Calabria, Flashcards
Who are the key figures/producers associated with the native grapes of Calabria?
Librandi, others?***
Where are the “need to know” appellations situated within Calabria?
Cirò DOC, located along the central eastern Ionian coast; Greco di Banco, located on the southern Ionian coast
What are the “need to know” grape varieties in Calabria?
Gaglioppo, Greco Bianco
What are the factors that influence Calabria’s climate?
interior mountains, extensive coast line
Describe Calabria’s topographical structure.
most balanced with mainly hills and mountains; hills 49%, mountains 42%, plains 9% (similar to Campania 51/34/15, Toscana 67/25/8, Lazio 54/26/20, Sicilia 62/24/14)
What are the principal vine training systems in Calabria?
traditional training of alberello predominates, newer vineyards use cordone speronato or guyot
What was the first Italian region to called “Oentria?”
Calabria, the term later referred to much of southern Italy
What is the etymology of Oentria?
name given by Greek settlers to the land of ancient people who inhabited a territory from Campagnia to Calabria A likely derivation of the ethnonym Oenotrian would be the Greek word for “wine,” as these people inhabited a territory rich in vineyards
What are the Riace Bronzes?
ancient Greek bronze statues of naked bearded warriors cast about 460–450 BCE, found underwater near Reggio Calabria in 1972; now considered a symbol of the region
What is the significance of the producer Librandi?
Calabrian producer that focused on the movement to quality wine and use of native grapes
What regions border Calabria?
Basilicata is the only land border
What is the climate in Calabria?
Mediterranean on the coast and Mediterranean with continental influences in the interior.
What is the rainfall in Calabria?
abundant in the mountains and low along the coast, driest along Ionian coast, but not drought levels
What is the soil in the hills of the Ionian Coast in Calabria?
sandy gravels and clay of marine origin
What is the soil in the hills of the plains of Calabria?
alluvial
What is the soil in northern Calabria?
limestone, sandstone and sandy gravels of marine origin
What separates Campania and Sicilia?
Straits of Messina
What is the mix of red and white grapes in Calabria?
90% red grapes (>80% production is red wine)
What is the most planted grape in Calabria?
Gaglioppo
What is the most planted white grape in Calabria?
Greco Bianco
Historically Gaglioppo was first mentioned when?
records date to the 13th century, one of Italy’s most ancient grapes
What is the meaning of Gaglioppo?
beautiful foot, referring to symmetric grape cluster
Which appellation is most closely associated with Gaglioppo?
Cirò DOC
What are the synonyms for Greco Bianco?
Malvasia di Lipari, Malvasia di Sardegna
What is the most recognized style of wine made from Greco Bianco?
passito style of sweet dessert wine
How many acres of vineyards are in Calabria?
25,000 acres [about 1/2 the amount planted in Napa]
What is the quality pyramid in Calabria?
0/30/10/60 [mostly bulk like Basilicata]
What is the major IGT in Calabria?
Calabria IGT and Val di Neto IGT [do not confuse with Val di Noto in Sicilia]
What are the principal rivers in Calabria?
the Crati and the Neto [CalabRIA and important IGT]
What is Calabria’s oldest appellation?
Cirò DOC
What is Calabria’s most productive appellation?
Cirò DOC
Where is the Cirò DOC located?
central part of the Ionian coast, north of Crotone, Calabria
What is significance of Krimisa?
famous ancient Greek wine made in Calabria (in what may now be Cirò DOC) and presented to winners of the Olympic games
Where is the principal grape in Cirò DOC?
Gaglioppo
Where is the principal grape in Greco di Bianco DOC?
Greco Bianco [not di]
In Calabria what is the difference between Greco di Bianco, Greco Bianco and Bianco?
Greco di Bianco is the DOC, Greco Bianco is the grape variety and Bianco is the village
What are the principal wine styles of Cirò DOC?
most important is rosso, but also rosato and bianco; rosso can be done in classico, riserva, superiore
What are the principal wine styles of Greco di Bianco DOC?
whites, medium-sweet to sweet, high alcohol
What are the typical tasting notes for Greco Bianco?
aromas of orange blossom, tropical fruit and honey with a rich mouth feel that balanced by fresh acidity
What are the typical tasting notes for Gaglioppo?
medium-intensity ruby-colored wines with noticeable acidity and high tannin levels; they have floral notes, red berry fruit and a touch of underbrush
How is the passito style achieved in Greco di Bianco DOC?
grapes are air dried on graticci in the sun for appassimento
What is the difference in sweetness between Greco di Bianco and Greco Bianco?
Greco di Bianco is the DOC where wines are made from the grape Greco Bianco in a semi-sweet to sweet style; wines made from Greco Bianco in the Cirò DOC are done in a dry style.
What are the 3 most planted grapes in Calabria?
Gaglioppo, Magliocco, Nero Cappuccio [not Primitivo]
What are the closest genetic relatives of Gaglioppo?
parent-offspring of Sangiovese, sibling of Nerello Mascalese and Frappato (Robinson)
