Italian Wine Flashcards
Italian label classifications
DOCG (PDO): Denominazione di origine controllata garantita
DOC (DOP)
IGT (PGI/IGP) Indicazione Geografica Tipica
VDT: Vino da Tavola
Different names for Nebbiolo
Spanna in northern Piedmont (Gattinara and Ghemme)
Chiavennasca in Valtellina
Picutener in Valle d’Aosta
Barbaresco DOCG
100% Nebbiolo
26 Months of aging, min 9 in oak
Major producers: Gaia, Produttiri del Barbaresco, Ovello, Montestefano
Barolo DOCG
100% Nebbiolo
38 months aging, min 18 months in oak
Massive amount of mesoclimates due to hills of Langue
11 communes
Brunate and Cannubi as major producers
Normale vs riserva Barolo/Barbaresco
Normale: 3 yrs min aging
Riserva: min 5 years
Reality: typically more that these
MGAs (Italy - Piedmont)
Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive
Burgundy’s cru équivalent
Barolo has 181
Barbaresco has 66
Must have 85% of grapes from there
Barbera d’Asti DOCG
Typically Barbera is labeled by grape rather than location
Nizza DOCG is exception
Gattinara + Ghemme DOCG
Nebbiolo (aka Spanna) from Northern Piedmont
Typically leaner, w/less finesse
Allow for up to 10% or less blend w/Uva Rara or Vespolina to soften
Gavi DOCG
Dry, Mineral whites for Cortese
Mostly made East of Alba
Classically the biggest white in Italy, but has been surplanted
Roero Arneis DOCG
Means ‘rascal’
NW of Alba
Medium bodied, w/pear, melon, apricot notes
Franciacorta DOCG
Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco based
Allow small amount of Erbamat (indigenous varietal)
Vintage (riserva) require 60 months on lees
Non-vintage require 18 months on lees
Franciacorta Satèns DOCG
Brut style with 5 atmospheres of pressure (instead of 6)
Up to 50% Pinot bianco
Liqueur d’expedition is slightly less sweet to achieve less CO2
Lombardy Passito wine
Moscato de Scanzo from dried red grapes
Dried for 21 days or to 280 g/l of sugar
Valtellina Superiore DOCG
5 sub districts (Inferno is best)
90% Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca here)
Must age for 2 years
Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG
Appassimento method (dying / dehydrating)
Dried whole clusters of Nebbiolo (about 4 months)
Lose about 40% volume
2 years aging before release
Lambrusco DOC
Frizzante or Spumante styles
3 major subzones:
1) Lambrusco du Sorbara (floral/fresh)
2) Grasparossa di Castelvetro (intense/tannic)
3) Salamino di Santa Croce
Sweetness levels: Secco, Amabile, Dolce
Trentino -Alto Adige Red Varieties
Teroldego: spicy, high acid, high tannin
Lagrein: bitter, rustic, dark
Schiava: crisp, spicy, floral, bitter
Pinot Nero
Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG
Umbria’s top red
100% Sagrantino (indigenous variety)
37 months of aging, 1 year of it in oak
Insanely high tannin
Verdicchio del Castelli di Jesu DOC
Verdicchio from Marche, closer to Adriatic
Mostly co-op, négociant controlled
Debate between modern va traditional with the latter using skin fermentation
Verdicchio di Metelica
Further from coast, more elevation
Smaller yields + hillside classically meant better than Jesi, but now on par
DOCG riserva designation requires 18 months aging
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC
Mostly producing mediocre wines
Colline Terane + Tullum/Terve Tollesi
Late ripening, so don’t see it north
Modernist versus Traditional Barolo/Barbaresco styles
Modern: temperature controlled fermentation tanks more rapidly produce and avoid excessive astringent tannins (can be drank younger)
Traditional: much longer wait for tannins to mellow (15-20+ years)
Sorì
Italian equivalent of “Lieux Dit”
Privileged site, usually south facing hill that snow melts off of first (in Piedmonte)
Sorì
Italian equivalent of “Lieux Dit”
Privileged site, usually south facing hill that snow melts off of first (in Piedmonte)
Nebbia
Piedmont name for the fog that comes rolling down from the Alps
Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG
Typically off-dry, semi-sparkling reds
Brachetto grape
Usually under 6% alcohol
Alta Langa DOCG
Piedmont, nestled next to Barbaresco
Classic method sparkling wines from min 90% Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Usually made bone dry
Asti DOCG
Moscato with more fizz
Can be made dry (11.5%)
Or sweet (9%)
Moscato d’Asti DOCG
Semi-sparkling (frizzante)
Charmat method (large pressurized tanks)
Typically off dry and low alcohol
