before we go to Spain... part I

Here's a little info that might help at the store before June wine club at Laura's.

HOW TO READ SPANISH WINE LABELS (click image to enlarge)

When you are trying to decipher the Name, here are a few helpful hints:

• anejado por ("aged by")
• bodega ("wine cellar")
• criado por ("blended by" and/or "matured by")
• criado y embotellado por ("blended and bottled by")
• elaborado por (as criado por but may also mean "made by")
• embotellado por ("bottled by")
• vina or vinedo (literally "vineyard" but often merely part of a brand name and nothing to do with a specific vineyard)

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When you are browsing for wine at the liquor store, and you don't know the grape well, or you're trying to decide between two similar wines, such as two different Chardonnays, look at the alcohol content as a helpful indicator of body style.

Light body: 7-10.5%; Medium body: 10.5-12.5%; Full body: above 12.5%.

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Knowing the grape varietal will be an even better indicator of style.  Spain plants over 600 different kinds of grapes, but most of their wines come about 20 different grapes, the most common being Tempranillo (red), which is traditionally blended with other grapes, and Albarino (white.)  See blog post, "before we go to Spain... part 2" for a breakdown of grape styles.... coming soon. :)

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In Spain, wineries have three quality levels often indicated on the label, with the amount of body, flavor intensity, and barrel and bottle aging increasing as you go up the ranks:

• Crianza: soft, medium-bodied, a little spicy, good for everyday drinking / house wine 
• Reserva: fuller more complex, more concentrated 
• Gran Reserva: only made in the best years, and traditionally aged for a long time in barrel and bottle. 

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Here are Spain's wine appellations, so you can recognize them on the label: Rioja and Navarrra, Catalonia, Jerez, Cava, Ribera del Duero, La Mancha, Valdepenas, Valencia, Montilla, Bullas, Vinos de Madrid, Campo de Borja, and Chacoli de Bizkaia.

We can learn about the different areas and their nuances at wine club.  I'll bring a map.

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Spain's appellation wine laws control the authenticity of regional styles.  They are divided into two categories, QWPSR and table wine.  These laws control:

• permitted grapes
• boundaries of the growing region
• maximum vineyard yield -this is a form of quality control.  we can talk about it later if you like
• minimum alcohol content - helps ensure the grapes reach a minimum level of ripeness before they are picked.  the sugar in the grapes is what turns to alcohol.
• viticulture - controls some vineyard practices
• vinification - controls some winery practices, like minimum aging requirements 

Here is Spain's complete appellation hierarchy, from highest regard to lowest: 
But first, a caveat: appellation laws help regulate style and maintain a general standard of quality for wines from each appellation.  Wines that are not made in the traditional style can still be excellent (see: Italian supertuscans), so don't be dissuaded from trying a wine seemingly low by the above aging or the below quality standards.  Do feel confident when you're buying a Gran Reserva with DOCa status, but don't limit yourself.  :)

[list from wikipedia]

• Quality Wines Produced in a Specified Region (QWPSR)

(Vino de Calidad Producido en Región Determinada (VCPRD) in Spanish)

·       Denominación de Origen de Pago (DO de Pago): these wine regions aspire to the very highest standards with extremely strict geographical criteria, centering on individual single-estates with an international reputation. There are currently only 9 estates with this status: 6 in Castile-La Mancha and 3 in Navarre.

·       Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) (Denominació d'Origen Qualificada (DOQ) in Catalan): regions with a proven track record of consistent quality. There are only 2 wine regions with this status: Rioja and Priorat.

·       Denominación de Origen (DO) (Denominació d'Origen in Catalan, Denominación de Orixe in Galician and Jatorrizko Deitura in Basque): mainstream quality-wine regions. There are 66 wine regions with this status.

Note: every current DO and DOCa possess its own stamp, which usually appears somewhere on the label, offering a guarantee of authenticity.  It looks like this:

·        Vino de Calidad con Indicación Geográfica. A 'starter home' for wine regions climbing the quality ladder. There are 2 wine regions with this status.

• Table Wine (Vino de Mesa in Spanish)

·       Vino de la Tierra (VdlT) "Country wines" which do not have EU QWPSR status but which may use a regional name. There are currently 46 Vino de la Tierra regions in Spain.

·       Vino de Mesa (Table Wine) is bulk-grown, usually drawn from a wide variety of regions and hence has no vintage or area designation on the label, apart from "Produce of Spain". Production of this low grade of Spanish wine is falling year on year.

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stay tuned for Part 2, where I will introduce Spain's grapes.