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Italian Wine Scholar Unit 2 TB > Foundations > Flashcards

Foundations Flashcards

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1
Q

Indigenous tribes of Italy

A

Rhaeti - NW

Salassi - NW

Liguir - NE

Veneti - NE
Piceni - Central

Samnites - South

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2
Q

Contribution of the Etruscans

A

Taught tribes how to

  1. Grow vines
  2. Make wine
  3. Preserve wine
  4. High training - prototype for modern trellising
  5. Trade with France and Spain
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3
Q

What did the Romans name the South Italian territories?

A

Magna Graeci (Great Greece)

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4
Q

Contributions from the Greeks

A
  1. Brought new grape varieties ef Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains (Moscato)
  2. Innovative viticulture and wine making techniques
  3. low trianed vines
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5
Q

Contribution of the Romans?

A
  1. Refined vine training and prunning methods
  2. Mathcing soils with grape varieites
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6
Q

Columella

A

1st introduced the concept of terroir by recommending ideal soils for certain areas / grape varieties

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7
Q

1st Grand Crus of the Roman Empire

A

Caecubum - Lazio

Falernum - Campania

Mamerinum - Sicilia

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8
Q

Wine style prefered by Romans

A

Sweet & Alcoholic

Diluted with water, flavored and stabilized with salt water, resin, herbsd, spices and honey

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9
Q

Under Augustus

A

Wines in N Italy gained esteem

  1. Rhaeticum (Retico) - Veneto near Verona
  2. Pucinum - Friuli Venezia Giula

Italy became a majot center for production and trade of wine via road networks

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10
Q

Under Domitian

A

Vineyards replacing wheat fields led to overproduction of wine and scarcity of wheat

Domitian issued an edict 92 AD forbidding the planting of new vines in Italy

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11
Q

Fall of Rome

A

Splite into Byzantine Rome in the East under Constantine 330AB

Capital of West moved to Milan, then Ravenna

5th century Goths and Vandals led to fall of Rome in 476 AD

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12
Q

Middle Ages

A

Use of wooden barrels becomes widespread (not airtight so quality declined)

Justinian defeates Ostrogoths, but left country weakedn, which was exploited by Lombards who divided the kingdom into several duschies to maintain military dominance

Franks rose to defend the Papal territories against the Lombards in 756. Charlemange defended them again in 774 taking land from Lombards. After his death it set the stage for city-states

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13
Q

The Papal State

A

Lazio

Marche

Umbria

part of Emilia-Romagna

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14
Q

Middel Ages (cont)

A

9th - Arabs take Sicilia

11th c - Normas beat Arabs, control S Italy

Comuni developed around major towns evolving to city-states

Metayage & Mezzadri - sharecropping

Comuni - decreased in favor of Signoria (lordship) eg Medici - Firenze Sforza - Milano, Gonzaga - Mantova implementing duties, tolls, tax with different currencies making trade impossible

S Italy - Normans replaced by Crown of Aragon - divided into Kingdom of Napoli then Sicilia

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15
Q

Pier de Crescenzi (14th c)

A

Wrote 1st imporant doc on wine

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16
Q

Mezzadria

A

Landowner leased farmland to those who would work it

Owner to 50% of annual crop - made wine

Farmers used for food

Focus on quantity not quality

More prominent in the North and Central Italy

No dedicated vineyards

Abolised in 1960s

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17
Q

13th c - 16th c AD

A

Italian Renaissance - cultural advancement
Italy still weak politically and militarily - became a major battleground
Spanish - obtained control of a large part of Italy

  • *French** - retained dominance over Piemonte
  • *Venezia** and Papal States remained independent
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18
Q

Discovery of America

A

Started deep economic crisis in Italy as Mediterranean trade routes lost importance

Particularly severe in the south

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19
Q

17th/18th c AD

A

Austrian Habsburg Empire took control from Spain over large parts of the north
Spain retained Napoli and Sicilia
No incentive to improve or innovate, with no export market and few traveling (cork and glass, both common in 17th and 18th centuries didn’t take hold in Italy until 19th century)

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20
Q

Winter Freeze of 1709

A

Destroyed vines all over Europe into Northern Italy

Encouraged growers to replant cold-resistant grapes varieties -usually lesser quality

