeaux varietals and a little Pinot Noir alongside Tinto del País (Tempranillo) in order to make brandy
-- In 1929, following an ownership change and a transition to estate-bottled table wines, new winemaker Domingo Txomin achieved international acclaim at the Barcelona World’s Fair with his 1917 and 1918 vintages of Único, Vega Sicilia’s benchmark wine.

-- Único, blended from Tinto del País, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot and aged, often for a decade or more in American and French oak barrels, has long commanded extravagantly high prices, even as a simple vino de mesa.

-- Despite its mammoth influence, Vega Sicilia remained the only serious producer in the region until the 1980s, when the wines of Pesquera began achieving critical acclaim

-- Since the mid-1980s, however, quality, investment and interest have skyrocketed in Ribera del Duero

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Cult RdD producers

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Vega Sicilia
Pesquera
Dominio de Pingus
Aalto

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Rueda DO and Verdejo

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-- received its DO before Ribera del Duero (in 1980)

-- The white Verdejo grape, easily prone to oxidation, was rejuvenated by Marqués de Riscal in the 1970s as a fresh, crisp counterpart to their red Rioja.

-- Through careful handling, controlled temperatures and an anaerobic environment, Verdejo could provide delicate, aromatic wines, rather than the oxidative, sherry-style wines of the past.

-- White wines simply labeled “Rueda” now require a minimum 50% of the grape, often blended with Viura.

-- Wines may also be varietally labeled as either Verdejo or Sauvignon Blanc. In line with the European standard, 85% of the stated grape is required for varietal wines.

-- Red wines are dominated by Tempranillo, and rosado wines contain a minimum 50% of red grapes.

-- Espumoso, or sparkling wines, are produced in both rosado and white styles. Brut Espumoso wines require a minimum 85% Verdejo.

-- The occasional dry fortified, oxidized Dorado wine is still encountered, although these wines are a dying style in a region energized by freshness, and are not often encountered outside Spain.

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Toro DO

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-- To the west of Rueda

-- produces red, white and rosado (although its reds are most recognizable)

-- Reds are min. 75% Tinta de Toro (local strain of Tempranillo); however mostly single varietal. Ripens easily in the extremely hot, dry continental summers of Toro

-- Whites are either Verdejo or Malvasia

-- Rosados are saignée blends of Tinto de Toro and Garnacha

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Top producers in Toro DO

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-- Fariña and Numanthia-Termes

-- And the launching of Vega Sicilia’s Bodegas Pintia seems to cement Toro’s newfound success

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Tierra del Vino de Zamora DO

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-- To the west of Toro DO

-- red, white, rosado, and the lighter clarete (rosé) wines from similar grapes

-- Reds min. 75% Tempranillo

-- Alejándro Fernández of Pesquera "the Dehesa la Granja estate"

-- Overall, Toro and Zamora can only continue to benefit from their proximity to Ribera del Duero

-- The river continues its westward path, flowing through Arribes DO at the border. Here, Rufete—reflecting the region’s proximity to Portugal—and several other red grapes join Tempranillo in the appellation's vineyards; white wines are produced from Malvasia, Verdejo, and Albilla

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Cigales DO

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-- NW of Ribera del Duero and North of old capital city of Valladolid

-- Produces red wines from Garnacha Tinta and Tinto del País, at a combined minimum 85%.

-- Particularly noted for its rosado and nuevo (primeur) rosado production.

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Arianza DO

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-- To the east of Cigales and directly north of Ribera del Duero, is one of Spain’s newest DOs, dating to 2007.

-- A small core of wineries produces reds and whites from a complement of Duero Valley and Bordeaux varieties.

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DOs of Castilla y León

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Ribera del Duero
Arlanza
Cigales
Rueda
Toro
Tierra del Vino de Zamora
Arribes
Tierra de León
Bierzo

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Catalonia (Catalunya)

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-- a stone's throw from Roussillon in France, right over the Pyrenees

-- a region with which it shares a common culture and lineage to Roussillon

-- Catalonia and Roussillon split in the 17th century, when the king of Spain ceded Roussillon to France, a political division that has existed to this day

--

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Catalan wines

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-- Reflect its industry, wealth, and modernization:

-- When traditional method sparkling winemaking came to Spain, it debuted in Catalonia

-- When Miguel Torres introduced stainless steel fermentation to Spain in the 1960s, he introduced it in Catalonia

-- When René Barbier (Clos Mogador) sought to create a bold new Spanish red wine in 1979, he planted his grapes in Catalonia.

