Gran Reserva

A BODEGA’s top wine, produced only in excellent years and then subject to lengthy AGING. Though national law stipulates that red gran reservas must be aged two years in oak barrels, each DENOMINACIÓN DE ORIGEN or DENOMINACIÓN DE ORIGEN CALIFICADA can set higher standards. In Rioja, for example, red gran reservas must be aged for two years in barrel followed by three years in bottle, and in practice, many Rioja producers exceed even that.

What wine-producing region is known as “green Spain”?

A. Jerez

B. The Basque Region

C. Penedès

D. Rías Baixas

The region of Rías Baixas in the province of Galicia in the country’s northwest corner is a place of ocean breezes, winding estuaries, and lush vegetation reminiscent of Ireland. It’s often called “green Spain.” It could probably also be known as “white Spain” because it is home to one of the most exciting Spanish white wines— Albariño, a vibrant varietal with aromas of apricot and peaches with a citrusy core. Albariño has been popular among the seafood-eating people of Galicia for centuries.

“The efforts to demystify and simplify [wine] never ring true because they ignore the fact that wine by its nature is mystifying and complicated. These qualities can be embraced and celebrated without suggesting that they require mastering, but that would force us to think and talk about wine in a different sort of way, as a food staple to be enjoyed rather than as a symbol of status or as a ‘lifestyle.’”

—Eric Asimov, The New York Times, July 16, 2018

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