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21
Q

1720s

A

Duchy of Savoy obtained Sardegna through agreement with the Austrian Habsburg Empire and became Kingdom of Sardegna – a crucial step towards the process of Italian unification

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22
Q

1800s

A

Napoleon had taken control of a large part of northern and central Italy

1814-1815 Congress of Vienna restored Italy’s prior political structure, leaving the country largely under the hegemony of the Austrian Habsburg Empire

il Risorgimento (the Resurgence) lead to unification under the Kingdom of Sardegna’s leader King Vittorio Emanuele II de Savoia and General Guiseppe Garibaldi (who defeated Austrians in 1859)

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23
Q

Wine 1800s

A

Many of the most famous wine regions adopted their contemporary styles / blending formulas
Enological schools were established, including:
Enological School of Conegliano in Veneto
Agrarian Institute of San Michele all’Adige in Trentino
Enological School of Alba in Piemonte

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24
Q

Italian Unification

A

The united Kingdom of Italy was declared on March 17, 1861 but did not yet include all.
Veneto and part of Friuli Venezia Giulia were incorporated in 1866
Roma and Papal States annexed in 1870
Trentino, Alto Adige and part of Friuli Venezia Giulia remained independent (until 1915 - WWI)

Challenge was to “make Italians” out of different people, cultures, languages and laws

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25
Q

Phylloxera strikes

A

First noticed in Lombardia in 1875
Resulted in the replanting of considerable quantity of international varieties, particularly in the northeast
Many indigenous varieties never replanted and were lost forever
Oidium and peronospora also a problem

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26
Q

1900s

A

WWI led to annexation of Trentino, Alto Adige and remaining part of Friuli Venezia Giulia
Destruction and poverty led to political, social and economic crisis
Enter fascism, which led to dictatorship
Italy became a republic after WWII
Economic and industrial boom gave rise to a consumer class

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27
Q

1960s

A

First DOC - 1966 - Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Intense experimentation:
Single vineyard wines in Barolo
Sassicaia
Mezzadria abolished
Mario Schiopetto experiment in Friuli with modern winemaking techniques
Clonal selection research increased

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28
Q

EU Wine Laws

A

meant to align EU standards with those already adopted by WTO and to make label nomenclature more uniform

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29
Q

PDO

A

Produced from grapes grown in the stated geographical area
Entire production process must take place within the boundaries

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30
Q

DOCGs

A

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita

Wine undergoes lab analysis and blind tasting
Each bottle carries a golden seal label (fascetta or sigillo) with a unique alphanumeric code (used to be different colors based on style of wine)
Must have been DOC for at least 10 years
As of 2015 - 74 DOCGs

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31
Q

DOC

A

Tested for adherence to precise chemical and organoleptic standards
Carry a blue seal label (fascetta or sigillo) with unique alphanumeric code – optional to use serial number instead
As of 2015 - 332 DOCs

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32
Q

New DOCs and DOCGs

A

must gain approval from Italian government, and since 2012, also from EU

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33
Q

Sottozona

A

Sub-zone
Typically have more stringent production rules
E.g. Classico
May be linked to a particular grape

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34
Q

Friuli Colli Orientali Ribolla Gialla di Rosazzo DOC

A

Friuli Colli Orientali is DOC
Ribolla Gialla is the grape
Rosazzo is the sub-zone

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35
Q

Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva (MGA or MeGA)

A

Specific delimited vineyard area
Smaller, owned by fewer producers than sub-zones
Somewhat analogous to “cru”

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36
Q

PGI/IGP/IGT

A

Wines can show grape variety and vintage on label
85% rule (for location)
production process must take place within geographical boundaries
As of 2015 - total of 118

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37
Q

Vini

A

Vini da Tavola - traditional name now completely replaced and cannot be used
Can be labeled as Wine with an indication of color
OR
Wine with the grape variety and/or vintage (85% rule), but only 7 grapes allowed to appear on label:
Cab Franc, Cab Sav, Merlot, Chard, SB, Syrah and Cabernet (a blend of the 2 cabs)

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38
Q

Disciplinare di Produzione

A

the official legal document behind each DOCG, DOC and IGT
Formalizes the designations and terms that can be used on labels, grapes grown, geographical boundaries, viticultural and winemaking practices
Also contains the chemical-physical and organoleptic parameters

