16. Northern Italy Flashcards
1
Q
List the key NE regions and what they are known for - helicopter view.
A
Alto Adige
- valleys and slopes of Dolomites
- 60% Red - Schiava, Lagrein, PN
- White (int var) PG, Gew, PB, CH, SB
- 98% DOC
- most protective winemaking, lees ageing, top q R&W french barrique aged
Trentino
- along Adige river, north of L Garda
- mountains moderate cold north wind, Garda keeps valley floor warm - slopes for diurn range
- 75% White: PG; CH (50% of planting); MuThu; PB; Ries; SB; Gew
- Nusiola; Muscato Rosa
- Red: MER , CS, CF, PN Teroldigo; Marzemino; Lagrein
- Heavy focus on int var; hi yields, questioned quality
- (hi Q prod use Vigneti della Dolomiti IGT)
Fruili ~ Hi Q Whites!
- Main (int): PG (25%) ; Fruilano aka Sauvignon Vert; CH; SB; PB; Gew; MuThu
- Also : Mer (highest); CF ; Franconia aka Blaufrankish; CS; PN
-
Notable: Collio DOC / Collio Orientali del Fruili DOC - Hillsides
- calcareous marl, sandstone, drainage, slopes +wind = low yield ~ hi Q
- known for whites - Friulano; Ribolla Gially; SB; CH (18 approved in tot)
-
Notable: Centre for Orange Wine
- amphoro , ambient yeast
Veneto
-
Veneto Soave : Garganega (blend with Trebbiano)
- Soave DOC/ Classico DOC / Superiore DOCG / Recioto di Soave DOC
-
Veneto Valpolicella : Corvina (blend with Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara)
- Valpolicella : DOC; Classico DOC; Valpantena DOC; Superiore for any;
- Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG: Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG / Classico DOCG
- Ripasso….
-
Veneto - Others:
- Pino Grigio delle Venezie DOC 85% of It PG!!; 40% worlds’ PG!!! 126hl/ha
-
Bardolino DOC / Supreriore DOCG (Corvina, Mer,
- Rose “Chiaretto”
- Bianco di Custoza DOC (Trebbiano Toscano, Garganega, Friulano, Cortese)
- Lugana DOC (Turbiana))
2
Q
Describe the Veneto region prod of Valpolicella
A
Veneto - Valpolicella and Soave - West of L Garda
- Along Adige River but also on fertile plain between Adige and Po
-
Hillsides - calcareous, clay, volcanic soils; drainage, low fertility, low yield > hi Q
- Cool air from L Garda+ altitude > slows ripening & diurnal range > acid
- Alluvial plains, fertile, hi yields, lower quality
-
Hillsides - calcareous, clay, volcanic soils; drainage, low fertility, low yield > hi Q
- Soave and Valpolicella made in var of qualities
-
Valpolicella - Corvina +/ Corvinone 45 - 95%
- 84hl/ha
- Amarone della Valpolicella /Riserva DOCG 48hl/ha
- Dried grapes 100- 120 days mb 14%
- 2 yrs large /barrique oak (Riserva = 4yrs)
- Pron cherry, dried fruit, spice, wood, m/h tann, hi acid, f body
-
Recioto della Valpolicella /Classico DOCG 48hl/ha
- Grapes dried 100-120 Days
- WM method - sep card
- Intense red fresh& dried fruit, hi alc, f body, m/m+ tann
- small vol, RS& abv vary ~ 12%, 50g/l
3
Q
Key Facts on the Valpolicella varities; what is it blended with for Valpolicella wines?
A
Corvina Veronese (Corvina)
- Vigorous, dependable, hi yield
- Thickskin good for drying
- Prone to DMD, BBR, ESCA, sensitive to drought
- Mid – late ripe
- Suits pergola, no fruit on first buds of cane – shade to the rest, prev sunburn
- Pergola>> air circ, red disease
- Pergolas have lower temps, but lose more water in evaporation
- On trellises – needs to be carefully grown
- Mostly blended in Valpolicella
- Cont violet, red cherry, red plum, herbal notes, l/m tann, hi acid
Corvinone (Not related to Corvina)
- Susc to DMD
- Berries do not ripen uniformly – contributes tannin, red cherry fruit
- Dries well.
