About Spanish Wines

KROG BAR Wine List - KROG BAR Menu

• La Rioja is located in North Central Spain, approximately a 4 hour drive from Madrid.
• The region of Denominacion de Origen Rioja covers an area of 48,444 hectares and is divided into 3 sub regions - Alavesa, Alta and Baja.
• The Rioja produces red, white and rose still wines with the exception of a few wineries that also produce Cava, a wine made using the method champenoise.
• The main grapes used for the red wines are the Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. Rioja red wines are blends of the different varieties with the Tempranillo grape accounting for at least 75% of the blend.
• The main grape varieties used for the white wines are the Viura, Malvasia and Garnacha blanca. At least 90% of Rioja white wines are made exclusively from the Viura grape.
• The rose wines from Rioja are made using the Garnacha variety.
• The periods of Ageing for the wines of Rioja vary by category.
  • Red wines aged 12 months in oak barrel and some months in bottle are classified as "Crianza"
  • Red wines with a minimum ageing of 36 months between barrel and bottle, of which a minimun ageing of 12 months must be in oak barrels are classified as "reserva"
  • Red wines that are aged for 24 months in oak barrels and 36 months in bottle are classified as "Gran Reserva".
  • The white and rose wine ageing classification periods are much less than that of the red. White and rose wines that have been aged for 6 months in oak barrels are classified as " Crianza".
  • Wines with a minimum of 6 months on oak and 18 months in bottle are classified as "Reserva".
  • Wines with 6 months in oak and 42 months in bottle are classified as "Gran Reserva".
• Rioja's production varies from year to year, but on average Rioja produces 1,400,000 hectolitres.
• There are at present 258 wineries in Rioja.

The "Denominacion de Origen" Cava is unique in that unlike the other wine regions of Spain, D.O. Cava is not restricted to one particular demarcated area. The areas permitted to produce Cava cover some 64,858 hectares and include D.O. Rioja, D.O. Navarra, D.O. Aragon and the region of Catalunya. However, 95% of all cava produced comes from the D.O. Penedes, which is in the region of Catalunya.

• Cava is a sparkling white wine made using the "Method Champenoise". Small amounts of rose wine are also produced.
• For a wine to be classified as cava it must be in contact with the lees for a minimum period of 9 months before disgorgement.
• The traditional grape varieties used for cava have been Spanish, however other varieties such as Chardonnay are being used in increasing quantities.
• The grape varieties permitted in the production of cava are as follows Parellada, Macabeo (Viura), Xarel-lo, Chardonnay and smaller amounts of Monastrell and Pinot Noir.
• Cavas are classified according to their sweetness.

• Jumilla is located in the south-eastern corner of Spain near the coastal town of Alicante in the province of Murcia.
• This area which encompasses 5 D.O.'s and also includes the province of Valencia, is known as the Levante.
• The wine region of Jumilla covers an area of 50,808 hectares.
• The influences of the dry Levante winds and breezes off the Mediterranean help produce a semi-arid climate in this region.
• Jumilla has been known for its production of heavy full bodied red wines with 17% alcohol, however in recent years there has been a shift towards producing younger and lighter styles of wines.
• The grape varieties permitted by the regulatory body of Jumilla for the production of red, white and rose wines are as follows:
  • Monastrell, Garnacha and Tintorera Cencibel for the red and rose wines.
  • Merseguera, Airen, Pedro Ximenez for the white wines.
• At present there are 50 wineries registered in Jumilla.
• The average yield is down as a result of the replanting that is taking place. In the last few years the average yield has been 150,661 hectolitres

• The wine region of Jerez, also known as Sherry is located in southern Spain in the region of Andalucia in the province of Cadiz.
• Jerez is one of the oldest recognized Denominaciones de Origen in Spain, covering an area of approximately 16,000 hectares.
• The region of Jerez as its name states, only produces sherry, with the exception of a few wineries that also produce a still white wine in limited amounts.
• The climate in Jerez is hot and dry with clear sky most of the year.
• The soil in the region of Jerez plays a very important role in the quality and characteristics of the wine. There are 3 types of soil in Jerez: Albarriza, Barro and Arena. The main differences between the 3 is the amount of calcium carbonate that is present. The higher the calcium carbonate present the better the soil is for the wine. The richest deposits of calcium carbonate are found in the Albarriza zone. The percentage of calcium in this soil can range from 30% to 80%.
• The grape varieties that are permitted by the regulatory body of Jerez are all white and are as follows: Palomino, Moscatel and Pedro Jimenez. Palomino is the predominant grape variety accounting for over 90%.
• There are four main styles of sherry that are produced.
  • Fino is a light pale golden coloured dry wine with an alcohol content of between 15.5% and 16.5%.
  • Amontillado is an older fino, richer in character with a soft copper or amber colour and an alcoholic content of between 18% and 20%.
  • Oloroso is a rich dark dry mohogony wine with a full rich nose. Most Olorosos have an alcoholic content of 21%.
  • Cream sherries are a blend of dry Oloroso and sweet Pedro Jimenez. Cream sherries are dark rich wines with a soft sweet finish. The alcoholic content of these wines are generally 20% - 22%.
• The production of sherry has been reduced significantly since the early 70's, with an annual production of approximately 90,000,000 litres today.