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39
Q

Consorzio

A

Voluntary association formed by producers, merchants and cooperatives
Regulated by law and tasked with protecting, promoting and developing the reputation and interest of the DOC/G
Testing is now entrusted to a third party
Equivalent to Comite Interprofessionnei in France and Consejo Regulador in Spain

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40
Q

Italian Wine Labels

A

MUST appear:

  1. Name of appellation
  2. Name of traditional quality designation (DOCG, DOC, IGT)
  3. Country of origin
  4. Vintage
  5. Name and location of bottler (importer may also be required)
  6. Indication of the batch
  7. Actual alcoholic strength
  8. Nominal volume of wine
  9. Sulfite warning
  10. Health warning (if required)
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41
Q

Abboccato

A

medium-dry wine (max 1.2% or 12g/l sugar)

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42
Q

Amabile

A

medium-sweet wine (max 4.5% or 45g/L sugar)

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43
Q

Annata

A

Vintage

44
Q

Bianco

A

White Wine

45
Q

Chiaretto

A

Rose wine made in a specific DOC

46
Q

Classico

A

wine produced from the original historic winegrowing area of a DOCG / DOC

47
Q

Dolce

A

a sweet wine (more than 4.5% or 45g/L sugar)

48
Q

Fermo

A

a still wine

49
Q

Imbottigliato all’origine

A

Estate bottled

50
Q

Liquoroso

A

a fortified wine

51
Q

Novello

A

a wine released shortly after it is made; similar in concept to Beaujolais Nouveau; by law, must include at least 40% wine made from carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration (some appellations require a higher percentage)

52
Q

Passito

A

Wine made from semi-dried grapes

53
Q

Riserva

A

a wine that went through an extended period of ageing before release; may also have stricter production requirements

54
Q

Rosato

A

rose wine

55
Q

Rosso

A

red wine

56
Q

Secco

A

a dry wine (max 0.4% or 4g/l sugar)

57
Q

Spumante

A

fully sparkling wine

58
Q

Superiore

A

a wine with a higher minimum actual alcohol content (ranging from 0.5% to 1% more); often have stricter production criteria

59
Q

Vendemmia

A

harvest or vintage

60
Q

Vendemmia Tardiva

A

late harvest; a wine made from late harvested grapes; the wine can be sweet or dry

61
Q

Vigna

A

Single Vineyard; stricter production requirements

62
Q

Vigneto

A

also a single vineyard; stricter production requirements

63
Q

VIvace

A

light fizzy wine

64
Q

Italian Mountains and Hills

A

Account for 77% of the total surface area

Alps - bolcks cold winds and humid air currents

Pre-Alps -

Apennines - considerably lower in altitude

65
Q

Italy Hills

A

Hills - 42% – this is where most vineyards are found

Sedimentary - formed by uplift of ancient sea bed

Morainic - glacial deposits containing high gravel and sand (parallel to Prealps)

Volcanic - Veneto, Toscana, Lazio, Campania, Sicilia

66
Q

Italy Plains

A

Plains - 23%
Mostly Padana Plain (Po Valley)(2/3 of plains)
Easternmost part of Padana Plain between Veneto and Friuli is a distinct plain called Pianura Veneto-Friuli

Also Puglia Tavoliere
Remainder along coastline and near river deltas
Only a small portion of vines planted on flat plains (Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Friuli, Puglia)

67
Q

Italian Seas

A

Mediterranean sub-divided into four major basins
(means “in the middle of the earth” becuase of its position between Africa, Europe and Asia)
Adriatic - between Italy and Balkans
Ionian - between Italy and Greece
Tyrrhenian - southwestern
Ligurian - northwest; near Corsica

68
Q

Italian Rivers

A

Very few navigable rivers
Po River - flows horizontally from western Alps to Adriatic at Veneto
Important tributaries - Tanaro, Dora, Baltea, Sesia, Ticino, Adda, Oglio
In the northeast - flowing south - Adige, Brenta, Tagliamento
Central and Southern - Tevere and Arno plus other smaller ones

69
Q

Italian Lakes

A

Garda, Como,Maggiore and Iseo in the north moderate the cooling influence of the Alps
Trasimeno, Bolseno and Bracciano are in Central Italy

