16.3 - North East Italy: Veneto Flashcards
Veneto is Italy’s largest wine-producing region. T or F?
True - in most years
Esp. due to Prosecco and Pinot Grigio
Describe the growing environment of Veneto including climate, cooling influence, humidity, topography and soils.
Climate Warm, mod continental; mod rainfall
Cooling influences altitude, Lake Garda
Humidity From moderate rainfall + proximity to rivers
Topography foothills in N, flat river plain around River Adige + River Po
Soils Fertile esp. near river plains, hillside drier, poorer
What challenges does the growing environment of Veneto present to growers?
- Humidity → fungal disease esp. Esca + BBR
- High fertility soils → high yields, lack of concentration
What are the top six most grown grapes in Veneto?
Briefly outline the styles/quality of wines grown in Veneto (3)
- High vol, int’l - fertile river plains, PG, Cab S, Chard, Merlot
- High vol local - Corvian, Garganega, Trebbiano
- DOCs e.g. Valpolicella + Soave - range of Q from good - outst
Describe the situation, growing environment and style of wine produced in Soave
Situation E Verona
Growing environment
- 2 distinct areas
- Foothills of cool limestone, clay, basalt soils in N
- Flat plain near River Adige S with sandy, alluvial soil.
Style White wine from Garganega, high acid with med body and apple, stone fruit, from good-outstanding
Describe the characteristics of Garganega including: ripening, yield, vigour, training, vulnerabilities, flavour, structure, quality/price.
- Rip Late
- Yield High
- Vigour extrem→ pergola by tradition, trellised
- Vulnerabilities Winter freeze, mildew, BBR
- Flavour Med lemon, pear, pepper → almonds, honey; generally no oak
- Structure High acid, med body
- Quality/price Good-VG/inexp mid-priced
Outline the differences between the four DOC/DOCGs of Soave including area, grapes, earliest sale date, max yield
Soave DOC
- large, most of production
- Garganega (Verdicchio, Chardonnay)
- sold same year
- HIGH Y; 105 hL/ha
Soave Classico DOC
- N, hilly
- sold early year following
- 98 hL/ha
Soave Superiore DOCG
- smaller
- hilly
- sold late year following
- 70 hL/ha
Recioto di Soave DOCG
- same area as SS DOCG
- semi-dried grapes
- 36 hL/ha → rich, floral, honeyed sweet wine with high acid
High yields in Soave generally indicate less concentration - T/F?
Partially true - even @ 70 hL/ha concentration possible on best sites
Describe the situation and soils of Valpolicella
Situation N Verona, split between N foothills + flatter S
Soils
N→ limestone, clay, volanic soils (cooler)
S → gravel, sand (warmer) → acid, concentration
Describe the characteristics of Corvina Veronese including: ripening, yield, vigour, training, vulnerabilities, flavour, structure.
Ripening Mid-late
Yield High
Vigour Extreme
Training Pergola b/c first few buds don’t produce fruit, reduce disease pressure, provides shade, although increases waterloss
Vulnerabilities Sunburn, drought
Flavour Red cherry, red plum, violet, herbal
Structure High acid, low-med tannin
Describe the characteristics of Corvinone including berry size, vulnerabilities, flavour and structure.
- Berry size Large
- Vulnerabilities Downy mildew, uneven rip → labour
- Flavour Red cherry
- Structure Tannin
- N.B. dries well for appasimento style
Describe what Rondinella and Molinara add to a blend
Rondinella - red cherry, accumulates sugar quickly (good for sweet wine)
Molinara - pale, gives acid, red fruit, fresh
Outline different styles of winemaking in Valpolicella
- Simple/inexp - low temps, short mac, SST/large old oak for 6-8mnths
Style: Red fruit, rose, no oak, med-med(+) acid, low-med tannin, good
- Appassimento (–> passito wines) - picked early 11-11.5% for acid, dried, healthy grapes only, for 3-4mnths
Style: varies from Ripasso to Amarone to Recioto
What effect does drying the grapes have on the style of wine
Grapes lose 1/3 of weight - more sugar/alcohol, acid, colour, tannin, flavour
More glycerol → soft mouthfeel, more body
What blend is permitted under Valpolicella’s various DOCs?