Rondinella
- Reliable, productive,
- Good disease resistance, good for drying
- Prone to ESCA
- Cont neutral wine, light simple cherry fruit.
- Accumm sugar fast – useful for Recioto
Molinara
- Hi yield, pale, Cont acid, red berry fruit, lightness
4
Q
Describe 3 methods of winemaking for Valpolicella wines
A
WINEMAKING /Wine Law / Regulations (3 main )
- All Valpolicella DOCs and DOCGs
- 45 – 95% of the blend :Corvina and/or Corvinone
- Rondinella 5 – 30%
- Other auth varieites incl Molinara
1 Inexpensive Valpolicella
- Fresh, fruity, early consumption
- After crush – ferm SS 20-25 C – ret prim aromas
- Maceration short 5 – 7 days > l / m tann
- Aged in SS/ lge neutral oak barrels 6 – 8m before release
2 Appassimento (process); Wine style = “Passito”
- Healthy grapes picked early for acid
- 100-120 days dried - lofts/hanging >>airy no mould
- Humidity, temp, circ controlled
- Grapes lose 1/3 of their weight - concentrates sugars (inc pot alc), anthocyanins (col), flavours, tannins. Final yield 48hl/ha
- More glycerolis produced – giving fuller softer mouth fell.
- Fermentation does not get underway til winter
-
Amarone
- Amorone min % 14 (norm =15)
- dry/off dry; norm 5g/l RS max allowed 9g/l
- Mb 2 yrs large or barrique oak
- “Riserva” = 4 yrs
- Pron cherry & dried fruit, spice, wood, m/h tann, hi acid bal the richness, f body
-
Recioto
- ferm stops naturally with high sugar.
- min abv 12%
- small vol > artisanal
3 Ripasso
- Unpressed skins remain after fermented Amarone or Reciota is racked off.
- Added to a vat of Valpolicella that has finished its fermentation for 2nd maceration
-
Yeast also transferred >> ferments remaining sugar&grape skins
- more colour, flavour and tannin to the wine
- 15% Amarone cb added to cont further flav, tannin, alc.
- Min 12.5% abv and 13%abv if Superiore
- Aging:
- 1 year from Jan after the harvest. – often large oak
- m/f body, m+ tann, flav of fresh & stewed red cherries and plums.
- G/VG Q, mid – prem price
- Very pop style – prod also making wines from blends of other dried grape wine + standard wine and selling it IGP
5
Q
Describte the Veneto Soave DOC
A
Climate
- Mod continental, mod breeze from Garda.
- Moist air from river ~ rot >> more sprays
Soils
- Foothills of Alps limestone/clay/volcanic COOL soils, > DOCGm tog with alt slows ripening
- Flat plains PO delta DOC
Soave Doc (80%) 105hl/ha
- 70% Garganega (bal Trebbiano die Soave ~Verdicchio or CH)
Classico DOC (around 20%) 98hl/ha
- Only from hilly Classico area
Soave Superiore DOCG 70hl/ha
- Fruit from Recioto di Soave zone
Recioto di Soave 36hl/ha
- (semi dried) rich, floral, honey. Sweet+hi acid for bal
- abv / RS vary min 12%, RS 50g/l
Co-op Cantina di Soave > prod 50% of region’s wine
- Vigorous, hi yield, late ripe
- Sensitive to winter cold, mildew, BBR
- Hand pick on hillside / machine pick on plain
HiQ Garganego Wm
- Short mac, cool ferm (16-18C), few m on lees before bottling
- M lemon apple/pear, white pepper; ripest >stone fru
- Hi acid, m body, most unoaked,
- Ageworthy devs almonds / honey.
