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Terms
In addition to being familiar
with the above
regions, there are also a few terms specific to Spanish wine you
should know.
First, you’ll likely see a “D.O.” somewhere on the
label; it stands for Denominacion de Origen, and is Spain’s guarantee
of
quality. Wines that have DO on the label have been subject to approval from
the
government, from the vineyard to the final
bottle.
Next, you’ll need to know
the aging
terms. Almost all Spanish wines are ready to drink upon
release; that
is because most of the better wines are aged at the
winery, in both barrel and
bottle. So, it is not uncommon to see a “new release” of a wine that has a
vintage date of five years ago. Here are the
terms:
Joven
– wines that are “young”, and not required to spend any time aging in
casks before
release. These are inexpensive wines and ones that you’ll
probably want to stay away
from.
Crianza
– the red wines spend a year in
oak, and then another two years in bottle or
tank, before
release. White wines must be aged for a total of at least one year
to be labeled Crianza. Both red and white Crianzas are the most easy to
find,
and there are many good values in this
category.
Reserva
– strong vintages will usually move a winery to age a wine a bit
longer; for
red Reservas, it is at least one year in oak and two more years in bottle before
release. White and rose reservas
spend at least six months in oak and a total of two years aging
(likely will
include a year and a half of bottle
aging).
Gran Reserva
– only produced in the very best
vintages, red Gran Reserva wines are aged for
at least two years in
oak, and then three more years in
bottle. White and rose
reservas require at least six months in
oak, and four years’ aging total.
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ACIDEZ
:
ACIDITY
:
Sounds
nasty
but
is
a
cumpliment.
Acidity
is
what
gives
wine
that
mouth-tingling
juicy
feel.
Wines
made
from
the
Sauvignon
grape
tend
to
be
high
in
acidity.
AROMA
:
BOUQUET
:
A
much
used
wine
word
which
simply
means
what
a
wine
smells
like.
Also
referred
to
as
its
nose.
LIMPIO
:
CLEAN
:
Clean
seems
an
odd
word
to
use
on
wine
you
wouldn´t
expect
it
to
be
dirty.
In
wine
speak
it
tends
to
mean
a
dry
fresh
white
or
rose.
COMPLEJO
:
COMPLEX
:
A
wine
of
character
rether
than
with
a
simple
uncomplicated
flavour
FRESCO:
CRISP
:
Generally
used
for
very
dry
whites
or
rose
to
describe
the
clean,
slightly
sharp
(trough
not
sour)
sensation
when
you
drink
it.
FLORES
:
FLOWERY
:
Not
literally
flowery.
Often
used
to
describe
very
full
fragant
wines.
Think
RUEDA
or
ARRIBES
wines.
AFRUTADO
:
FRUITY
:
The
word
that´s
most
used
of
wine.
Wines
can
be
fruity
in
all
kinds
of
ways,
thoug
funnily
anoughseldom
actually
grapey.
Whites
can
be
lemoy
or
gooseberryish
(Sauvignon,
Verdejo)
while
reds
can
be
blackcurranty
(Cabernet
Sauvignon,
Tempranillo)
raspberryish
or
plummy
(Merlot),
or
simply
described
as
berrysh.
Other
fruits
may
come
to
mind
when
tasting
a
wine
and
are
equally
as
valid.
PLENO
:
FULL
:
Means
the
wine
is
going
to
be
quite
strong
tasting
LARGO
:
LONG
:
Good
wines
are
long
in
the
mouth
that
means
the
taste
lingers
on
after
you
have
swallowed
leaving
a
pleasant
rether
than
harsh
after.
MADERA(ROBLE)
:
OAKY
:
Many
wines
both
red
and
white
are
put
in
oak
casks
to
age
them.
Thiscan
lead
to
a
distintive
taste
to
the
wine,
depending
on
the
age
of
the
wood:
Old
oak
literally
taste
woody,
new
oak
intensifies
a
wines
fruitness
and
can
add
vanilla
or
toasty
flavour.
LIGERO
:
SOFT
:
Used
more
often
of
reds
than
whites
or
some
young
red
to
describe
an
easy
drinking
wine
without
any
harsh
tannins
or
marked
acidity.
Smooth
or
well
rounded
mean
pretty
much
the
same
taste.
ESPECIADO
:
SPICY
:
Used
to
describe
distinctively
aromatic
wines
or
strong
flavoured
wines
which
are
sometimes
referred
to
as
peppery.
ESTRUCTURA
:
STRUCTURE
:
The
structure
of
a
wine
is
like
a
story.
When
you
taste
it,
it
should
have
a
beginning
a
middle
and
an
end.
A
good
way
to
spot
an
expensive
wine.
TANINO
:
TANNIN
:
Tannin
is
a
sensation
really
rether
than
a
taste,
like
the
furred
up
feeling
you
get
in
your
mouth
when
you
drink
a
strong
cup
of
tea.
Tennin
is
essential
for
the
ageing
of
wine.
Increasingly
reds
are
being
made
in
a
fruity
and
less
tannic
style.
JOVEN
:
YOUNG
:
Generally
for
a
wine
that´s
12-24
month
old.
It
can
be
complimentary
implying
that
it
is
zippy
and
fresh
or
a
criticism
that
it
is
still
slightly
green
and
stalky.
PALABRAS
NEGATIVAS
:
WORDS
OF
CRITICISM
CABBAGERY:
While
fruit
is
desirable
in
wine
cabbage
certainly
isn´t.
Any
wine
that
has
that
slightly
sour
smell
of
well
used
washing
up
water
isn´t
worth
drinking.
FLABBY
:
Wines
should´t
be
flabby.
A
flabby
wine
is
lacking
in
acidity.
HARSH
:
A
harsh
wine
is
the
kind
that
taste
like
paint
stripper
on
the
way
down,
now
becoming
more
infrequent
OXIDISED
:
Oxidised
is
a
technical
term
meaning
the
air
has
got
into
the
bottle
and
spoil
the
wine.
Most
noticeable
in
whites
it
can
geve
therm
a
dark
yellow
colour
and
a
sweet
stewed
taste.
THIN
:
A
watery
wine
without
much
fruit
and
so
lacking
in
any
real
flavour.
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