Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
45 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
RED SPANISH GRAPES Tempranillo |
spains premier black grape variety thick skinned, low in acid - prefers to grow where summer temps are regulated by sea or altitude fresh strawberry scented key role in age worthy oak blends grenache, graciano, mazuelo (traditional) or cab sav |
|
|
garnacha tinta |
high alc often matures early but there is exceptions used on rosados important in priorat (low yield old vines) |
|
|
monastrell (mouvedre) |
thick skin variety, drought tolerant needs hot sunny condition to ripen grows in south east DOs Yelca, Jumilla here it can easily reach full ripeness and produce dark powerful spicy wines, high level of tannin and alcohol, med - acidity catalan, used for cava, some fortified also |
|
|
OTHER REDS graciano where is it used and what structure characteristics? |
on the rise in rioja used in finest wines small quantities used to add powerful black fruit aromas, acidity and tannin to help structure and age. |
|
|
carinena (carnigan or manzelo in rioja) character and blends with what? |
wines high in acidity tannin and colour, small proportion makes an ideal blend with tempranillo |
|
|
mencia climates it suites? and flavour profile |
cooler gives fresh fruit to med high acid, sometimes hint of herbaceousness |
|
|
WHITE verdejo winemaking technique, style of wine produced? |
is a white grape variety, that is high susceptible to oxidation, was used to make sherry style wines, with anaerobic winemaking it can be made in either a light bodied crisp melon and peach flavour style or a richer fuller bodied style when it has undergone skin contact and barrel fermentation |
|
|
albarino where grown? grape characteristic style of wine it produces? |
is grown in the northwest of spain and has become partially fashionable grape variety, thick skinned able to reduce fungal disease aromatic, intense peach or apricot fruit balanced by naturally high acidity, can be made in a rich full bodied style |
|
|
OTHER Arien where planted and was is it used for? |
widely planted in spain vast majority in la mancha, one of the few varieties able to cope with extreme heat and drought conditions of the MESETA arien can be made into acceptable dry white, much is used in brandy jerez. |
|
|
mainstay of cava where planted? |
PARRALADA; XAREL-LO and MACABEO are widely planted in catalunya
|
|
|
macabeo (viura in rioja) what types of wines does it lend itself to? |
macabeo is known as viura in rioja and maccabeo in france. it can be made into a crisp white with a subtle herb and spice aroma altho traditionally it was mainstay of heavily oaked white riojas |
|
|
international varieties |
cab sauv, merlot, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay |
|
|
whats the dominant geographical feature of spain? name, reach, altitude range, how many zones? |
central plateau called the Meseta, in most instances it reaches to within 48 KM if the coast leaving a narrow coastal plain ranges in altitude from 600 to 1000m surrounded in mountain ranges has 3 broad climatic zones |
|
|
galacian north west coast climate dminating feature rainfall summer temp? winters |
maritime, dominated by atlantic weather systems rainfall excess of 1500ml more in mountains summer temp averages 24 winters mild |
|
|
east coast from catalunya down to levante south climate? summers and winters? moderated by what? |
mediteranian warm summers mild winters moderated by the sea or altitude climate becomes hotter further south |
|
|
MESETA main climate winter temp summer temp rainfall moderating influences |
MESETA is cut off from the sea and has a continental climate in winter temps are below freezing and in summer more than 30 degrees rainfall is low as 300 altho summer can be moderated by maritime infleunece around the edge of the zone or by the cool nights of high altitude. |
|
|
main viticultural difficulties of spain, and pros? |
heat, drought stress on vine no fungal disease |
|
|
how does spain counter this problem with what kind of vineards? |
low density bush trained vineards maximises water available to each vine and shades the fruit from excessive heat |
|
|
recent improvements? in last 20 years |
from a global perspective yields remain low however, irrigation is now legal which has seen yields on the rise since 1996. wire training is slowly being introduced, to enable machine harvesting. harvesting in the night, care not to damage fruit. introduction of steel and temp. control is introducing a fresh fruitier style, combined with less oak. |
|
|
6 regions? |
upper ebro, catalunya, duero valley, north west, levante, castillo la mancha |
|
|
the upper ebro where it flows, whats along the route? |
cut a wide valley plain through the mountains of north east spain, from its source in the cantabrian mountains to the mediterranean. vineards along much of the length of the river ebro, includes best known spanish wine of all rioja |
|
|
RIOJA DOCA first wine to achieve DOC status principal city is logronio, used as a reference point. rioja alavesa soil and climate |
rioja alavesa west of logronio on the north bank of the ebro, vineards are planted upto 800m into the foothills of the cantabrian mountains. soil is chalky, and the wines are the lightest in rioja but have most finesse. |
|
|
rioja alta
soil and climate |
rioja alta to the west of logrono, but lies mainly to the south of the ebro, vineards are planted at a range of altitudes from 500 to 800m. soils are limestone clay, many are reddish with high proportion of iron. both alavesa and alta share a similar climate that does not experience the continental extremes (of the other DOs due to Atlantic infleuences) The cantabrian mountains protect rioja The rainfall is 500 here compared with 1500 on the coast. but mountains are at their lowest point on the north of rioja where the climate is moderated by atlantic winds. |