-- The region of Catalonia exemplifies the modern face of Spanish winemaking and technological innovation

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Priorat DOCa (DOQ in Catalan)

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-- SW of Catalonia

-- Rock-strewn schist soils

-- Mediterranean climate

-- Grapes can ripen to a potential alcohol of 18%

-- The 2nd region in Spain to be promoted to DOCa (the only other is Rioja), Priorat derives its name from Priorato de Scala Dei, a Carthusian monastery (priory) founded on the site of a boy’s vision of angels ascending to heaven

-- Mostly red wine production; some white and rosado

-- Traditional varietals: Garnacha and Cariñena

-- Priorat’s best red wines usually dominated by Garnacha or blended from Spanish and French varietals, and subject to varying shades of French barrique treatment.

-- almost entirely surrounded by the Montsant DO

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Soil in Priorat

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-- Llicorella: a mix of black slate and quartzite, characterizes the best vineyards, requiring vines to dig deeply for water

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Rene Barbier and the beginnings of Priorat wines

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-- In 1979 Barbier, a winemaker for Alvaro Palacios, planted a mix of local and French vines in the llicorella soils of Gratallops, and convinced Palacios and several others to join him. In 1989 they cooperatively produced a first effort—a single red wine bottled under five different labels—and turned the eyes of the wine world towards Priorat

-- -- The five original “Clos” wines of Priorat, commonly acknowledged as Barbier’s Clos Mogador, Palacios' Clos Dofi, Clos Erasmus, Clos de l’Obac, and Clos Martinet, were released as vino de mesa, yet they represented a new pinnacle of quality for the region. After the 1991 vintage, the project split and the wines moved forward in separate production. Today, Clos Mogador, Alvaro Palacios, Clos Erasmus, Costers del Siurana (whose founder Carles Pastrana produced Clos de l’Obac), and Mas Martinet continue to build on their original legacy, alongside others like Vall Llach and Scala Dei

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Vino de Pueblo (2009)

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-- A village category created for estate-grown wines from 12 villages, including Gratallops

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Montsant DO

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-- ring shaped region almost entirely surrounds Priorat DOQ

-- until 2002 a subzone of Tarragona

-- Like Priorat, Garnacha and Cariñena are dominant, and the region seems poised to offer a value alternative as Priorat’s prices continue to rise

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Tarragona DO

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-- much larger than Montsant DO, encompassing a swath of the Catalan coast to the west of Penedès DO

-- Historically, Tarragona wines were generally fortified rancio or mistela, the Spanish version of vin de liqueur

-- Today, much of the vineyard area has been converted to white varieties for Cava, but these old styles are still made in small quantities. Communion wines for Christian churches now represent the most substantial market for Tarragona’s wines

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Terra Alta DO
Conca de Barberá DO
Costers del Segre DO

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-- The Terra Alta DO is to the southwest of Tarragona and the Conca de Barberá DO is adjacent to northern Tarragona. Costers del Segre DO spans several noncontiguous subzones between Tarragona and Somontano: Pallars Jussà, Artesa de Segre, Valls du Riucorb, Segrià, Garrigues, Urgell and Raïmat. Raïmat, the smallest subzone, houses an estate of the same name that was integral to the formation of the zone. With far-reaching foresight, Manuel Raventós purchased arid, infertile land in the region for his Raïmat estate in 1914; over sixty years later, after a transformation of the parched land through canal construction and agricultural restoration, his estate produced its first commercial vintage.

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Penedès DO

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-- NE of Tarragona, along the Catalan coast

-- The land rises steadily from the coast toward the inland Meseta

-- Penedès is divided between 3 distinct altitude zones:

Baix-Penedès
Medio-Penedès
Alt-Penedès

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Penedès DO / Cava

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-- Although Cava has its own DO, 95% of Cava is produced in the region of Penedès, and 4 of Cava’s authorized white grapes—Parellada, Xarel-lo, Macabéo (Macabeu), and Chardonnay—comprise a large majority of the Penedès vineyards

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Alt-Penedès

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-- one of Europe’s highest altitude winegrowing regions

-- perfectly suited to cultivation of the white Parellada grape, one of the principal grapes in the Cava sparkling blend

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Medio-Penedès

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-- Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo) thrives here

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Baix-Penedès

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-- Sturdier Mediterranean red grapes like Garnacha (Garnatxa) and Monastrell are planted here

-- produce high-alcohol red and rosado wines, which have replaced the sweet fortified reds popular in the past—and across the border in Roussillon

-- Although red grapes dominate, two producers—Vega de Ribes and the charity Hospital de Sant Joan Baptista—are perpetuating the Malvasia de Sitges variety, a historical specialty of the region nearly consigned to the dustbin of history.

