Central Italy Flashcards
Who famously toasted with Orvieto?
Enrico Fermi after the first successful nuclear reaction of the manhattan project.
Where is Orvieto DOC located? What are its rules?
It’s the classic wine region of Umbria.
Makes a light white wine with at least 60% grechetto & trebbiano.
What is Orvieto’s red wine DOC? What are its unique soils?
Lago di Corbara DOC makes red blends from international varieties grown on tuffeau soils. They make all styles of wine too.
What should you look for to boost your odds of buying good Orvieto?
Look for the classico designation for a white with mineral intensity & depth, as production area has expanded and quality has dropped.
What are the 2 DOCGs of Umbria? What do they produce?
Sagratino di Montefalco DOCG makes high alcohol, high tannin Sagratino red that can be passito or secco. They dry wine sees 37 months before release, including a year in wood.
Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG is 70-100% sangiovese, aged at least 3 years before release, with at least 6 months in wood. Younger wines or wines of other colors and styles are declassified to Torgiano DOC.
Who are the important Sagratino di Montefalco producers to know and what are their styles?
Marco Caprai is a modernist
Paolo Bea is a traditionalist
What influential Torgiano wine producing family was instrumental in the elevation of the rosso riserva elevation to DOCG?
The Lungarottis in 1990.
What are the 2 important DOCGs from Verdicchio in Marche?
Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva & Verdicchio di Metalica Riserva. Castelli di Jesi is coastal & produces rounder wines, while Metalica is inland & higher altitude, making leaner, sharper wines.
Both need 18 months aging to qualify for DOCG release.
How does Verdicchio express itself im Marche?
Late-ripening, high-acid, lemony, stony wine with a bitter almond finish. Can be spumante or late harvest or normale for DOC declassification.
What are the red wine DOCGs of Marche?
Conero Rosso Riserva: at least 85% Montepulciano, no more than 15% sangiovese, aged at least 2 years in botti or barrique.
Vernacchia di Serrapetrona DOCG: sparkling reds either dry or sweet, made with a portion passito grapes. 1
Where can I find intensely aromatic, heady, floral reds that drink like Pino Nero at the DOC level?
Lacrima di Morro d’Alba in Marches!
What is Marche’s newest DOCG?
Offida DOCG: makes Montepulciano reds and varietal whites from Pecorino & Passerina.
Where is Conero? What are its broader wine-production zones?
In Marche, on the coast, south of capital Acona. Conero DOC broadens into Rosso Piceno DOC, offering lighter versions of the montepulciano/sangiovese blends.
What is Abruzzo’s signature grape and signature DOC?
Montepulciano, and montepulciano d’Abruzzo! It’s cheap, ripe, tannic, pigmented, and hot. Guildsomm thinks it’s trash.
What is rosato montepulciano referred to as?
Ceresuelo, due to its cherry-hue.
What is the classico zone for Montepulciano in Abruzzo?
Colline Teramane Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOCG
What top montepulciano producers don’t use the DOCG because they think its a joke?
Edoardo Valentini & Emidio Pepe.
What are Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’s requirements for DOC, DOCG, & Riserva?
at least 85% montepulciano,
at least 90% montepulciano, at least a year aged, 2mo in bottle
at least 3 years of aging.
What is Abruzzo’s white wine DOC?
Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, made of Trebbiano toscano &/or Trebbiano Abruzzese/Bombino.
Where is Lazio?
It’s south of tuscany & umbria on the Tyrhennian coast, where Rome is.
What is Lazio’s umbrella DOC? What are its important subzones?
Castelli Romani DOC
Frascati DOC: still & sparkling whites based on malvasia
Frascati Superiore DOCG
Cannellino di Frascati DOCG: late harvest
What do somms think of Lazio wines?
They think they’re trash and proof of that Italy’s DOCGs are participation ribbons.
What is Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone?
A shitty, trebbiano-based white wine from Lazio with a stupid backstory.
What’s the notable red wine DOCG in Lazio? Who makes better wine from different grapes there?
Cesanese di Piglio DOCG is spicy, peppery, acid-driven red with moderate to high alcohol.
But the Falesco estate in Montefiascone makes plush, polished, & way better wine from Merlot & cab.
What % of Molise’s wine is DOC?
Only 5% of a very small production.
What are Molise’s 4 DOCs?
Molise
Tintilia del Molise
Pentro di Isernia
Biferno