|
|
rioja Baja
soil and climate, grapes |
rioja Baja situated to the east of logrono mainly on the south bank, here the climate becomes increasingly continental. hotter summers, more severe winters, soils largely heavy clay, annual rainfall as low as 300 DROUGHT is an issue. Granacha tinta, wines tend to have less ageing potential than those of the alta, and the alvessa warmer growing season of the baja is particularly suited to graciano which can have problems achieving ripeness in other parts of rioja |
|
|
GRAPES the uper ebro rioja DOCa red rose white navarra DO red rose carinena red calatayud red |
rioja DOCa
red, rose: Tempranillo/Garnacha/Mazuelo/Graciano white: viura, malvasia, garnacha blanca navarra DO red: tempranillo/Garnacha/CabSav/Merlot rose: Garnacha carinena red: Garnacha/Tempranillo calatayud red: Garnacha/Tempranillo |
|
|
rioja DOCa |
small region of growers, sell to merchants or coops. vineards are planted with bush vines. wire training is now permitted to grow now faciliting machine harvesting, rioja has black varieties 75%/15% is rose tempranillo is most popular it does best in western cooler regions and forms the heart of most blends. it benefits from the high alc of grenache which ripens fully in the Baja. grenache on its own in rose only. In 2007 sauv, chard and verdejo was approved but plantings are modest traditional riojas were defined by maturation and blending from all regions, involved long oxidative ageing in old re used oak, gave structure and texture but little fruit. 1970 a new rioja began to emerge, longer masceration times followed by shorter oak. some produces are now turning to french ok instead of the more traditional american, gives a more deep coloured tannic wine with more primary fruit, vanilla toast cloves and smoke. |
|
|
navarra DO |
forward thinking region, historically known for oxidised roses garnacha. switched over to reds now. stretches from north to eastern borders of rioja to the foothills of the pyrenees. climate similar to rioja baja. in the foothills are cooler and wetter. tempranilllo is king. some excellent bagel fermented viura and chardonnay also |
|
|
carinena (the place) and calatayud |
neighbouring DOs south of ebro, both wam continental climate, low rainfall. vineards spread from ebro plain to mountains of sistema iberico and can offer growers variety of micro climates. Garnacha is the main variety in both regions. mainly inexpensive or mid priced. made in a traditional soft savoury style. |
|
|
somontano UPPER EBRO |
situated north of the ebro, spread from the plain right into the foothills of the pyrenees. offers growers a mix of microclimates, but its not as hot as some other DOs of the upper ebro due to the cool air coming off the pyrenees. water is less of a problem due to higher rainfall levels and mountain streams. |
|
|
CATALUNYA fiercely indipendant, generic do that covers the whole region. catalunya nearly all cava is made here penedes DO climate regions and grapes, |
stretch mediterranean coast to the hills, 3 distinct climate zones, so it can produce a range of styles, hottest being coastal where the climate is mediterranean. hot dry summers producing full bodied reds from grenache, and monastrell. inland the climate is temperate, vineards supplying much of the white wine used for the production of cava. further into the hills, vines are grown upto 800m above sea level, here the climate is cool and international varieties such as riesling gewurtztramminer chard and sauv blanc, few whites see ageing in the cask, for reds: grenache and monastrell are out and tempranillo cab sauv and cab franc merlot and pinot noir. allowing french varietals has increased quality of the game |
|
|
catalunya priorat DOC |
vineards of priorat which is in the hills, have undergone a transformation in the last 20years, changing from an anonymous backwater to one of the only doQ (docA) couple of pioneers took the world by storm and commanded high prices and flooded the zone. after it was abandoned due to steep slopes and lack of investment. the best soils are known as licorella, layers of red slate with particles of mica that sparkle in the sun. they help ripening by retaining warmth. and they are also very low in nutrients, but because of their depth they are able to retain sufficient water throughout the growing season. the best steeply sloped often terraced vineards have perfect exposures, and benefit from cool night time temps thanks to 500-700 altitude. the ancient grenache and carinena they found produce low yields of concentrated fruit. white ad rose is rarely seen |
|
|
grapes catalunya DO penedes DO Priorat DOC |
catalunya DO white: parrelada/macabeo/Xarel-lo/ international red: tempranillo/cab sauv/international penedes DO white: chard/riesling/Sauv BL/other local & intern red: tempranillo/cab sauv/pinot noir/ intern Priorat DOC RED: Grenache, carinena, cab sauv, and others |
|
|
ALSO CATALUNYA Costers del Segre |
lies inland, close to the town of Lieda, a subsidiary of a cava company has invested heavily in a winery here and dominates production. climate is continental and rainfall is low. irrigation is used, main plantings cab sauv tempranillo and chardonnay. |
|
|
the duero valley the river duero rises in the system iberico, and flows through spain, into portugal, where it is called the douro. altho the river is better known for its association with port the spanish DOs that fellow its course have big rep RIBERA DEL DUERO |
