Saturday, July 18, 2015

Spain Unit 2 - Green Spain: Galicia and Basque Country


Galacia Vines
The following are my notes for the Advanced Study of the Wines of Spain covering Green Spain: Galicia and the Basque Country. The notes include information about the history, topography, climate, soils, important red and white grapes, the various Denominación de Origen (DO) of the region and the wines I tasted during this study.



Geography




Green Spain (España Verde) is located just north of the Portugal border along the northwest Atlantic coast in Galicia, north of the Cantabrian and Basque mountains, along the Bay of Biscay. The capital of Galicia is Santiago de Compostela. This region includes Asturias, Cantabria, and the northern half of the Basque Country and Navarre all the way from Galicia through the French border. The topography is known for its heavily forested mountain valleys, rias (estuaries) from the west coast and slow-moving rivers with terraced vineyards, winding mountain roads, and remote villages.



Climate



While much of the rest of Spain is dry, hot and arid this region is called “green” because of its wet and temperate Maritime climate caused by the Atlantic influences that create a landscape similar to that of Ireland, Great Britain, and the west coast of France. The region receives more rain than the rest of Spain and the inland regions of central Europe with an average precipitation of about 1,200 mm. The main exception to this northerly rainfall trend is the Sierra de Grazalema, in the southern province of Cadiz, which experiences a rain shadow affect as the mountains block the Atlantic moisture-carrying winds.



The sheltering fortification of the Cantabrian Mountains or Cantabrian Range (Spanish: Cordillera Cantábrica) stretch east-west, nearly parallel to the sea, as far as the pass of Leitariegos, extending south between León and Galicia to the Pyrenees. The regions of Ribeiro, Ribera Sacra, Valdeorras, and Bierzo experience pockets of protection from the cold and often wet coastal influences. Rías Baixas on the other hand experiences the full force of Atlantic weather. The result is Western Green Spain regions tend to produce high–acid white wines from relatively under ripe grapes, while sites in the Pyrenees generate shockingly bracing white wines under the rubric of Txakoli.



History



The name Galicia is a cognate of Gaul (France) and its earliest settlers were the same Celtic peoples who colonized most of the prehistoric European west coast well before the birth of Christ.[1] The result is Green Spain is one of the least “Spanish” parts of the country as the Galicians and Basques left behind a non-Castilian culture.[2] But, the Celts had no written language so modern Galicians speak Gallego, a dialect related to Portuguese.



The region was then occupied by the Romans, Swabians (a Germanic people), Visigoths and the non-wine drinking Islamic Moors. Then in the 9th century the region was assimilated into the Kingdom of Asturias and the remains of St. James were discovered in Santiago de Compostela (Pilgrim’s Road). Subsequently through the 10th and 11th centuries it became a tourist destination for Christian pilgrims.



In 1492 Galicia became part of Greater Spain and the Moors were expelled. In the 18th century the port city of La Coruna was licensed to trade with the American colonies, which brought prosperity to the region.




Autonomias of Green Spain
Within Green Spain there are four autonomías:
Galicia
Portugal in the northwestern corner of the country. It 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. As the nickname “Green Spain” implies, Galicia is a world removed from the popular conception of an arid Spanish landscape.
Asturias
This autonomía produces wine but there are no DO, VdiT or VC classified wines.
Cantabria
This autonomía produces wine but there are no DO, VdiT or VC classified wines.



