Fundamentals - History Flashcards
Who developed wine cultivation within the indigenous Italian population in the North and centre of Italy?
Etruscans
What is the name used for vine training up trees as natural supports
Alberata or vite maritata all’albero
Who developed wine cultivation in the Southern half of Italy in the 8 to 6th C BCE?
The Greeks
Who unified Italy in 42BCE?
The Romans
Who wrote the winemaking text “De re rustica”
Columella
What containers did the Romans use to transport wine?
Amphora
What happened to wine production during the Middle Ages?
Quality declined
What is Mazzadria?
Sharecropping (typically 50% for the landowner)
What is a Communi
A city state, typically centred around the large cities
What are “signorie”
Noble families ruling city states
What is the Rinascimento?
Italian Renaissance (13C to 16C)
Why didn’t glass bottles become commonplace in Italy until the 19th C?
Lack of export markets
What is il Risorgimento?
The Resurgence - Italy’s political unification
What caused many indigenous varieties to be replanted in the early 20th C?
Phylloxera
What was the first DOC approved?
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Who influenced modern Italian winemaking practices?
Giacomo Tachis
Which tribe were promoting viticulture in the western Mediterranean prior to the 8C BCE?
The Phoenicians
Who developed an export market for Italian wines in the 7C BCE?
The Etruscans
What did “De re rustica” identify to support grape growing?
Ideal soils and areas for each grape variety
What were Caecubum, Falernum and Mamertinum?
Renowned wines considered Roman Italy’s first Grand Crus
What was the capital of the eastern Roman Empire?
Constantinople
Who’s invasion of northern Italy led to the decline of wine production in the Western Roman Empire?
Goths and Vandals
What wine drinking practice was considered barbaric by the Romans?
Drinking wine straight (i.e. undiluted by water)
Who maintained viticulture during the dark ages?
The monastic orders
What was the typical form of governmental power in Italy in the 12th C?
City States (“Communi”)
During the 11 to 13C, how did wine storage change?
Wine was stored in barrels rather than amphora
What were the “maritime republics”?
Italian coastal cities (Venice, Genova and Pisa) which became some of the most powerful city states in europe
Why didn’t the city states trade with each other?
Complex duties, tariffs and tolls
When did the Italian Renaissance take place?
13C to 16C
Where did the Italian Renaissance start?
Florence
What event, in 1720, enabled “il Risorgimento”
The Dutch of Savoy taking control of Sardinia - which made the duchy a major power
What event started Italy’s political unification?
“il Risorgimento”
When was the Kingdom of Italy formed?
1861
What is Odium?
Powdery Mildew
What is Peronospora?
Downy Mildew
What event finally resulted in the full unification of Italy
The end of the 1st World War - Italy annexed Trentino, Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia from the Austro-Hungarian empire
When was Italy declared a republic?
At the end of WWII
When was the DOC system introduced to Italy?
1963
What is the name of a single vineyard wine in Barolo?
“Vigna”
what percentage of wine production comes from Italy?
19.3%
What percentage of world wine exports by volume does Italy account for?
20.5%
