Italian Terms Flashcards
Define these winemaking terms:
- follatura
- remontaggio
- delestage
- vino fiore
Winemaking terms: follature = punch-down of cap remontaggio = pump over cap delestage = rack & return vino fiore = free run juice
Fermentazione malolattica
malo-lactic fermentation
maturazione sui lieviti / sulle fecce
lees aging: allow the juice to rest with the spent lees in barrel or bottle - it will pick up a nutty complexity. As the dead yeast decomposes, they release nano-proteins that add “fatness” to the wine making it round on the palate
Flétri
Term connected to specific wine “Valle d’Aosta or Vallée d’Aoste” DOC. It refers to the passito production method of partially dried grapes.
Kretzer
Wine type in the DOC areas Teroldego Rotaliano (here also Rosato) and Trentino (here also Lagrein) in the Italian wine growing area Trentino. In South Tyrol, this is a general term (also called “Krätzer”) for a light rosé. The freshly pressed must is strained by a plaited strainer basket called “Krätzer” or “Kretze” and thus separated from the mash. This method was in general use until the 17th century. The city physician Hippolytus Guarinoni (1571-1654) from Tyrol railed against the process
Dunkel / Scuro
In Alto Adige, Lagrein Dunkel (in German) or Scuro (in Italian), that is “dark”, is characterized by intense tannins and deep colors, sometimes impenetrable to light.
Scelto
selected, referring to grape bunches or individual berries hand-harvested for quality. In Lago di Caldaro / Kalterersee DOC: “Scelto or Auslese (Rd): Minimum 85% Schiava + OARG”; Minimum alcohol level: 11.5% for Scelto; 12.0% for Scelto Classico Superiore
Infernotti
carved niches used for wine bottle storage in the cellars of Monferrato
Toari
In the Valpolicella area, the hills surrounding the village of Marano are of volcanic origin, and the decomposed basalt found here is locally referred to as toari.
Abbocato
off-dry; somewhat sweet (approx. 7–15 g/l residual sugar for still wines, 12–35 g/l for frizzante wines, and 32–50 g/l for sparkling wines)
Amabile
semisweet; demi-sec (approx. 15–45 g/l residual sugar for still wines, 30–50 g/l for frizzante wines, and 40–100 g/l for fortified wines; not used for sparkling wines)
Secco / Asciutto
bone dry: less than approx. 7 g/l residual sugar for still wines, 17–32 g/l for sparkling wines)
Fermo
‘still’ wines
Ponca or Flysch of Cormons
In Friuli Colli Orientale or Collio, complex soils: Ponca, also called the “flysch of Cormons”, consists of alternating layers of variable thickness of marl (calcareous clays) and sandstone (calcified sands). The marl easily absorbs water and is soft in texture, while sandstone is hard and impervious.
Magredi
In Friuli Graves DOC, flat expanses where low grasses grow on arid beds of gravel and pebbles
Ronchi
The Friulian word for a terraced hillside. The word ronco (plural: ronchi) is often used for the names of estates, vineyards or wines.
Pastini
Carso – also known as Kras – a bare, rugged and arid landscape on a limestone plateau that is very hard to work. Vines often grow alongside olive trees and hug the coast in slmall plots of land on steep terraces overlooking the sea. The dry-stone walled terraces are called ‘pastini’
Marogne
the dry-stone walls that terrace the pergola vineyards of Soave or Valpolicella
Rive
In Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Prosecco, in local dialect, riva acquired a meaning tied to vineyards that were especially abrupt, steeply sloping places. The 43 Rive have appeared on labels as menzione geografica aggiuntiva (MGA) since 2009, when the denomination changed from DOC to DOCG, but the 2019 update has sharpened their definition to favor the most inaccessible territori, the most difficult to farm. Of its 8,446 hectares, 249 are Rive. Grapes are required to be hand-harvested, but it would not be possible to gather them in any other way. On the label, the word “Rive” must precede the village or location name.
Maso
In both Trentino and Bolzano, the typical rural homestead is called a “maso.” The word is also used to indicate estate wines.
Rifermentazione naturale in bottiglia
“Natural refermentation in the bottle”
AKA: Metodo Ancestrale
Calanchi
Common feature of the hilly Romagna landscape: bare and arid clay-based rock formations. Known as the “badlands.”