70
Q

Italian Climate

A

Elevation rather than latitude
High elevation extends growing season, allowing grapes to maintain acidity and aromatic complexity
Northern – mostly continental, with alpine influence at higher altitudes; long severe winters, warm sunny summers
Padana Plain - fully continental with hot summers and cold winters
Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Friuli - more affected by Mediterranean
Central and southern - warm Mediterranean climate near coast with mild winters and warm to hot summers
(Tyrrhenian is deeper and larger - stronger influence)
Inland - mountainous, so cooler due to higher elevation

71
Q

Italian Tempuratures

A

Coldest average in northern Italy

Padana Plain - one of coldest in winters and one of hottest in summers

Central and southern - higher average temps, particularly in coastal areas

Coast of Sicilia, Calabria and southern Sardegna are highest average

72
Q

EU Wine-Growing Zones

A

6 zones: A, B, CI, CII, CIII(a) and CIII(b) where A is coldest
Valle d’Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige, parts of Lombardia and Veneto are CI
Sardegna, Sicilia, Calabria, Basilicata, Puglia - CIII(b)
Remainder of Italy CII

73
Q

Italian Rainfall

A

highest in mountains
lowest on plains and coasts
Generally, more rain in fall and winter
Summer drought can be a problem
Irrigation (under certain restrictions) may be allowed
Hail a threat in northern Italy

74
Q

Italian Soils

A

Sedimentary - transported by water, ice, wind, gravity
Moraines - transported by glacier - gravel, clay, silt, sand
Metamorphic - results when sedimentary or igneous rocks are subject to high temps and extreme pressure that causes changes in rock structure
Volcanic - sometimes magma solidifies in subsoil, other times it makes its way to the surface (Soave); Alto Adige has deposits of porphyry

75
Q

Sedimentary

A
  • Alluvial - transported by flowing rivers - gravel, sand, silt, clay
  • Marine - limestone, calcareous marl, dolomite (Alpine and Apennine areas)

Langhe, Valpolicella, Collio, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Conegliano Valdobbiadene, Chianti, Montalcino

76
Q

Moraines

A

Sedimentary mound transported by ice
Northern Piemonte, Franciacorta, Valtellina, around Lake Garda

77
Q

Metamorphic

A
  • granite, schist; found in mountain ranges
  • always linked to orogenesis
    Sardegna, Calabria, northeastern Sicilia, along the Alps
78
Q

Volcanic

A

Magma solidifies in the form of granite (sub-soil) or basaltic lava (surface)
Veneto’s Prealps
Toscana, Lazio, Basilicata, Campania, Sicilia

79
Q

Orogenesis

A

the formation of mountain ranges; created sedimentary soils
Hardened clay - found in Alpine and Apennine areas

80
Q

Political Geography

A

20 administrative regions
5 have a special autonomous status allowing them to govern with a certain level of autonomy and legislative power:
Valle d’Aosta
Trentino-Alto Adige
Friuli Venezia Giulia
Sicilia
Sardegna
Each region is divided into provinces (named for main city located within the area), and within a province, large number of municipalities (comuni)
Boundaries follow historical lines - mark significant differences in culture, traditions, food, languages, wines and grapes

81
Q

Vine training systems

A

Still some use of traditional systems, mostly in combination with modern techniques (high density planting, leaf stripping and green harvesting)

82
Q

High-trained vine systems

A

Etruscans introduced first – tree branches as support; produced dense canopy and abundance of grapes
Today generally used with low-density plantings
Pergola
Tendone
Geneva Double Curtain
Sylvoz - horizontal cordon, with shoots haning down
The latter two in Emilia Romagna and Veneto

83
Q

Pergola

A

Pergola Veronese - horizontal arms
Pergola Trentina - inclined arms
Widely used in Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Romagna

84
Q

Tendone

A

Canopy grows horizontally forming a tent with grape clusters hanging underneath
High productivity - used for table grapes but mostly replaced for wine grapes
Abruzzo, Campania, Puglia, Sicilia

85
Q

Low-trained vine systems

A

Vertical shoot positioning, including:
Cordone Speronato
Guyot
Cappuccina - Veneto - Guyot where new cane angles upwards, then downwards like an inverse “v”
Albarello

