DipWSET Diploma Theory and Tasting—White Wines of Spain

When most folks think of Spain, *probably* the first thing that comes to mind is red wine. But the country actually has a lot of decent still white wine—and no, not all of it is Albariño. In a previous post, I talked about how I compartmentalizing a few of the major red wine producing regions of Spain has been helping me with my WSET Diploma studies. Today, I’m doing the same but with the white wines of Spain. So, once again, let’s start with a little theory:

Describe three major white wine producing regions in Spain, including climate, topography, and typical viticultural practices. What is the main white wine grape of each region? Describe them and explain why they are suited to that particular environment. What are the common winemaking methods used to produce these varieties? Describe the resulting wines in a dry tasting note.

Wine from Spain with Protected Geographical Indication; courtesy winesfoodsfromspain.com
Wine from Spain with Protected Geographical Indication; courtesy foodswinesfromspain.com

Below, I’ve got bullet points that answer those few questions along with my tasting notes from each region. I’ve also slipped in a few Pop Quiz/Trivia questions throughout this post—see if you can answer those as well.

Buena suerte y salud!

(more…)

DipWSET Diploma Theory and Tasting—Red Wines of Spain

Welcome to Spain. One of the more intimidating countries for me to study, if I’m quite honest. But today I am breaking down a few of the major red wine producing regions via tastings. So, let’s start off with a little theory:

Describe the regions of Bierzo, Ribeiro del Duero, Rioja, and Priorat in terms of topography and climatic conditions. Describe the main red wine grape(s) of each region and create a generic dry tasting note for the red wines typical to each region.

Wine Regions of Spain; courtesy foodswinesfromspain.com
Wine Regions of Spain; courtesy foodswinesfromspain.com

Below, I’ve got bullet points that answer those few questions along with my tasting notes from each region. I’ve also slipped in a few Pop Quiz/Trivia questions throughout this post—see if you can answer those as well.

Buena suerte y salud!

(more…)

This Week’s Latest Wine Headlines: January 17—January 22

Hello my friends, happy weekend to you. As you read this, I will be sitting in one of my WSET Diploma classes—hopefully learning lots and having fun. If you’ve missed any of my latest WSET posts, make sure you scroll back through the home page roll—lots of good notes, tasting and test-taking tips, etc.

I’ve got a good list of wine-related newsy items for you today, but I’ll be honest, the best news from my week is the first item on the list.

Enjoy your weekend…Cheers!

(more…)

This Week’s Latest Wine Headlines: January 10—January 15

Happy Weekend, friends. First, if anyone’s had trouble viewing or navigating the site lately, I apologize, I’m currently working out some bugs. Second, hopefully you’ve been keeping up with my latest WSET Diploma posts—there’s been a flurry of them, so make sure to scroll through the past few weeks.

Personally I’ve been keeping very busy (as well as distracted by current events as I’m sure you all are as well). But I’ve still managed to pull together my weekly roundup of wine newsworthy stories. Hopefully there are a few things of interest for you here.

Cheers.

(more…)

WSET Diploma Theory—Tokaj

I have a theory question for you: Tokaj has a solid reputation creating sweet wines from the Aszu grapes. So why are recent trends veering toward dryer wine styles? Describe the grapes and winemaking methods used to produce the dry wines of Tokaj and describe a typical example of a dry Tokaj wine in the form of a tasting note. What are the marketing opportunities for this style of wine for the region?

These are just a few things I was thinking about when I tasted through my first dry Furmint from Hungary. My analysis of the wine follows my Top Tokaj 10.

tokajwineregion.com
tokajwineregion.com

Spoiler alert—this amp goes to 11…

(more…)