International Wine Flashcards
what is the name of the Phocaeans city in France?
Marseilles / Massilia
- What vessels did the Greek use to transport wine across seas?
Amphoras
- Which is the Spanish vineyard created by the Greeks?
The area of Catalunya except Priorat
- After the fall of the Roman Empire, how would you briefly describe Greece’s wine role in Europe?
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Greece fell under Byzantine and then Ottoman sovereignty. Greece became one of the key suppliers of sweet wines made with Malvasia in Europe. Those wines went through Venice.
- What is Retsina
Retsina, an aromatized wine flavored with Aleppo pine resin and is still the only reference point for the country’s vinous products and has been for 2000 years. Historically, wine was transported through ancient Greece in amphoras, often sealed with pine resin to prevent spoilage, and over time the resultant flavor became an acquired taste. Today, Retsina is mainly produced as a white wine, from Savatiano grapes, and flavored with the addition of pine resin during the fermentation. The Roditis grape variety is also used. Retsina is a Traditional Appellation protected by the EU under the name “Appellation Traditionnelle Retsina”, and is rarely encountered outside of Greece.
- Give the name of one white and one black Greek indigenous grapes
White / Blanc : Assyrtiko, Malagousia Red / Rouge : Xinomavro, Agiorgitiko
- State 1 famous agricultural produce that originates from the Peloponnese
Kalamata Olives
- Where in Greece is Assyrtiko mostly grown
Santorini Island
- At first, did the Roman enjoy wine? Justify your answer
The first Romans had contempt for wine drinkers, they said they were debauched. Rather, they advocated milk, a healthier drink in their eyes for a soldier people. Once they conquered Enotria, the Romans were in turn definitively seduced by wine and its pleasures. Wine is now the daily drink of the Romans, who now grow vines throughout Italy. This taste for wine will even push them to take over the mother house of Enotria.
- Under Roman era, where were the most-appreciated wines produced
Many of the wines from the Roman era were mainly sweet or white. On the one hand, we had the production of vintage wines, on the other, a more local and less renowned mass production. Three great vintages stand out from the crowd: Falerne, Cécube, Albanum produced in the Campania region. Their production is concentrated between Rome and Pompeii, a region where most of Roman high society is found.
- Explain why, starting in the Renaissance era, Italians started to produce sweet wines.
For Venice, the fall of Constantinople is a serious blow. On the other hand, Italian viticulture will finally be able to start. First, to make up for the lack of Greek wines, Venice will develop the vineyards of its hinterland around Verona and Padua. In the regions of Bardolino, Soave and Valpolicella, vineyards were planted in order to produce sweet and full-body wines which could replace Greek wines. To obtain such wines, the technique developed was to dry the grapes in the sun. Famous wines would be created which today are called Recioto della Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella and Recioto di Soave.
- How did Louis Oudart contribute to Italian wine industry?
Louis Oudart, Mathematician and oenologist in Champagne revolutionized between 1832 and 1849 the local viticulture, he imposed the culture on stakes (spani). He introduced new winemaking techniques and, above all, made Nebbiolo the king grape variety of Barolo. Louis Oudart is also responsible for making Barolo a dry wine.
- Traditionally speaking, what is a “fiasco”?
When the phylloxera crisis finally subsided in France, Italian production found a new outlet, the Italians of the diaspora. It is that the wine industry which developed at great speed will not bring prosperity to all, especially in the south of the country. Also, throughout the first half of the 20th century, Italy’s primary export was not wine, but Italians. Poverty, also the victory of the fascists in 1922, drove millions of poor people into exile. These Italians from America and several European countries would become the first customers of the (bad) Italian wine for export. The famous “fiasco”, the bottle dressed in straw, is no stranger to this success.
- What are the Italian levels of appellation as per the latest law
- Vino di Tavola - I.G.T, “Indicazione Geografica Tipica” - D.O.C, “Denominazione di Origine Controllata” - D.O.C.G., “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita”
- Name three DOCG
Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany) Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Tuscany) Chianti (Tuscany) Barolo (Piedmont) Barbaresco (Piedmont)
- Which is Italy’s leading wine region in volume?
Prosecco DOC
- Name three Piemont grapes
Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera, Brachetto, Cortese, Moscato
- What style of wine is Brachetto d’Acqui?
Brachetto is a red grape from the provinces of Asti and Alessandria in south-eastern Piedmont. It is used in the composition of semi-sweet sparkling rosé wines from the DOCG Brachetto d’Acqui appellation.
- Which is the common grape in Barolo and Barbaresco?