Denominación de Origen (DO) of Galicia
Within Galicia there are five DOs:[3]
Rías Baixas DO
Established as a DO in 1988. Rías Baixas, pronounced (ree-ahs buy-shuss), is Galician for “ “lower estuaries” and it borders Portugal along the coast. The dominate white grape is Albariño which makes up 90% of the vineyard acreage. A wine labeled “Rías Baixas Albariño” will be 100% Albariño. There are 5 subzones: Val do Salnés, Ribeira do Ulla, Soutomaior, O Rosal, and Condado do Tea. If the wine is labeled with one of the northern subzones (Val do Salnés or Ribeira do Ulla) it must contain a minimum 70% Albariño and if it is from the southern subzones of O Rosal and Condado do Tea the remaining 30% may be either Loureira or Treixadura (also used in Portugal’s Vinho Verde). Some producers subject Albariño to malolactic fermentation and barrica aging which is indicated on the bottle. The remaining 10% of production is dedicated to red wines made from grapes such as Caiño, Espadeiro and Mencía.
Ribeiro DO
Established as a DO in 1957.  It is located along the Miño River to the east of Rías Baixas. It has a transitional climate zone between Maritime and Mediterranean. About 80% of wine production is devoted to white wines, the dominant varietal is Treixadura. Ohers include Albariño, Godello, Torrontés, Loureira, Macabeo and Albillo. Authorized red varietals include Caiño, Ferrón, Sousón, Brancellao, Mencía, Garnacha and Tempranillo. From the Middle Ages up to the 18th century the region was renowned for its sweet wines, known as Viño Tostado, which were produced from sun-dried grapes known as Ribadavia. These wines were consumed by the pilgrims passing through the area on their way to Santiago and were exported to England as far back as the 17th century making it one of the oldest wine producing regions in Spain.
Ribeira Sacra DO
Established as a DO in 1997. The name Ribeira Sacra means “sacred bank” or “sacred shore” and is named for the 18 monasteries and hermitages that were founded in the early Middle Ages between the 8th and 12th centuries located further inland and upriver. Ribeira Sacra has 5 sub-regions: Amandi, Chantada, Quiroga-Bibei, Riberas do Sil and Riberas do Miño. The vineyards are planted on terraces (known as bancadas) on the steep slopes of the valleys and canyons of the rivers Miño and Sil. The Romans built the original terraces around 2000 years ago. The 3 dominant white varietals include Albariño, Treixadura and Godello. Other authorized white varieties include Loureira, Torrontés and Dona Branca. The dominant red varietal is Mencía followed by Grand Boir, Brancellao and Merenzao.
Monterrei DO
Established as a DO in 1996. The name Monterrei means “King of the Mountain”. It is located in the province of Orense just across the Portuguese border and is the southernmost DO in Galicia. The Atlantic influence is not as strong here and summer temperatures are the highest of the region, which enables the production of both white and red wines. Most of the vineyards are located on the slopes lining the River Támega. The dominant white grape has been Doña Blanca, but more impressive white wines are made from Godello or Treixadura grapes. The dominant red varietals are Mencía and Bastardo (also known as Trousseau or Trousseau Noir and it originates from eastern France and it mostly found today in Portugal) but there has been an increase planting of Tempranillo.
Valdeorras DO
Established as a DO in 1957. It is the easternmost DO in Galicia located around 150 km (31 miles) from the coast, consequently it has the most continental climate of all the DOs of Galicia. It is made up of three towns: A Rúa, Villamartín and O Barco. The River Sil, which flows from east to west through the DO, is the dominant feature on the landscape. The principal white grape is Godello and red and rosé wines are made from Mencía.



Country Wines of Galicia
(Provinces are in brackets)
Betanzos VC (La Coruña)
Approximately 114 ha (281 acres) are planted on alluvial clay around the town of Betanzos, mostly on the slopes of the Mandeo River Valley about 30 km (19 miles) southeast of the city of Coruña. There are around 40 bodegas and one co-op that produce around 2,000 hectoliters (52,834 gallons) of wine per year. Traditionally the focus has been on light red wines made from Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante), but recent trends have been towards white wines made from Palomino and Albariño.[4]
Ribeiro do Ulla VC (La Coruña)
Approximately 600 ha (1482 acres) in the Ulla River Valley located about 15 km (9 miles) southeast of Santiago de Compostela. The center of production is Boqueixón and most of the vineyards are planted to hybrid vines. However, Palomino and Albariño is also used for making white wines and Albarello and Caiño Tinto are used for making red wines.[5]
Val do Minho VdiT (Ourense)
Now part of Ribeira Sacra DO.
O Bolo VC (Ourense)
Now part of Valdeorras DO.



The Basque Country




The Basque Country (Pais Vasco in Spanish) is an Autonomous Community in northern Spain located on the Spain’s border with France along the Pyrenees Mountains with hundreds of miles of coastline on the Bay of Biscay. It is divided into three provinces - Álava, Guipuzcoa and Vizcaya. The Basque people have a unique sub-culture and unique language. The region has a long history of winemaking as vineyards have been there since the Iberian Peninsula was part of the Roman Empire. Most of the wines produced in the region are light, fresh, white wines, that pair well with the traditional fish and seafood dishes in the Basque cuisine.



