Italian Viticulture Flashcards
What other countries does Italy compete with as the world’s largest wine producer?
Italy competes with France as the world’s largest wine producer. And it has one of the largest areas under vine, behind Spain and France, with 1,717,000 acres/695,000ha of vines (as of 2017).
Which regions in Italy will you find grape vines planted?
There are vineyards in all of Italy’s 20 administrative regions and each region has recognized wine appellations.
(In contrast to other wine countries where vineyards are limited to certain areas, vines in Italy are planted virtually everywhere. This is made possible by ideal growing conditions. Italy’s latitude correlates to requisite warmth, yet the mountainous/hilly landscape provides elevation necessary to moderate temperatures and extend the growing season.)
What is Mezzadria (Metayage)?
Mezzadria is a form of share-cropping used in Italy since the Middle Ages. Landowners could make their land profitable by renting it to farmers in exchange for half (mezza) of the crop the farmers grew each year.
In the Mezzadria system, agriculture was always polycultural. What does this mean?
Multiple crops were grown together to help a farmer meet his family’s needs. Vines were grown amongst olive trees and other fruits, vegetables and grains and tended along with a menagerie of farm animals.
