Asti Flashcards

1
Q

DOCGs

A

Asti DOCG (aka Asti Spumante), Moscato d’Asti DOCG

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Grape Variety

A

Moscato Bianco (Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Three Provinces of Piemonte

A

Asti, Alexandria, Cuneo

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Primary Method

A

Tank

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Asti Method

A

Modified tank method

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Flavor Profile

A

”- Pronounced

  • Low ABV
  • Orange blosson, grapes, peach
  • M acid
  • Sweet”
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Asti DOCG v Moscato d’Asti DOCG

A

Asti Spumante = higher ABV, fully sparkling, less sweet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Climate

A

Moderate Continental

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Climate Description

A

”- Cold winters, hot/dry summers

- Adequate rainfall (spring + autumn = rainiest)”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Growing Environment

A

”- Regulations require grapes to be grown on hillside sites

  • Limestone + Clay soils
  • Max yields resstricted to 75 hL/ha for tank method wines
  • Planted at medium denisty
  • Guyot trained, VSP trellised “
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Moscato Bianco

A

”- aka Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains

- Aromatic, early buddying, mid-ripening, small berry size”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Risks

A

”- Rain disrupting fruit-set and harvest

- Powdery mildww, botrytis, mites”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Risk Mitigation

A

”- Plant on slopes for drainage

  • Canopy mgmt for to avoid share + enhance air flow
  • Clonal selection to make it more resistant to disease, perfumed, and higher yielding”
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Harvest

A

”- Date decided by ripeness + desired acidity (to balance with sweetness of final wine)

  • Early to mid September (before Oct rains)
  • Asti Spumante picked earlier for acidity; Moscato d’A picked later for aromatic intensity
  • Hand harvest on steeper slopes”
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Winemaking - Two Phases

A

“1. Production, calrification, filtration of must + chilling and storage
2. Single fermentation of the warmed-up must when required by demand”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Winemaking - Fermentation

A

”- Single fermentation

  • Pressure-resistent, temperature controlled tanks at low temperatures (61 - 64)
  • Neutral yeast, no MLF
  • CO2 comes from the sugar in the must (not tirage)
  • RS comes from stopping the ferm before dryness (not dosage)”
17
Q

Winemaking - Pressure Options

A

”- Frizzante: approx 2.5 atmospheres (semi sparkling)

- Spumante”

18
Q

Winemaking - CO2 & RS

A

”- CO2 released by valve in tank

  • Falling sugar levels monitored (waiting for the point where there’s enough sugar to create desired pressure and leave the desired level of RS)
  • Tank valve is closed to retain CO2
  • Fermentation is stopped via chilling when desired RS obtained
  • Filtered under pressure to remove yeast”
19
Q

Winemaking - Release

A

Released after a few weeks and intended to be drunk young

20
Q

How long can chilled must be stored?

A

2 years

21
Q

Why are there two phases?

A

The idea is to release the wine with the freshest primary fruit flavors throughout the year

22
Q

Winemaking - Considerations

A

Large investments for presses, flotation tanks, filtration/centrifuge equipment, heat exchangers, refridgerated storage space, ongoing energy

23
Q

Asti DOCG

A

”- 6 - 8% ABV

  • Sweet (100 g/L)
  • New regulations allow higher ABV which means dryer style (now ranging from Extra Dry to Dolce (e.g. 12 g/L +)
  • In the process of approving Brut Nature”
24
Q

Asti DOCG - Metodo Classico

A
  • 9 months on lees in bottle, Dolce in sweetness (50 g/L)
25
Q

Mostacto d’Asti DOCG

A

”- 4.5 - 6.5% abv

  • Sweet (130 g/L) = sweeter than Asti Spumante
  • Frizzante (can’t exceed 2.5 atmospheres)”
26
Q

Co-operatives

A

Important in the region (e.g. Martini & Rossi source 35% from 300 growers and the rest come from others + coops)

27
Q

Marketing

A

“The Consorzio promotes three stypes of Asti wine:

  1. Moscato d’Asti
  2. Asti Secco (off-dry)
  3. Asti (aka Asti Dolce)”
28
Q

The Asti Consorzio

A

Part of the overarching promotional body, Piemonte Land of Perfection (also reps Barolo, Barbaresco, Gavi)

29
Q

Production Levels

A

”- 70% Asti (big in Europe)

- 30% Moscato d’Asti (big in US)”