6
Q
Describe the DOCs for Pinto Grigio and Bardolino
A
PG delle Venezie DOC 126hl/ha used to be an IGP
85% of IT PG, and >40% of worlds PG
- Grapes from Veneto, Fruili, Trentino-Alto Adige
- Popular DOC ahead of other wine options
- Wine: L/m apple, lemon; l/m body, m alc, m+ acid (G Q)
Bardolino DOC / Bardolino Superiore DOCG high yield low concentration
- Adjacent Lake Garda – mod influence
- Light body reds + rose
- Corvina blend (35-80% Corvina) up to 20% other var, each to max of 10%
- Means MER cb used to add red fruit char,
- Min abv 10.5% (DOC) or 11% (DOCG/Superiore)
- Rose “Chiaretto” -light, fresh, red fruit, salmon col
7
Q
Outline the Key DO’s in Piemonte Region
Piemonte Business??
A
Nebbiolo Variety
- Barolo DOCG >> Barbaresco DOCG [100% Nebbiolo]
- Langhe Nebbiolo DOC, Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC [100% Nebbiolo for early drinking]
Barbera Variety
- Nizza DOCG 49 hl/ha
- Barbara d’Asti DOCG 63hl/ha
- Piemonte DOC 84hl/ha - low conc
Dolcetto
- Dolcetto di Ovada DOC & Dogliani DOCG >> 56hl/ha
- Dolcetto d’Alba DOC 63hl/ha
- Piemonte DOC 77ha/ha
Cortese
- Gavi Riserva 45hl/ha & aged 1 yr (any)
- Gavi DOCG 67hl/ha
- Gavi di Gavi (from Municpality of GAvi - of course!)
Piemonte Business
- 85% Barolo exported
- USA, DE, UK, Scandi
- 75% Barbaresco exported
- cons good alt to Bordeaux/Bougogne
- Subregions also becoming attractive in the market
8
Q
Describe the climate and growing env of Piemonte
A
Growing Environment / Grape Growing
- Mod Continental, cold winters, hot summers
- Alps provide shelter from cold n wind
- Appenines shelter against Mediterranean weather (rain)
- Risks:
- Thunderstorms, hail, fog; late frost
- Low rain growing season – enables ripening, red fungal disease
- Inc rain Sept/Oct threat to late ripe var e.g. Nebbiolo
9
Q
Nebbiolo the grape, and the areas it grows in, and how the wine is made
A
Nebbiolo (10% Plantings)
- Early bud (frost), late ripe, vigorous
- Finest, most perfumed from calcareous marls (Langhe)
- Best sites, s / sw facing to ripen fully
- Pruned high first buds don’t fruit
- VSP trained - caution sunburn.
Wines
- pale ruby, pron int violet, rose, red cherry, red plum, f body, h tann, h acid, cb h alc.
- Fade in 3-5 yrs to garnet – clone debate col vs aroma
- Mass selection for propagation – low vigour (concent), open bunches (red fungal dis), small berries (col)
Barolo DOCG *56hl/ha*
- Slopes s & sw face. 200 - 400m > sunlight interception, cooling influences
- Grey Marl soil (NW La Morra) more aromatic and drinkable in few years
- SE (Serralunga d’Alba) less fertile, grey sand/clay, wines are closed, tannic, need 10-15yrs ageing
- Barolo DOCG - aged 3yrs, (18m oak) > OS
- Most blend from diff VY for complexity
Barbaresco DOGG *56hl/ha*
- Lower alt, warmer, more subtly ripe >> shorter ageing reqd
- 2yrs ageing 4yrs for Riserva (adds cost but less than Barolo)
Other DOC’s/ DOCGs for Nebbiolo
Roero DOCG, Gattinara DOCG, Ghemme DOCG
- In these denominations Nebbiolo often blended with other local var.