Nebbiolo
- What is the sparkling wine method used in Franciacorta
Methodo Classico / Tradionnal Methode / Methode traditionnelle
- What is the closest, well-known city to Valpolicella
Verona / Verone
- What is the difference between a Ripasso and a Reciotto wine?
To make Recioto, winemakers pick ripe grapes from vines and let them dry on mats or hanging from rafters throughout the month of January, then vinifying these shriveled grapes and stopping fermentation before all sugars convert to alcohol. These sweet dessert wines have good acidity and a toothsome mouthfeel Made by fermenting standard Valpolicella with a pomace of grape skins left over from Recioto and Amarone, Ripasso is double-processed, and its name means “re-pass.” These soft, supple, medium-bodied wines combine the sour cherry notes of standard Valpolicella and the soft, bitter, slightly raisined notes of Amarone and Recioto.
- What is the main red grape grown in Abruzzo
Montepulciano
- What is the white wine DOCG of Tuscany?
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
- Which is the Tuscany DOCG that does not blend Sangiovese?
Brunello di Montalcino
- Which Super-Tuscan wine has its own appellation
Bolgheri DOC / Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC
- What is the winemaking technique used to produce Vin Santo?
Grapes must be dried on or off the vine (Appassimento) to achieve a minimum sugar level of 270 g/l. According to the production rules, white Vin Santo must contain at least 70% of Trebbiano Toscano and / or Malvasia Bianca Lunga, red Vin Santo at least 50% of Sangiovese. Straw wines (vin de paille in French and strohwein in German) are so named because they are traditionally made from grapes left to dry out on straw mats after harvest for 3 to 6 months. The mats are placed in the warmest, driest part of the home (or winery) so the grapes gradually desiccate over the winter. This process concentrates the grapes’ natural sugars as they usually lose around 60 percent of their original volume.
DOC/DOCG
Region
Main Grape
Colour
Soave
Trebbiano d’Abbruzo
Cerasuolo di Vitoria
Campania
Aglianico
Red
Glera
Montepulciano
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Puglia
Red
Veneto
Red
Etna
Red
Marsala
DOC/DOCG
Region
Main Grape
Colour
Soave
Veneto / Venetie
Garganega
White
Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
Abbruzo
Trebbiano d’Abbruzo
White
Cerasuolo di Vitoria
Sicily
Nero d’Avolo / Frappato
Red
Taurasi
Campania
Aglianico
Red
Prosecco
Veneto
Glera
White
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Montepulciano
Red
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Tuscany
Sangiovese
Red
Primitivo di Manduria
Puglia
Primitivo
Red
Valpolicella
Veneto
Corvina
Red
Etna
Sicily
Nerelo Capuccio / Nerelo Mascalese
Red
Marsala
Sicily
Grillo, Cataratto, Inzolia
White
DO
Region
Main grape variety
Bierzo
Rias Baixas
Toro
Rioja
Rueda
Montilla-Moriles
Mentrida
DO
Region
Main grape variety
Bierzo
Castilla Y Leon
Mencia
Rias Baixas
Galicia
Albarino
Toro
Castilla Y Leon
Tina de Toro
Rioja
La Rioja
Tempranillo
Rueda
Castilla Y Leon
Verdejo
Montilla-Moriles
Andalucia
Pedro Ximenez
Mentrida
Castilla La Mancha
Garnacha
Producer / Wine
DO / DOCa
Miguel Torres
Castillo Ygay
Commado G
Veronica Ortega
Vega Sicilia ‘Unico’
Clos Mogador
Toro Albala PX
Producer / Wine
DO / DOCa
Miguel Torres
Penedes
Castillo Ygay
Rioja
Commado G
Mentrida
Veronica Ortega
Bierzo
Vega Sicilia ‘Unico’
Ribera del Duero
Clos Mogador
Priorat
Toro Albala PX
Montilla Moriles
Grape
Color
DO / DOCa
Mencia
Godello
Monastrell
Verdejo
Airèn
Xa’rello
Tina da Toro
Grape
Color
DO / DOCa
Mencia
Red
Bierzo
Godello
White
Ribeira Sacra
Monastrell
Red
Penedes
Verdejo
White
Valdeorras
Airèn
White
Castilla la Mancha
Xa’rello
White
Penedes
Tina da Toro
Red
Toro
DOs
Climate
Toro
Penedès
Priorat
Jerez
Mentrida
Ribeira Sacra
DOs
Climate
Toro
Continental
Penedès
Mediterranean
Priorat
Continental
Jerez
Oceanic
Mentrida
Continental
Ribeira Sacra
Oceanic
Grape
Synonym
Mazuelo
Viura
Godello
Garnacha Tintorera
Monastrell
Grape
Synonym
Mazuelo
Carignan
Viura
Macabeo
Godello
Verdejo
Garnacha Tintorera
Alicante Bouschet
Monastrell
Mourvedre
Wine of Jerez
Made with Flor
Made partially with Flor
Made without Flor
Manzanilla
Amontillado
Palo Cortado
Oloroso
Pedro Ximenez
Wine of Jerez
Made with Flor
Made partially with Flor
Made without Flor
Manzanilla
Yes
No
No
Amontillado
Yes
No
No
Palo Cortado
No
Yes
No
Oloroso
No
No
Yes
Pedro Ximenez
No
No
Yes
What is the definition of “Reserva Especial”?