86
Q

Cordone Speronato

A

Single spur-pruned cordon
Suitable on medium-to-poor soils
Allows mechanical pruning

87
Q

Guyot

A

Most common
One or two new canes each year trained horizontally
Suitable in poor, dry hillside soils

88
Q

Alberello

A

Bush trained
Sicilia, Sardegna, Puglia
Suitable for hot, arid climates
Low-yielding
Labor intensive
Produces high quality, very ripe grapes
Used some in Valle d’Aosta where vine benefits from heat radiating from ground

89
Q

Zonazione

A

Ongoing study since 1980s
Data on soil, climate, topography, altitude, humidity, rainfall, sunlight hours, other factors
Goal to analyze the data in order to dive the area under vine into homogeneous sub-areas

90
Q

Native Grape Varieties

A

Mostly late-ripening
Require warm conditions in summer and early fall to ripen fully
350-600 genetically distinct and commercially relevant varieties (but could be higher)

91
Q

International Grape Varieties

A

Introduced to Italy in 19th century by winemakers who brought back vine cuttings from trips to other European wine regions
Other varieties introduced as a result of political and military events (German varieties brought under Austrian rule)
Another influx after phylloxera
Third influx in 1970s (Pinot Grigio) and 1980s (Chardoonay, SB, CS) and even 1990s (Syrah, Viognier)
Recently, the fashion for international varieties has declined considerably

92
Q

Most widely planted grape varieties

A

Sangiovese (more than twice as much as:)
Montepulciano
Catarratto Bianco
Merlot
Trebbiano Toscano
Barbera
Chardonny - mostly for sparkling
Glera
Pinot Grigio
Nero d’Avola

93
Q

Winemaking, generally

A

Substantial improvement since 1970s
Influx of EU funds
Experimentation over the years plus modernization (mixed with traditional)

94
Q

Adjustments

A

Chaptalization forbidden
Must enrichment allowed in some poor vintages (RCGM / MCR) - strictly regulated
Acid adjustment permitted but strictly regulated
(C1 zones can de-acidify only; CIII(b) can only acidify)

95
Q

Red Wine new techniques

A

Fermentation in SS and/or wood, concrete
Pumping over, submerging cap, rotofermenters
Shortened maceration time, though some high-quality producers keep longer macerations
Traditionally large Slavonian oak or chestnut (botti), but now more small French oak barrels and tonneaux (goal to tame tannins and acidity)

96
Q

White Wine new wine making techniques

A

Abandoned fermentation on skins
Slow, cool fermentations, SS, cultured yeast, filtration, centrifugation, elimination of oxygen contact
Now, some interest in natural yeast, wood fermentation and ageing, even some short cold pre-fermentation macerations

97
Q

Sparkling wine new wine making techniques

A

Mostly tank method with shorter lees-aging
(Good for aromatic grapes)
Traditional Method - Franciacorta DOCG and Trento DOC
Riper grapes mean less need for high levels of dosage

98
Q

Tank Method

A

Federico Martinotti developed in 1895
Eugene Charmat adopted it in 1920s
Known as Chrmat method, but in Italy often called Metodo Martinotti

99
Q

Talento

A

Term and symbol used to indicate wines made by traditional method. Most producers did not use, so largely abandoned

100
Q

Frizzante

A

1-2.5 atm
Emilia-Romagna and Oltrepo Pavese
Usually tank method, but some ancestral method

101
Q

Sweet Wines

A

Sweet wine production pre-dates Middle Ages
Appassimento - drying grapes after harvest
Also some sweet wines from late-harvest grapes
Noble rot - muffa nobile

102
Q

Sweetness Levels

A

Dolce
Amabile - medium sweet
Abboccato - medium-dry
Secco

103
Q

Rose Wines

A

Minor category
around Lake Garda
Direct press or bleeding (salasso)

104
Q

What is a fascetta or sigillo?

A

Each bottle carries a golden seal label (fascetta or sigillo) with a unique alphanumeric code

105
Q

What grape cannot appear on Italian generic labels and which can?

A

Pinot Noir cannot appear on generic wine labels

Syrah, CavSav and Merlot can appear

Italian Wine Scholar Unit 2 TB (49 decks)

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