16. Northern Italy Flashcards
(23 cards)
List the key NE regions and what they are known for - helicopter view.
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))
Describe the Veneto region prod of Valpolicella
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
Key Facts on the Valpolicella varities; what is it blended with for Valpolicella wines?
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
Describe 3 methods of winemaking for Valpolicella wines
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
Describte the Veneto Soave DOC
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.
Describe the DOCs for Pinto Grigio and Bardolino
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
Outline the Key DO’s in Piemonte Region
Piemonte Business??
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
Describe the climate and growing env of Piemonte
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
Nebbiolo the grape, and the areas it grows in, and how the wine is made
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
Barbera the grape, and the areas it grows in, and how the wine is made
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
Dolcetto the grape, and the areas it grows in, and how the wine is made
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)
Cortese the grape, and the areas it grows in, and how the wine is made
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
Trentino Story - Environment, Varieties, notable DO’s
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.
The Alto Adige Story
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
Key characteristics Alto Adige WM & Business Metrics
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.
Fruili Story - Growing Environment, Varieties
Growing Environment and Grape Growing
- Southern VY in flat plain near Adriatic Sea
- > warm maritime climate >> warm air from ocean meets cool air from Alps
- rain – 1200mm pa AND humidity ( sprays/ rot / Can man)
2 Zones
-
Alluvial Plain (everyday wines)
- Rocky deposits, fertile PG and MER are grown
- Higher yields
-
most NB
- Grave del Friuli DOC (vol wines)
- Friuli Isonzo DOC – best q from right bank of Isonzo River, neighbouring Collio
- Hillside (higher q wines)
-
Collio DOC and Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC
- Calcereous marl, sandstone excellent drainage
- At 200m – slopes and wind > low yields, higher Q,
- greater cost, higher price
Three varieites in which Friuli specialises:
Friulano (formerly Tocai Friulano) changed name when EU ruled that TOKAJ could only be used for HU wine style.
- aka Sauvignon Vert or Sauvignonasse
- Good dis resistance, nb because of hi rainfall
- m- floral + apple flav; m/h alc, m+ acid
- SS protective wm or be lightly oaked
- Best have capacity to age
- G/VG ; Mid – Prem price
Ribolla Gialla
- Only grown in Collio and Colli Orientali
- Needs hillside site (thin soils) > otherwise too vigorous growth
- Prone to shot berries
- Citrus and pepper notes, hi acid.
- Many stiles – oak aged/not; Tank made SpW; dry/off-dry;
- ORANGE wine > extended skin contact > amphora wine
Refosco – Refosca dal Peduncolo Rosso
- Most planted of LOCAL black (most planted black = Merlot)
- Vigorous,> best on hillside, low fertile soils
- Late ripen, resist to BBR
- Red cherry, herbal aromas; small berries > hi tann > best smoothed by time in barrel
Other varieties
White:
- Malvasia di Istria; Verduzzo; Picolit
- Riesling, Welschriesing , GEW; MuTHu, CH; SB; PB;
Black
- Refosco; Schiopettino; Pignolo; Tazzalenghe
- Blaufrankisch (Franconia) MER, CF, CS; PN; CARM.
Friuli Winemaking and Key Business Facts
Winmaking (clear focus on whites….)
- Typical style – clean, mainly unoaked white wines
- Mario Shiopetto and others. Drew on German tech expertise in use of SS, temp control, cult yeast, pneumatic presses
- Friuli became the go.to region for this style
- Recently experimenting with late harvest fruit, skin maceration, lees stirring and use of oak
-
Red: mainly Merlot
- In addition characterful, often tannic local var.
- Sweet Wine – small vol from local var
- See next card ORANGE wine
Wine Business
- Two main growers assoc for hiQ
- Consorzio Tutela Vini Collio
- Consorzio Tutela Vini Friuli Colli Orientali e Ramandolo which oversees 4 DOC(g)s
- Colli Orientali del Friuli, Ramandolo, Picolit, Rosazzo
- Good reputation in IT hosp and retail markets
- Exports 55% of value (Prosecco and Pinot Grigio from this region)
-
White wines are the speciality
- Focus on promoting reds esp native var e.g. Refosco
- Competition from
- Trentino, Alto Adige, also prod clean, modern, well made whites often lower price
- Inexp PG from across IT, and also from Eastern Europe (lower cost)
Fruili Orange Winemaking
Orange Winmaking style espectially in COLLIO DOC
especially the varieity Ribolla Gialla
Pioneers Josko Gravner (he introd amphora); Stanko Radikon; Dario Princic
Committed to
- Organic methods; use of local var + int var
- Long skin maceration (8 days up to 6-8m) on skin – white var
- Fermentation with ambient yeast and no temp control+long maturation large format oak or other wood
- Long ageing (2 – 6 yrs) in large format oak barrels - white var
- No fining or filtration
- Low or no added SO2
- Resulting wine = amber, orange, gold in colour
- Pron flavours – (unlike white wines of same var)>> dried fruit, dried herb, hay, nuts. M tannin
Sell for prem price, particular appreciated by sommeliers comm to natural wine & adventurous drinkers
Vernatsch is a synonym for which grape?
Schiava / Trollinger
What are the primary red/ white varieties of Alto-Adige?
Black: Schiava, Lagrein, Teroldego.
White PG; Gewurz; CH
What is the minimum abv allowed for Amarone della Valpolicella?
What is the max. RS allowed (with 2 exceptions)?
-14%
12g/L
For every 0.10% of alcohol exceeding 14%, an additional 0.10 g/l of residual sugar is allowed
For every 0.10% of alcohol exceeding 16%, an additional 0.15 g/l of residual sugar is allowed
Where is Gavi located, what is made there and what grape is used?
How are the wines usually made?
Located SE Piemonte
White wines made from Cortese
Normally fermented protectively in S. Steel but some ferment old oak vessels with lees stirring
What are the aging requirements for Amarone della Valpolicella (normale and riserva)?
What are the oak-aging requirements?
Normale: Min. 2 years
Riserva: Min. 4 years
No oak requirements