-- As a sweet fortified wine, Malvasia de Sitges recently received the coveted Slow Food “presidia” status, helping to insure its future survival as a unique product of the region

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Alt-Penedès

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-- the birthplace of Cava, in San Sadurní d’Anoia

-- Here, Jose Raventós of Codorníu introduced método tradicional sparkling winemaking to Spain, in 1872. Today, Codorníu is second in size only to the competing house of Freixenet, the world’s largest producer of sparkling wines

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Cava

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-- the world’s leader in sparkling wine production

-- debuted as champaña, a clear Spanish copy of Champagne

-- has even contributed certain innovations to the houses of Reims and Épernay: the gyropalette originated in Spain, and Champagne has refined its dosage levels to those already in place in the Cava DO

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Cava DO

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-- Cava DO wines may be produced from the following grapes:

Parellada
Xarel-lo
Macabeu
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Garnacha Tinta
Monastrell
Trepat,
Malvasia (Subirat)

-- The recommended grapes Macabeu, Xarel-lo and Parellada provide the traditional blend for the wine;

-- Cava require 9 months on lees for basic bottlings, 15 months for reserva, and 30 months for gran reserva.

-- Only Spanish Denominación de Origen that covers a style, rather than a region. Technically, Spain mapped and delimited the regions of Cava production in order to comply with EU regulations—the region just happened to coincide with the vineyards of many producers throughout Spain who were already making the wine.

-- Today, the better Cava sparklers made from the traditional grapes are slightly earthy and citrus-tinged, whereas Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are better suited to lengthier lees aging and the flavors of autolysis.

-- Bottles of Cava can always be spotted by the mark of a four-pointed star imprinted on the cork

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DOs of Catalonia

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Priorat
Montsant
Tarragona
Penedès
Alella
Empordà
Pla de Bages
Conca de Barberá
Terra Alta
Costers del Segre

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DOs of the Balearic Islands

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Binissalem Mallorca
Pla i Llevant

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Southern Spain

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-- Wine is produced in every autonomía of Southern Spain

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Valencia DO

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-- simultaneously the name of the autonomía, its capital (and Spain’s third largest city) and a DO zone

-- White wine region from the local Merseguera grape and other varieties. Wines can be fairly neutral

-- Birthplace of paella. Known more for this and oranges, than wine

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Alicante DO

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-- Alicante DO is known for dessert wines: a local specialty is Fondillón, a solera-style, oxidative dessert wine produced from overripe Monastrell (Mourvèdre) grapes aged for a minimum of 10 years.

-- Unlike Sherry, the famous solera wine of Andalucía, Fondillón is not fortified and it does carry the flavor of wood

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Utiel-Requena DO

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-- red wines are primarily produced from the Bobal grape and doble pasta is a traditional style

-- Doble Pasta red wines are macerated and fermented with twice the normal amount of grape skins and pulp, resulting in a wine of intense concentration, tannin and color.

-- Often, doble pasta wines are used to strengthen weaker blends, but this traditional role is ebbing away with the rising production of grape concentrate in Utiel-Requena

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Murcia

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-- the southern autonomía in the Levant

-- 3 DO zones: Jumilla, Yecla, and Bullas.

JUMILLA:
The sandy soils of Jumilla resisted phylloxera until the 1980s, nearly one hundred years after the bug entered Spain, resulted in the cultivation of the drought-resistant, thick-skinned Monastrell.

The region’s reds and rosados—white grapes perform less worthily in the desert-like climate of Jumilla—now represent some of Spain’s best values and make up over 95% of the DO’s output.

Garnacha, Petit Verdot, and other grapes may be used for blending, but Monastrell alone occupies over 80% of the region’s vineyards

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La Mancha DO

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-- principal grapes are Cencibel (Tempranillo) and Airén, which thrive in La Mancha’s hot, dry environment—an inhospitable region for fungus and mold

-- Despite being found only in southern Spain, Airén claims more acreage than any other white grape in the world, due to vast tracts of low-density plantings in La Mancha.

The grape is on the decline today, and a significant amount of the vast annual harvest is destined for distillation

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Méntrida DO

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Tierra do Barros

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-- the only producer of Cava in southwestern Spain

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Andalucía

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- look up Sherry