Italian Terms

Question 1

Define these winemaking terms:

• follatura
• remontaggio
• delestage
• vino fiore

Answer 1

Winemaking terms:
follature = punch-down of cap
remontaggio = pump over cap
delestage = rack & return
vino fiore = free run juice

Question 2

Fermentazione malolattica

Answer 2

malo-lactic fermentation

Question 3

maturazione sui lieviti / sulle fecce

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Flétri

Answer 4

Term connected to specific wine “Valle d’Aosta or Vallée d’Aoste” DOC. It refers to the passito production method of partially dried grapes.

Question 5

Kretzer

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Dunkel / Scuro

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Scelto

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Infernotti

Answer 8

carved niches used for wine bottle storage in the cellars of Monferrato

Question 9

Toari

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

Abbocato

Answer 10

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)

Question 11

Amabile

Answer 11

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)

Question 12

Secco / Asciutto

Answer 12

bone dry: less than approx. 7 g/l residual sugar for still wines, 17–32 g/l for sparkling wines)

Question 13

Fermo

Answer 13

‘still’ wines

Question 14

Ponca or Flysch of Cormons

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

Magredi

Answer 15

In Friuli Graves DOC, flat expanses where low grasses grow on arid beds of gravel and pebbles

Question 16

Ronchi

Answer 16

The Friulian word for a terraced hillside. The word ronco (plural: ronchi) is often used for the names of estates, vineyards or wines.

Question 17

Pastini

Answer 17

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’

Question 18

Marogne

Answer 18

the dry-stone walls that terrace the pergola vineyards of Soave or Valpolicella

Question 19

Rive

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

Maso

Answer 20

In both Trentino and Bolzano, the typical rural homestead is called a “maso.” The word is also used to indicate estate wines.

Question 21

Rifermentazione naturale in bottiglia

Answer 21

“Natural refermentation in the bottle”

AKA: Metodo Ancestrale

Question 22

Calanchi

Answer 22

Common feature of the hilly Romagna landscape: bare and arid clay-based rock formations. Known as the “badlands.”