Winemaking for Nebbiolo
Mod producers prefer
- deep col, softer tannin, less need tb aged,
- most no new oak (interferes with delicate aromas of Nebbiolo var), some mature small prop in new oak
- Q prod pick only grapes with ripe skins and seeds
- Macerate 3 – 4 wks for top wines
- Age in large format oak, or combination large and small, only small prop new
Langhe Nebbiolo DOC and Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC - Early Drinking
- Made from young vines / less favoured sites
- Macerate 7 – 10 days
- Age up to 1 year in neutral container
- May incl parcels from both Barolo and Barbaresco that were rejected for top wines
- Cheaper to produce > Makes price more accessible
- G, some VG, mid – prem price
10
Q
Barbera the grape, and the areas it grows in, and how the wine is made
A
Barbera (30% pltgs)
- Concentrated around Asti and Alba (Monferrato)
- Early bud (frost, Late ripe (but before Nebbiolo)
- Vigorous, dis resistant, susc to fan leaf virus
- Grows on Range of aspects
- Hi yields prune for concentrated wine
- H acid, l tann – made in range of syles incl sparkling
Early Drinking
- m/d col, m int red plum, red cherry, sometimes black pepper,
- hi acid, m tann, med alc.
- lighter wines show the hi acid of the var.
- G/VG Inexp – mid price
- Some VG/OS comm prem price
Higher Q Barbera
- Fruit from lower yields / old vines
- Aged in French barrique (per pioneer Giacomo Bologna
- Oak tann adds to body – further capacity to age (adds cost)
Nizza DOCG : Yield 49hl/ha & Min 18m ageing
Barbera d’Asti DOCG: Yield 63hl/ha & Min 4 mth ageing
Piemonte DOC: Yield 84hl/ha & wines low concentration
11
Q
Dolcetto the grape, and the areas it grows in, and how the wine is made
A
Dolcetto
- Ripens early – can be grown on cooler sites
- Susc to fungal disease, is fragile (buds break), low vigour
- Ripening cb blocked if long spell cold weather
- Above >> VY area reducing (also Nebbiolo attracts better price)
Winemaking
- Reductive –freq pump-over or rack&return for O2 to prev off-flav
- Mid range ferm to retain fresh prim fruit
- Short maceration 7 – 15 days & soft extraction to avoid extracting its hi tann
- D ruby, m+ int red cherry, floral, m- acid, m+ tann
- Aged in SS or cement to preserve prim fruit
- G/VG; Inexp – mid price
- Some VG/OS prem price
Best areas:
Dolcetto cb made at higher yields as Piemonte DOC (77hl/ha)
Dolcetto d’Alba DOC 63hl/ha
Dolcetto di Ovada DOC and Dogliani DOCG Both 56 hl/ha
Significant producers
- Marcarini (Alba)
- Marziano Abbona (Dogliani)
12
Q
Cortese the grape, and the areas it grows in, and how the wine is made
A
Cortese
- Hi yield,
- L int apple, pear, flowers, h acid, m body
- Thin skin – susc to BBR in rain
Winem
- After pressing ferm mid range
- Top Q may have pre-ferm mac to increase aromatic int
- Typ aged in SS (prim fruit
- Most early drinking
- Some top aged in bottle for tertiary notes
- G/VG Inexp – mid price
- Some premium ageable examples
Gavi DOCG or Cortese di Gavi DOCG (same) 100% Cortese 67hl/ha
Gavi di Gavi DOCG fruit from municipality of Gavi
Riserva 45hl/ha must be aged 1 yr (any vessel) before release
Significant producers
- Castellari Bergaglio
- La Scolca
13
Q
Trentino Story - Environment, Varieties, notable DO’s
A
Trentino General
- Typical unoaked, fresh White (75%) PG, CH, MuTH;
- Red: Teroldego, MER, Marzemino
- G/VG Q, inexp/mid price & some VG/OS at prem prices
- 80%+ prod by co-op.
