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Italian Wine Scholar > Chapter 6 - White Wines of Northern Italy > Flashcards

Chapter 6 - White Wines of Northern Italy Flashcards

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1
Q

What style are the white wines of Northern Italy generally and what about the region contributed to this style?

A

Fuller bodied, more complex, and earthier than average coastal wine, not necessarily lower acidity (most italian grapes naturally high in acidity); developed to go well with meat and starch dishes in area, generally cooler and less sunny calling for wines with more substance

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2
Q

What is the most planted white variety in all of Italy and where is it grown

A

Pinot Grigio, 90% comes from Northern tier, most widely recognized as Pinot Grigio today but is international variety from France called Pinot Gris

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3
Q

What are the other abundant white varieties in the north other than Pinot Grigio and what are they mainly used for?

A

Mainly used to make sparkling wine:

  1. Glera- grown mostly in Veneto (Prosecco)
  2. Moscato (Piedmont)
  3. Chardonnay (Lombardy to Friuli Venezia-Giulia)
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4
Q

What is the other major white variety in the North aside from Pinot Grigio that is used to make still wines?

A

Garganega, planted extensively in south-central Veneto, ancient variety that is ancestor of many other Italian grapes (genetically same as Sicily’s Grecanico Dorato)

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5
Q

What are smaller production white varieties in Northern Italy and where are they from?

A

Cortese, Arneis, and Erbaluce are well-known grapes in Piedmont, grown little elsewhere
Friuliano variety in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto (previously Tocai Friuliano but Tokaj in Hungary objected to misappropriation of name), called Tai in Veneto
Ribolla Gialla mainly grown in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Pinot Bianco- international variety grown throughout northeast for still and sparkling wine

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6
Q

Arneis:

  1. Characteristics
  2. Flavors/Aromas
  3. Best DOP
A
  1. Sweet, low in acid, straw green color
  2. White flowers, chamomile, peaches, pear, apricot, citrus, almond
  3. Roero DOCG (Piedmont)
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7
Q

Cortese:

  1. Characteristic
  2. Aromas/flavors
  3. Best DOP
A
  1. Very high in acidity, distinct minerality
  2. Lemon, mineral, white flowers, herbs
  3. Gavi DOCG (Piedmont)
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8
Q

Erbaluce:

  1. Characteristics
  2. Aromas/flavors
  3. Best DOPs
A
  1. High to very high in acidity
  2. Green apple, floral, lemon, mineral, white flowers, apricot
  3. Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG (Piedmont), Colline Novaresi DOC (Piedmont), Coste della Sesia DOC (Piedmont)
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9
Q

Friuliano:

  1. Same as
  2. Characteristics
  3. Aromas and flavors
A
  1. Sauvignonasse
  2. Pale straw green color
  3. White flowers, almonds, green apple
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10
Q

Garganega:

  1. Characteristics
  2. Biotypes
  3. Aromas/flavors
  4. Best DOPs
A
  1. One of Italy’s greatest white varieties, one of oldest, related to many varieties; steely, minerally, age-worthy
  2. Many biotypes- Grecianico, Dorato
  3. White flowers, apricot, citrus, yellow apple, hay
  4. Soave DOC (Veneto), Gambellara DOC (Veneto)
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11
Q

Glera:

  1. Varieties
  2. Characteristics
  3. Aromas/flavors
  4. Best DOP
A
  1. Two distict but related varieties- Glera Tondo (most common), and Glera Lunga; interplanted in vineyards and blended into Prosecco
  2. High in acidity
  3. Buttercup, green apple, white peach
  4. Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG (Veneto), especially Cartizze subzone
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12
Q

Moscato Bianco:

  1. Characteristics
  2. Aromas/flavors
  3. Best DOP
A
  1. Most widespread member of probable progenitor of Muscat family, low in acidity
  2. grapefruit, floral
  3. Asti DOCG (Piedmont)
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13
Q

Ribolla Gialla:

  1. Characteristics
  2. Aromas/flavors
  3. Best DOPs
A
  1. Ofter used for orange wines, very high in acidity
  2. White pepper, lemon, tangerine
  3. Colli Goriziano DOC (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), Friuli Colli Orientali DOC (Friuli-Venezia Giulia)
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14
Q

What is the primary white variety in Piedmont?

A

Moscato, used almost exclusively for sweet and effervescent wines most notably from Asti DOCG

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15
Q

What are the most important still wine grapes in Piedmont?

A

Cortese, Arneis, and Erbaluce

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16
Q

What is the most famous Piedmont white wine denomination?

A

Gavi DOCG for Cortese, located in southeastern Piedmont, similar to peninsula white wines in style due to being located near a pass in Ligurian Alps giving it access to maritime products

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17
Q

What percent Cortese are Gavi DOCG wines?

A

100%, can be labeled Cortese di Gavi to make things clear

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18
Q

What are wines called that come from town of Gavi itself?

A

Gavi del Comune di Gavi

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19
Q

What is the second most important still-wine white variety in Piedmont and what is the best DOP?

A

Arneis, best examples come from Roero DOCG (also produces red wines from Nebbiolo but better known for whites)

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20
Q

What percent Arneis must Roero white wines contain?

A

Minimum of 95% Arneis

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21
Q

What is the primary white variety of Northern Piedmont?

A

Erbaluce

22
Q

What is Erbaluce’s primary denomination?

A

Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG also called Caluso DOCG, made from 100% Erbaluce

23
Q

What is Lombardy’s largest source for still white wines?