Traditionally, in Spain, the rare wineries that could bottle their wine produced two types of wine for each harvest: that of the current year and another wine without a specific vintage, which was called “Reserva Especial”. It was a blend of wines from the best vintages from which emerged the most representative wine from the cellar.
What are the 3 main grapes used for Cava
- Macabeo
- Parellada
- Xa’ Rello
Please name the levels of appellation in Spain as per the most recent law.
Vino de Mesa
Vinos de la Tierra
Denominacion de origen
Denominacion de origen Calificado
Vino de Pago
Please name the subregions of the Rioja DOCa
- Rioja Alavesa
- Rioja Alta
- Rioja Baja (Oriental)
When and where did phylloxera first hit Spain?
La Rioja in 1901
One of the DOs of Spain was created much later than others by Chartreuse Monks. Which is it?
Priorat in 1163
Which region is Santiago de Compostela located in
Galicia
Give 3 synonyms for Tempranillo
- Tinto Fino
- Tina de Toro
- Ull de Llebre
Please name 4 countries where the Spanish Conquistadors planted vines during the Spanish exploration.
- Haiti
- Mexico
- USA
- Peru, Chile, Argentila, Paraguay, Uruguay
Please explain the new classification the Rioja DOCa is implementing.
Vinos de Zona: one of the three sub-zones
Vino Municipio: the name of a village (In Rioja, there are 145 municipalities, 77 in Rioja Alta, 50 in Rioja Oriental, and 18 in Rioja Alavesa)
Vinedo Singular: Single-vineyard sites
Which are the different styles of Cava wines
- Cava
- Reserva Cava
- Gran Reserva
- Cava Paraje Calificado
What is the main grape variety in the Jerez?
- Palomino
What are the similarities and the differences between a Jerez Fino and a Manzanilla?
Same region, same grape, same fortification, same Flor, No Solera for both Manzanilla is produced within Jerez next to Sanlucar de Barramedo.
DOPS
Region
Main grape(s)
Main wine color
Muscat of Alexandria
Minho
Douro
Sercial
Porto
Dao
Red
DOPS
Region
Main grape(s)
Main wine color
Moscatel de Setubal
Lisbon
Muscat of Alexandria
white
Vinho Verde
Minho
Loureiro / Alvarinho
White
Douro
Douro
Touriga Nacional
Red
Madeira
Island of Madeira
Sercial
White
Porto
Douro
Touriga Nacional
Red
Dao
Dao
Jaen
Red
What does Colheita mean?
Vintage / Millesime
Which are the red grapes used on Madeira Island under the Madeira DOP?
Tinta Negra Mole and Bastardo
Please give the name of one famous Portuguese sailor
- Vasco de Gama
When did Portugal became independant?
- 1143
When was Madeira discovered by Portugese sailors?
- 1419
What are the three names of the Portugese appellation system
- Vinhos de Mesa
- IGP
- DOC / DOP
What does “canteiro” mean and where is it used?
It is the process that allows to age wine under specific heat conditions on the island of Madeira
What is a “largar” and where is it used?
A Lagar is a large traditional Portugal vessel made of granite or stainless steel used specifically in the Douro región, used to make Port wines.
Please give three common grapes used in the Douro región.
- Touriga Franca
- Touriga Nacional
- Tinta Roriz
- Touriga Franca
- Touriga Nacional
- Tinta Roriz
In your own words, why did the Portuguese and the British develop a relationship and how did it develop over the years?
Portuguese needed allies to fight the Moors and the Spanish>
British needed wine as they couldn’t make any themselves and fought France, their main wine supplier.
Both countries signed trade deals (treaty of Windsor, Treaty of Westminster and Methuen) that would greatly expand Portuguese viticulture but would also allow overtime British merchants to settle on Portuguese territory.
Please give similarities and differences between a Vintage Port and Colheita Port?
Both Vintage Ports and Colheita Ports are made with one harvest worth of fruit.
Vintage Ports have to be declared and if granted, then bottled within 2 and a half years of harvest.