cut off from any maritime infleuence, by a ring of mountains, the vineards of this region are situated on the highest part of the metesa, with some vineards planted as high as 850meters. altitude here mitigates the continental climate. by ensuring cool night time throughout the year, this mix of hot and cold gives tempranillo a chance to shine, region is dominated with fine wine production thanks to vega sicilia, DO for red and rose only. dominent is tempranillo and single grape wines dominate, some grenache and its made into rose. tho cab sav malbec and merlot are permitted thanks to vega who plant these historically. high sunlight and wide durinal range meanthat the tempranillo ripen with high levels of pigment from skin, and acidity and fruit aromas are retained throughout the ripening process. clone of temp here, tinto fino, more thick skinned so as a result darker colour more powerful and astringent tannins than rioja. dark fruit plum, long macerations, ageing in short times in new oak french barrels instead of american. different to vega who ages for years in old oak vats and barrels. |
|
|
toro |
undergoing a similar revolution as the ribera del duero similar climate and red wine production is dominated by a thick skinned clone, of temp, known as tinto de toro. rose and whites ae made but in small quantities, the reds are full bodied and powerful, noticeably high in alc, because of the sun and grapes being harvested at the advanced stag of ripeness. in the vino joven, there is generally a proportion of garnacha reserves and grans can be exceptionally deeply coloured and tannic when young, and have the ability to age well |
|
|
rueda |
between toto and ribera del duero, rueda differs from these other two DOs as it focuses on white production, historically rueda made sherry style vinos generosos which are still made but its a niche market, ad in decline. in 1972 a company started using anareobic techniques to make light fruity whites, chalky soil in the region and continental climate, cool summer nights attracted them. verdejo produces elegant wines, aromatic, restrained acidity, sauv blanc is also made and labelled as a varietal wine, blended whites must contain 50%verdejo 2 ways simple fruity and refreshing drunk young. and fuller bodied richer textured more complex wines that have undergone skin contact and barrels fermentation. |
|
|
GRAPES the duero valleytoro rueda ribiero del duero |
toro - tempranillo
rueda - white verdejo, sauv blanc ribiero del duero - tempranillo |
|
|
northwestern spain due to the atlantic influence, the north west of spanning is cooler and wetter than the rest of spain, and as a result, this is the home of many of spains best white wines, most celebrated of all is albariño from rias bixas (albarino) |
this DO is spread over 5 geographically separate sub zones that stretch along 48k of the galician coast, and the river valleys of its immediate hinterland. humid conditions mean no bush training and vintage variation, traditionaly pergolas, but nowadays more up to date big vine training systems, the dominant variety is albarinho. the best vines here are made with only this grape altho it can be blended. each sub zone allowing different proportions of the 5 other permitted varieties. red is permitted but is a minority. gentle handling and and temp control of modern winemaking has allowed the emergence of delicate varietal fruit character of albariño. high acid refreshing , drink young. some are richer in style. occasional oak, popular and expensive |
|
|
bizero (mencia) |
predominantly red wine lies in the mountains that mark the boundary between galicia and the MESETA. consequently it has a climate that features from both areas, warmer than galicia it benefits from cool mountain influence. mencia, used to make weak wines but similar to what happened in priorat, young pioneers took advantage of old vines growing on steep schist slopes and used better vineyard practices to create wines of more aromatic fruity, concentrated and with high acidity. |
|
|
THE LEVANTE region on the mediterranean coast, south of catalyuna, trade is cerntered around the port of valencia, its a distribution hub for wines of la mancha and levante. VALENCIA local red and white JUMILLA monastrell (red) YECLA monastrell (red) |
Valencia used to be a exporter of bulk red white and rose of little reputation, the consejo regulador encouraging producers to replant with tempranillo, muscat of alexandria makes moscatel de valencia highly perfumed white sweet wine, fortified after little or no fermentation |
|
|
jumilia and yecla |
located further inland, its had a dramatic change of image monastrell dominated, the wines are full bodied. carbonic masceration manages the tannins. more fruit driven wine style. |
|
|
CASTILLA LA MANCHA |
almost half of spains total production comes from the vast central stretch of the metesa that lies south of madrid, this part of spain endures the most extreme continental climate, summer highs can get up to 40 and winters can fall below freezing, wind makes matters worse. as there is no maritime influence at all, annual rainfall can be as low as 300ml which means drought is a worry. low density bush trained vineards remain the norm . |
|
|
la mancha |
Largest DO in spain and home to the largest planted grape variety Arien, found in few other places in the world. arien, now in decline because the consajo regulator is convincing people to plant tempranillo, known locally as censible, and the internationals. low quality produced for local consumption or brandy, inexpensive well made whites for the export market. also where top quality pagos began. and still home to the majority. of venous de pago |
|
|
CASTILLA LA MANCHA grapes |
LA mancha DO white arien red tempranillo, cab sauv, syrah, valpenadas tempranillo vinos de pago not exclusive to castilla various local and international varieties (most expensive of all in this group) |
|
|
valpenedas |
lies immediately to the south of la mancha it experiences an identical climate to la mancha but more quality here soft rich fruity reds from temp with oak and vanilla arien remains most widely planted |