- Corvina/Corvinone - 45-95%
- Rondinella - 5-30%
- Others incl Molinara
Outline the difference in rules and style between Valpolicella DOC and Valpolicella Classico DOC and what the label Superiore denotes.
Valpolicella DOC - high max Y
Purple, light red cherry + rose, no oak, med-med(+) acid, low-med tannin, cheap/mid, good/VG
Valpolicella Classico DOC - hilly area in N
More concentration, cheap/mid, good/VG (more VGs)
Superiore
- Higher min ABV req
- 1yr ageing req from Jan 1st after harvest
Describe where and how Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG is made. Outline any relevant stipulations and describe the style and price-quality.
- Where Valpolicella DOC (or Classico)
- How dried off-vine 100-120 days
- Style Intense fresh/dried red fruit, full-body, med(+)-high tannin, min 12% ABV, 50 g/L sweetness
- Price-Quality Prem-VG/out
Describe where and how Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG is made. Outline any relevant stipulations and describe the style and price-quality.
Same as Recioto except:
- Lower Y
- fermented until dry/off-dry
- aged in wood for min 2yrs (Riserva for 4)
- min 14% ABV
- 5-9 g/L sweetness
- Mid-priced/SP - Good/out
Describe where and how Valpolicella Ripasso DOC is made. Outline any relevant stipulations and describe the style and price-quality.
- Unpressed grape skins with RS taken from ferment vat of Ama or Recioto
- added to Vapolicella wine that has already been pressed
- -> 2nd fermentation
- Up to 15% of Amarone can be blended in
- 12.5% ABV
- ageing 1 year from Jan 1st
- Fresh + stewed red fruit
- med(+) tannin, med-full body
- Mid/prem-good/VG
Compare Recioto della Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella and Valpolicella Ripasso in terms of:
Sweetness
Alcohol
Tannins
Body
Flavour
Price-Quality
Sweetness Recioto sweetest with ~50g/L, Amarone <9g/L, Ripasso dry
Alcohol Amarone >15%, Ripasso ~13%, Recioto >12%
Tannin Recioto has med(+)-high, Amarone med-high, Ripasso med(+)
Body Amarone and Recioto are full, Ripasso med-full
Flavour All have fresh and dried red fruit flavours, Recioto and Amarone are usually pronounced, Amarone may have oak and/or oxidative character, Ripasso may have stewed flavours
Price-Quality: Recioto is VG/outstanding-premium, Amarone is good/outstanding (due to vol)-mid/premium, Ripasso good/VG-mid/premium
Outline the area covered by Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC. What style and quality level does it produce.
Area All sub-regions: Trentino AA, Friuli, Veneto
Style Light-med(-) intensity apple and lemon, med(+) acid, med alcohol, light-med(-) body
Price-Quality Inexpensive-mid / good
it covers 40% of the world’s PG production
Describe the growing environment and style of Bardolino DOC. Outline growing and winemaking stipulations (max yield, min alcohol)
- Next to lake Garda, also has Classico sub-zone
- Light-bodied reds/rose blends based on Corvina
- High Y
- min 10.5% ABV (higher for Superiore)
Describe the situation and style of Bianco di Custoza DOC. Where is the wine sold? What kind of producers dominate?
- Between Verona and Lake Garda
- easy-drinking, aromatic whites,Trebbiano Toscano, Garganega, Friulano, Cortese
- Sold in Italian supermarkets
- Produced by two large co-ops
Describe the situation and style of Lugana DOC
Situation South of Garda, into Lombardy
Style Verdicchio with aromatic apple, citrus and hazelnut, high acid, top producers mature in oak for wine that can age