A

The fertile triangle formed by Piedmont on west, Emilia Romagna on east, and Po river to North (Oltrepo Pavese)

24
Q

What are the most common white varieties in Oltrepo Pavese DOC wines?

A

Chardonnay and Riesling

25
Q

What is the denomination in Oltrepo Pavese specifically for Pinot Grigio

A

Oltrepo Pavese Pinot Grigio DOC

26
Q

What impact does Lake Garda have on vineyards and where is it located?

A

Eastern side of Lombardy, lies on border of Lombardy and Veneto with small portion in Trentino; Italy’s largest lake, cools vineyards in summer adn wards off frost early and late in the season

27
Q

What is the only Lake Garda DOP that is entirely in Lombardy?

A

Riviera del Garda Classico DOC, makes reds from Groppello and Riesling based whites

28
Q

What wines does Garda DOC make and where is it located?

A

Nearly surrounds lake Garda, in both Veneto and Lombardy; denomination for red, rosato, and white mainly varietally labeled wines

29
Q

What grapes is Lugano DOC made from and where is it located?

A

Highly regarded denomination for white wines only, crosses Lombardy Veneto border at south end of Lake Garda, all varietal Trebbiano di Lugano (aka Trebbiano di Soave and Turbiana), in fact genetic match to Verdicchio

30
Q

Where is Custoza DOC located and what wines does it make?

A

White wine only denomination, blends of native and international varieties including Garganega, Friulano, and Trebbiano; located east of Lugano entirely within Veneto (sometimes called Bianco di Custazo DOC)

31
Q

How much more white wine than red wine does Trentino-Alto Adige make and how is it labeled

A

Twice as much white as red, usually labeled varietally

32
Q

What are Trentino-Alto Adige’s most prevalent white grapes?

A

Most are international varieties, most prevalent are Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio, others frequently seen are Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon Blanc and Traminer

33
Q

Traminer is most familiar to people by what name?

A

Gewurtzraminer, originated in Alto Adige

34
Q

What is the history of Gewurztraminer?

A

Home is a village called Tramin in Alto Adige and means “From Tramin,” when in Alsace underwent mutation into aromatic variety and earned “gewurz” meaning spicy

35
Q

What are most still wines in Trentino-Alto Adige labeled as?

A

Either Trentino DOC or Alto Adige DOC (often appearing as Sudtirol DOC)

36
Q

Where is the Valdadige DOC?

A

Partially in Veneto but covers significant territory in Trentino-Alto Adige, combines two provincial denominations but generally stick to one province or the other (also has German name Etschtaler DOC)

37
Q

What is the primary grape variety in Friuli-Venezia Giulia?

A

Pinot Grigio

38
Q

What white varieties other than Pinot Grigio are common in Friuli-Venezia Giulia?

A

Chardonnay, Suavignon Blanc, and native grapes Friulano and Ribolla Gialla

39
Q

What is the largest denomination that lies fully within Friuli-Venezia Giulia?

A

Friuli DOC, spans entire region south of the Alps and produces both red and white wines

40
Q

Where do Friuli’s most interesting wines come from, which two denominations are there?

A

The hilly area along the border of Slovenia; Collio Goriziano DOC and Colli Orientali DOC, produce wide range of wines

41
Q

What have Italian producers decided is necessary to decommoditize Pinot Grigio as it has become a wine even the most casual wine drinker knows?

A

Try to teach consumers to look for Pinot Grigios that come from their heartland, the Italian Northeast; in 2017 wrapped huge swath of Northeast into denomination specifically for promoting Italy’s Pinot Grigio

42
Q

What is the name of the large denomination in Northeast Italy created to promote Pinot Grigio and where is it located? What does it mean?

A

Delle Venezie DOC, purpose to raise quality of Pinot Grigio and unify it under “Delle Venezie” brand; comprises all of Veneto, all of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino part of Trentino-Alto Adige; Delle Venezia means “Of the Venetian Region” and pays homage to the Venetian Republic

43
Q

How was the new Pinot Grigio DOC created?

A

By upgrading status of Pinot Grigio in preexisting IGP (Delle Venezie) covering same territory, existing IGP renames IGP Trevenezie and is no longer permitted to make varietal Pinot Grigio

44
Q

Where does Veneto rank in white wine production in Italy

A

Easily the largest producer of white wine, also typically largest producer overall

45
Q

What is Veneto’s primary white grape variety?

A

Glera, used almost exclusively for sparkling wine

46
Q

What are other abundant white grape varieties in Veneto outside of Glera?

A

Pinot Grigio, Garganega, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Friulano (called tai in Veneto)

47
Q

What is Veneto’s most famous single region denomination for white wine?

A

Soave DOC, located about 25 miles east of Lake Garda and just east of city of Verona and Valpolicella red wine area

48
Q

What is the highest-volume denomination for still white wines in Italy?

A

Soave DOC (Veneto) based on Garganega grape,can blend as much as 30% Trebbiano di Soave and Chardonnay as well, but generally Garganega alone

49
Q

What are the two companion DOCGs for Soave DOC?

A

Soave Superiore DOCG for dry wines and Recioto di Soave DOCG for sweet wines; their production is negligible compared to DOCs, both based on Garganega, can blend as much as 30% Trebbiano di Soave, but generally Garganega alone

50
Q

Where is the Valdadige DOC located, where is most of its wine grown, and what wines does it produce?

A

Great majority located in Trentino-Alto Adige geographically but 85% of wine production comes from vineyards in Veneto; primarily focused on white wines from Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, and Chardonnay, also produces some red wines

Italian Wine Scholar (9 decks)

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