29. Southern Italy Flashcards
What is the climate of southern Italy?
- Inland: Hot and dry
- Coast: Hot and humid
What are the geographical and climatic factors that moderate the weather in southern Italy?
- Altitude
- Sea breezes
What are the traditional and contemporary methods of vine training in southern Italy?
- Traditional: Bush-trained low to the ground with leaf cover
- Contemporary: Cordon training and trellising
Name the wine growing regions of southern Italy from north to south
- Campania
- Basilitica
- Puglia
- Sicily
Which grape growing region in southern Italy is home to more DOCGs?
Campania
What are the most important white and black grape varieties in Campania?
- White: Fiano, Greco
- Black: Aglianico
What are the most prestigious white wine appellations in Campania?
- Fiano di Avellino DOCG
- Greco di Tufo DOCG
Tasting notes for Fiano
- Medium acidity
- Medium to full body
- Aromas of stone fruit, melon and mango
- Better examples can be oaked and matured in bottle developing aromas of wax and honey
Tasting notes for Greco
- High acidity
- Medium body
- Aromas of green apple, stone fruit and passion fruit
- Some producers use old and lees stirring
- Best examples can age in bottle to develop aromas of honey and mushroom
Tasting notes for Aglianico
- Deep color
- High acidity
- High tannin
- Flavours of black fruit
- Matured in oak and aged in bottle to develop earthy, forest floor notes
What is the best wine region for Aglianico?
Taurasi DOCG
What is the geographical property of Basilicata region?
It is an extremely mountainous region where vineyards can reach 900 meters
What is the most prestigious appellation in Basilitica?
Aglianico del Vulture DOC
Which kind of grapes dominate in Puglia, white or black? Why?
Black grapes because the climate is hot
What are the most notable black grape varieties in Puglia?
- Negromaro
- Primitivo (Zinfandel)
The wines produced from the grapes that are grown at high yields in Puglia is labelled as…
Puglia IGT
Tasting notes for Negromaro
- Full-bodied
- Medium acidity
- Medium tannins
- High alcohol
- Flavours of baked red and black fruit
Best example of Negromaro wines come from which appellation?
Salice Salentino DOC
Tasting notes for Primitivo
- Full bodied
- Medium acidity
- Medium tannins
- High alcohol
- Flavours of very ripe berry fruit
Vast majority of the grapes (high yield) produced in Sicily are labelled as..
IGT Terre di Sicilia/ Terre Siciliane
What is the dominant black grape of Sicily?
Nero d’Avola
Tasting notes of Nero d’Avola
- Medium to full body
- Medium acidity
- Medium tannins
- Aromas of plums and black cherry
What is the speciality of wines of Etna DOC?
They are produced from the low-yielding old vines grown in high altitudes
What are the grapes used to produce red wines in Etna DOC?
- Nerello Mascalese
- Nerello Cappucio
Tasting notes for red wine from Etna DOC
- Fragrant wines
- High acid
- High tannins
- Aromas of sour red cherries, cranberries and raspberries and sometimes with dried herbs
- With bottle aging, high tannins soften and mushroom-like aromas develop
Tasting notes for white wine from Etna DOC
- Medium body
- High acidity
- Aromas of citrus fruit
- Stoney/steely character
- Develop aromas of honey and wax with bottle age