Denominación de Origen (DO) of Basque Country (País Vasco)
Approximately 80%-95% of plantings in the Basque Country is Hondarribi Zuri which produces pale crisp, light wine (9.5-11.5˚) with subtle notes green apple, herbs and sometimes a little spritz. Others white grapes include Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng and Petit Corbu. The principal red grape is Hondarribi Beltza. The rare rosado wines, traditionally known as Ojo de Gallo (eye of the rooster), are often blends of the two grapes. Within the Basque Country there are three DOs which are: [6]
Chacolí de Álava DO (Spanish)
Arabako Txakolina DO (Basque)
Established as a DO in 2002. It is located around the towns of Amurrio, Llodio, Artziniega, Okondo and Aiara in the province of Alava, Basque Country. It has about 70 hectares under vine.
Chacolí de Getaria DO (Spanish)
Getariako Txakolina DO (Basque)
Established as a DO in 1990. It is located around the towns of Getaria and Zarautz, small fishing towns on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, in the province of Guipuzcoa, Basque Country. A small amount of grapes are also grown around the town of Aia. It has about 400 hectares under vine which are planted on planted on native Vitis Vinifera American rootstock because the phylloxera virus has never affected this region.[7]
Chacolí de Vizcaya DO (Spanish)
Bizaiko Txakolina DO (Basque)
Established as a DO in 1994. It is located in the province of Bizkaia, Basque Country. It has about 276 hectares under vine, which were replanted on American rootstock in the 19th Century when they were devastated by the phylloxera virus. Today there are 69 wineries (bodegas) registered with the DO.[8]



The Wines

While studying Green Spain I tasted the following wines:



2013 Condes De Albarei, Albariño




The wine is made from 100% Albariño. It is a clear pale straw-yellow wine with a slight tint of green around the rim and moderate viscosity. On the nose it is clean with moderate intense aromas of lemon pith, peach skin, chive, and crushed clamshells. On the palate the nose is confirmed, it has high acidity, medium- body and a medium+ length finish. It is well balanced and refreshing, for only $17.99 at BevMo it makes a nice summer wine.



2013 Bodegas Aizpurua “Aizpurua B” Getariako Txakolina




The wine is made from 100% Hondarrabi zuri. It is a clear very pale straw colored wine with a slight tint of green around the rim and low viscosity. On the nose it is clean with subtle aromas of lime, melon rind, and a hint of salty sea breeze. On the palate it has flavors of tart under ripe lemons, lime, asparagus water with a slight salty minerality. The wine is dry with high acidity, light body and a medium length finish. It is a fairly neutral wine yet refreshing, it needs to be paired with light dishes in which the food and not the wine is the star of the show. The wine sells for only $17.99 at K&L in Redwood City, CA



2011 Valdesil “Pezas de Portela” Godello, Valdeorras DO




It is a clear white wine, golden-yellow, youthful, day bright with moderate viscosity. On the nose it has medium intense aromas of dried apples, peaches, honeycomb, wet autumn leaves with a hint of nuttiness and baking spices. On the palate the wine is dry, rich and bold with medium+ acidity, medium weight and a long finish with lingering spicy notes. This wine sells for $34.99 at K&L in Redwood City, CA and is a superb alternative summer wine to the ocean of California Chardonnay on the market.


2014 Vina Godeval Cepas Vellas Godello – Valdeorras, Spain

The wine is made from 100% Godello. It is a clear white wine, pale straw in color with moderate viscosity. On the nose it is clean with medium+ intense aromas of peach skin, lemon zest, melon and salty sea breeze. On the palate it dry, somewhat tart and very crisp with high acidity, medium- body and a long finish. This wine sells for $19.99 at the Spanish Table in Berkeley, CA.



2013 Algueira Mencia Joven, Ribera Sacra DO




This wine is made from 100% Mencia. It is an opaque red wine, dark purple at the core violet at the rim with slight rim variation and medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean with medium+ intense aromas of black plums, black cherry, freshly cracked black pepper, lavender, with a touch of anise. One the palate it is dry with soft refined moderate tannins, medium+  acidity, medium bodied and a long finish. The wine is very “old world” and seems like a softer, lower alcohol (12.5%) Rhone blend. This wine sells for $16.99 at K&L in Redwood City, CA



2012 Valdesil “Valdeorras” Mencia, Valdeorras DO




This wine is made from 100% Mencia. It is an opaque red wine, dark purple at the core violet at the rim with slight rim variation and medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean with moderate intense aromas of black cherries, blackberries, violets with minor notes of black licorice, a hint of black pepper and a touch of smoke. On the palate it is dry yet fruit forward with moderate tannins, medium+ acidity, it is medium bodied and medium length finish. This wine is similar to the previous wine but with far less peppery notes. This wine sells for $14.99 at K&L in Redwood City, CA



[1] John Radford, The New Spain: A Complete Guide to Spanish Wine (Mitchell Beazley; 2nd edition, 2006), 26.
[2] John Radford, The New Spain: A Complete Guide to Spanish Wine (Mitchell Beazley; 2nd edition, 2006), 24.
[3] Much of the following information was taken from
[4] John Radford, The New Spain: A Complete Guide to Spanish Wine (Mitchell Beazley; 2nd edition, 2006), 45.
[5] John Radford, The New Spain: A Complete Guide to Spanish Wine (Mitchell Beazley; 2nd edition, 2006), 45.
[6] Much of the following information was taken from

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