19.1 - 19.3 - Southern Italy Flashcards
Compare and contrast the growing environments of Campania, Basilicata and Puglia (4).
Climate warm Med in C &B, hot in Puglia
Altitude moderating factor, Campania and Basilicata up to 600m, Puglia flat
Sea breezes moderating factor, Basilicata benefits from cool breezes → Balkans, Puglia surrounded 3 sides by water
Rainfall mod 550mm in Basilicata, low in Puglia → irrigation permitted
Soils:
- 1. Limestone and clay -
- 2. Volcanic and sandy
- 3. Combo of above provides balance between drainage and retention in Aglianico del Vulture
- 4. Alluvial soils Campania → IGP and
- 5. fertile soils → Puglia
Describe the characteristics of Falaghina including ripening, resistance and vulnerabilities, flavours, structure.
What is the most important PDO associated with its production and what style is produced?
- Ripening mid-late →autumn rain
- disease resistant
- ouma face
- Med intensity grass, unoaked
- Med(+) acid
- Falanghina del Sannio largest DOC, high yields →acceptable-VG, inexp/mid-price
Describe the characteristics of Greco including ripening, vigour/yield, resistances, vulnerabilities, flavours, and structure.
What is the most important PDO associated with its production and what style is produced?
- Mid-late ripening
- Low vigour + y.
- Resistant to heat and drought
- Vulnerable to mildews
- Flavours Stone fruit, smokey → unoaked, ageable
- Structure High abv, oily
- Greco di Tufo → VG-out, mid-priced-prem
Why is interest in Greco on the rise? (2)
- Potential HQ
- Resistance to drought +heat
Describe the characteristics of Fiano including ripening, vulnerabilities and resistance, flavours and structure.
What is the most important PDO associated with its production and what style is produced?
- Late ripening
- Vulnerable to mildews
- Resistant to botrytis → thick skin
- med intensity peach, floral, hazelnut → SST, bottle age
- med(+) acid, med(+) body, waxy
- lighter styles →sand, heavier → clay
- Fiano di Avellino DOCG → VG-out, mid-price-prem
Describe the characteristics of Aglianico including budding, ripening, vigourousness, yield, vulnerabilities, flavours and structure.
What is the most important PDO associated with its production and what style is produced?
- Early bud/late rip → tannins
- Vigorous → need to be controlled for ripeness
- Vulnerable to late-season rain
- pronounced rose, red plum, blackberry
- High acid, high tannins → long maceration, aged in oak to soften
- Taurasi DOCG → cool steep slopes, Aglianico with 3yrs ageing, 1yr in oak →VG-out, mid-priced/prem
What is Piedirosso? Where is it planted and what are some of the grape’s notable features? What styles of wine does it produce?
- Indig to Campania
- resistant to mildew, botrytis, own roots → phylloxera → sand
- Used to be high vol prod→ now train to reduce y.
- early-drinking wines or soften Aglianico
- fresh red fruit and cherries, med(+) acid, med tannin
What kind of wine dominates Basilicata’s production?
- HQ Aglianico del Vulture DOC - 1/3 of all plantings
- Remainder is used to make inexp IGT wines for local/domestic consumption incl Sangiovese, Primitivo, Montepulciano etc.
Describe the style and winemaking produced in Aglianico del Vulture DOC and Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG.
Aglianico del Vulture DOC powerful fruit with oak; high acid, alcohol, tannin, full bodied + capable of ageing –> med Y on layered clay, limestone and volanic soils
Aglianico del Vulture Superiore DOCG lower max y, min 3yrs ageing (1 in oak) with even more for riserva
Describe why Primitivo is well-suited to being grown in Puglia. What are the challenges of growing this variety? (6)
+ Ripens early → avoids autumn rain
+ Loose bunches with small berries (cf. to Cali Zin) → more disease resistant
+/- accumulates sugar rapidly and can dry on the vine –> careful with picking time to balance alcohol with phenolic ripeness
+/- Vulnerable to poor flowering and fruit set in rainy years –> but generally fairly dry
- Early budding –> prone to spring frost
- Ripens unevenly within bunches –> must sort to make HQ wine
Describe the different styles of wine that can be produced with Primitivo and briefly outline how this can be achieved.
Inexpensive trellised (cordon or cane), machine harvested with warm temp ferment and 5-7 days skin contact, 6mnths in SST or large cask –> jammy and dried red fruit, med acid, med tannin and high alcohol. Acceptable and inexpensive.
Old Vine bush trained and planted low density with more selection and warm ferment for longer and aged in French barriques –> pronounced ripe red fruit and dried fruit, med acid, med(+), high ABV and VG or outstanding
What are the two main DOCs for Primitivo? Outline any important wine-making regulations.
Primitivo di Manduria DOC
- 85% Primitivo, highish Y
- Riserva 2.5yrs w/ 9mnths in oak, min 14% ABV
Gioia del Colle DOC
- 50–60% Primitivo w/ Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Negroamaro, Malvasia
- riserva 2yrs w/ no oak required
- min 14% ABV
→ Wines come from hilly area 250-500m but still full-bodied
Describe Negroamaro (yield, resistances).
Which is the most important DOC for its production?
How is it treated in the winery and which styles are produced?
- High y, resistant to drought and disease
- Salice Salentino DOC high % of Negro, high yields 84 hL/ha
- Short maceration 7-10 days → aged in SST for 6mnths or oak for 1yr
- Black plum, black cherry, med acid, med(+) tannin, med-high alc
- Good-VG, inexp-mid-priced
- OR Used to make deep pink rosato
Identify the style of wine made in Puglia’s four most important DOCs
- Castel del Monte good quality Nero di Troia
- Gioia del Colle good quality Primitivo-based blends
- Primitivo di Manduria good quality Primitivo
- Salice Salentino Negromaro
Why is Nero di Troia difficult to grow? (3)
What kind of wine is it used to produce?
- Needs long season to ripen → autumn rain
- Downy mildew
- Uneven ripeness → multiple passes
Med intensity red berries, black pepper, med(+) acid, high/fine-grained tannin
Castel del Monte high yields w/ cheaper examples in SST, Riserva in oak for 1yr in wood