- Mostly Blends (also Adige)
- Single Var = 85% rule
- Two styles
- fresh / fruity whites on lees & cool ferm, reds macerate alc env, mod ferm
- or premium; reds more extracted, warm ferm & both mb aged all/part small barrels
Climate and Grape Growing
- Mod continental cooling influence
- Mountains protect from cold north wind, Lake Garda moderates from the south
- allows heat to build on valley floor in growing season
- High diurnal range (cold air off Alps at night) >> retain acidity, prolongs growing season so flavours intensify
- VY on higher and steeper slopes – labour and harvest by hand
Varieties Allowed (75% vy area planted white)
White (10 can be bottled as single var) – int varieties
- PG, CH, MuTH, PB, Riesling, SB, GEW
- PG + CH = ½ the ha planted
- Nusiola (local)
Black 9 can be bottled as single var
- MER, CS, CF, PN (int varieties)
- Teroldego, Marzemino, Lagrein (these are G/VG > inexp – mid p) (Local var)
Yields: High! low concentration - fresh fruity wine, Trentino has a good rep in supermarkets and hospitality. Some producerrs work outside if higher q for higher price.
14
Q
The Alto Adige Story
A
Alto Adige General
- Valleys and lower slopes of Dolomites
- Pale red Schiava(aka Vernatch/Trollinger), Lagrein
- and int var PG, GEWURZ, CH, PB, PN, SB
- Mostly G/VG and inexp - mid price.
- Some top wines VG/OS at mid/prem price esp PN
- 60:40 Red:White
Climate / Growing
- Mild Alpine continental climate
- Protected from cold wind by mountains in N.
- Vines grown 300 – 700m alt.
- Warm air currents in the valley, ~300 days of sunshine per year and high diurnal range
- Good conditions for ripening grapes + retain acid
- Suff rain spread through year, low am in winter
- Rainfall cb concern at harvest time
Soil
- Variety – volcanic porphyry, quartz, mica rock, Dolomites limestone (rootstock 41b)
- Suits wide range of varieties
Vineyard
- Either trad pergola or Guyot (Esp Schiava on pergola for vigour)
- Leaf picking> expose to sun > ripen (caution sunburn or drying out)
- VY higher/steeper slopes – manual labour and harvest.
Growing areas
- White varieties grown higher up the slopes
- Black varieties lower and where it is warmer
- Yields are little less than Trentino, but stillhigh 90hl/ha
15
Q
Key characteristics Alto Adige WM & Business Metrics
A
Yields: slightly lower than Trentino > still high 90hl/ha
Alto Adige DOC rules
- 98% of wine is DOC
Categories - 75% White, most blends
- Bianco = 75% CH, PB, PG (must incl 2 var, none > 70%)
- Single Var = 85% rule
-
Two Variety Blends (R / W) must have min 15% each
- eg: CH&PB; CS&Lagrein
- Labels may include 6 sub-zones
- A separate DOC: Lago di Caldaro DOC devoted to Schiava
Winemaking – focus on preserving fruit (some oaked).
-
White
- Low temp ferm, protective, lees
- Top whites and red (Lagrein/PN) aged in French barriques
Wine Business
- Small holdings, ave 1ha per grower >> co-ops prod 70% wine;
- Even better known VY/Estates are small >means have to prod mid and prem price wines
- Alois Lageder – 50 ha, and 2x the vol contract fruit)
- Elena Walch – 60 ha
- Top co-ops enc hiQ and pay hi prices to incentivise Q
- Cantina Kaltern ; Cantina di Tramin
- Most sold in Italy (75% focus on white & aromatic)
- almost half tourist trade
- Most nb sector = hospitality then spec retail, then smarket
- Export: DE, USA
- Schiava sold locally and to German speaking countries
Big on Brand All wines branded with Südtirol logo on the capsule of the bottles.