Colheita Ports do not need to be declared and go through an oxidative aging in barrels.
Which is the leading producing región of Portugal in terms of volume?
Douro
At the indicated date, who was/is Portugese’s wine favored export market?
- 1717
- 2020
- 1717: England
- 2020: France
Please give one synonym of Tempranillo when grown in Portugal.
- Aragonese
- Tinta Roriz
What is “Mateus”? Who created it and when?
Mateus is one of Portugal’s flagship brands created by the Van Zeller family after WWII.
Wine
Dry or sweet
Body
Tannins
Vinho Verde Quinta Do Ameal “Loureiro” 2018
Warre’s Vintage Port 2016
Ramos Pinto Tawny Port 30 years old
HM Borges Madeira Sercial 10 years old
Justino’s Masdeira Malmsey 10 years old
Wine
Dry or sweet
Body
Tannins
Vinho Verde Quinta Do Ameal “Loureiro” 2018
Dry
Light
Absent
Warre’s Vintage Port 2016
Sweet
Full
High
Ramos Pinto Tawny Port 30 years old
Sweet
Medium
Very low
HM Borges Madeira Sercial 10 years old
dry
light
Absent
Justino’s Masdeira Malmsey 10 years old
sweet
full
Absent
Define Vin Santo
Vin Santo (“holy wine”) is the name given to straw wines traditionally made in Tuscany
Super Tuscan :
This useful but unofficial term appeared in the 1970s to describe a set of high-quality Tuscan wines that were not allowed to claim DOC or DOCG status because they violated traditional Italian vinification standards (grape varieties foreigners were used and the wines were often matured in small new barrels).
DOCG :
The DOCG designation was created in 1980 in response to criticisms that there were too many DOCs and their quality was variable. DOCG wines, on the other hand, had to be really the best of what Italian wines could offer.
The first DOCG wines were Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. There are now 75 DOCG wines in Italy, most concentrated in the regions of Piedmont, Tuscany and Veneto.
The practical difference between DOC and DOCG is a difference in quality: DOC and DOCG wines are both wines with a designation of origin, but DOCG wines have a “garantita” or additional guarantee, by the Italian government, of be wines of particularly high quality. Each DOCG labeled wine must pass a quality tasting jury, while DOC wines must simply be cultivated and produced according to the rules of the appellation.
Spumante:
The spumante has two different production methods:
- Metodo classico or champenoise, with second fermentation into the bottle
- Martinotti method or Charmat, with second fermentation in autoclave
How is Amarone made ?
To make Recioto, the winemakers pick ripe grapes and leave them to dry on mats or hung on rafters until January, then vinify these grapes and stop fermentation before all the sugars turn into alcohol. Amarone, whose name translates to “very bitter”, is made by allowing these same raisins to ferment until the end.
What is the method used to make Prosecco? Please give details and when this method was invented?
Prosecco is produced using the Charmat method (also known as “Charmat-Martinotti”), a process developed in 1895 by the Italian Federico Martinotti and improved a decade later by the Frenchman Eugène Charmat.
Please give three DOC/DOCG in Italy that specialise in sweet wines.
- Reccioto delle Valpoliccella
- Moscato d’Asti
- Vin Santo
What is the only DOCG of Puglia?
Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale
Where are the highest vineyards in Italy?
Etna
What are the different levels of appellations in Italy?
Vino di Tavola
IGT
DOC
DOCG
What did the Greeks call Sicily?
What is Venise’s nickname? What was its role in Italy’s wine industry in the middle-age?
La Serenissima
The Republic of Venice based its wealth on its links with Constantinople. She has access to the wines of Cyprus and those of Crete, then known as Candie. These islands are the main sources of Malvasia, the most expensive wine at the time. Venice has a monopoly on this trade. His galleys travel to Flanders and England to dispose of their precious cargo.
Which was the first super-tuscan?
Tignanello in 1971
What was the role of Cosimo III de Medici in Chianti?
Cosimo III de Medici promulgates an edict officially delimiting the production area of Chianti. This document is the first to define a wine production area.
Who was Louis Oudart? What was his role his Italy and where?
Louis Oudart, Champenois oenologist and mathematician, revolutionized between 1832 and 1849 the local viticulture, he imposed the culture on stakes (spani). He introduced new winemaking techniques and, above all, made Nebbiolo the king grape variety of Barolo. Louis Oudart is also responsible for the fact that Barolo is today a dry wine.
Which was the first DOC in Italy
- Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Which is the leading wine making region in Italy in terms of volume?
- Veneto / Prosecco DOC
Which is the leading grape in Italy in terms of planted area?
Sangiovese