Friuli Grave DOC
Flatland sprawl with gravel/sand deposits
50% of friuli’s output
Allows incredibly high yields, generally producing mediocre wine
Friuli Colli Orientali DOC
NE Alpine going into maritime in South
Good source of Friulano and Bordeaux varietals
“Flysch of Cormòns” soil: marl and sandstone remnants from when they were underwater
Ramandolo
Friuli’s top dessert wine
100% Verduzzo grapes
Very herbal and light
White Varietals of Friuli
Chardonnay
Pinot Bianco
Pinot Grigio
Sauv Blanc
Friulano (aka Sauvignonasse)
Picolit
Ribolla Gialla
Verduzzo
Red Varietals of Friuli
Cab Franc
Cab Sauv (much less)
Merlot (biggest)
Pignolo
Refrosco (dal Peduncolo)
Schioppettino
Tazzelenghe
Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG
Appassimento method (drying)
Minimum 14% alcohol
Corvina, Corvinone, Molinara, Rondinella grapes
Super intense
Valpolicella Ripasso DOC
Corvina + Rondinella grapes
Must and lees from Recioto di Valpolicella and/or Amarone are combined with younger wine
Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
Generally referred to as Prosecco Superiore
Higher Altitude, generally older vines
Rive (higher designated commune - 43)
— similar to the cru system
Prosecco DOC
Charmat method, Spumante result
Must be 85% Glera
May contain: Verdiso, Bianchetta, Perera
Rose may contain 15% Pinot Nero
Recioto di Soave DOCG
Appassimento method
Garganega grapes
Sweet white
Soave Superiore DOCG
Only hillside vineyards
Higher minimum planting density + lower yield
Minimum 12% alcohol
Soave DOC
70% Garganega (indigenous to Veneto)
30% can be Chardonnay or Trebbiano di Soave (aka Verdicchio)
Volcanic/limestone soils
Appassimento
Process of drying harvested grapes in order to raisin ate the grapes and concentrate sugars
Trenton’s-Alto Adige White Varieties
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Bianco
Chardonnay
Gewurstraminer (Traminer Aromatico)
Kerner
Sauv Blanc
Bolgheri DOC
Can use any amount of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot
Up to 50% Sangiovese and/or Syrah
No more than 30% Petit Verdot
Min 1 year in oak
Vino Santo DOC(s)
Appassimento style
Often use multiple wood types for barrels and blend
Made from Trebbiano Toscanini and Malvasia Bianca Lunga
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG
70% Sangiovese (Prugnolo)
180-600 meter elevations
1 year in oak, 2 years min total
Riserva is 3 years min, 1 in oak
Rossi di Montalcino
Baby Brunello (younger, lighter, fruitier)
100% Sangiovese
1 year aging
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
100% Sangiovese (Brunello in this DOCG)
4 years aging, 2 in oak
Riserva 5 years
Traditional production uses large Slavonian casks
Modern uses smaller, new French oak
Gallo Nero History
Origins from Florence/Siena conflict
Florence knight cheated and had their rooster crow earlier
Consequently Florence controlled most of Chianti Classico
Chianti Classico aging hierarchy
1) Classico
2) Riserva: 2 years aging, 3 months in btl
3) Gran Selezione:
—estate grown grapes
—30 month aging (3 in btl)
—tasting panel, not made every year
Chianti Classico DOCG
80% min Sangiovese
20% Colorino, Canaioli, Cab Sauv, or Merlot
Chianti DOCG
Min 70% Sangiovese
30% Caniolo, Colorino, Merlot or Cabs
Up to 10% white blends
Can use one of the 7 sub zones on label, but require 75% min Sangiovese
Names for Sangiovese
Sangiovese
Brunello
Prugnolo
Morellino
Red Varieties of Tuscany
Sangiovese
Colorino
Canaiolo
Mammolo
Petit Verdot
Syrah
Ciliegiolo
Bordeaux Varieties
White varietals of Tuscany
Trebbiano
Malvasia Bianca Lunga
Vermentino
Vernaccio
Galestro Soil
Crumbly, flakey, schiest-like rocks in Tuscany
Taurasi DOCG
100% Aglianico
Campania’s high quality red production
Good aging potential
Dark in colour, bitter chocolate, leather, and tar
Fiano di Avellino DOCG
100% Fiano - white
Mountainous region east of Naples
Minerally, firm, floral and fuller bodied
Greco di Tufo DOCG
100% Greco di Tufo
North of Fiano di Avellino (NE of Naples)
Higher elevation, high acid, zippy white
Primitivo
Aka Zinfandel
Puglia’s primary red production
Use to make a raisinated VDN in good years
(Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale DOCG)
Contrade in Sicily
“Fingers” of lava flow on Mt. Etna
150 different ‘climats’ and soil variations
Best usually situated on Northern slopes
White grapes of Sicily
Carricante: mostly Mt Etna (Chablis of Sicily)
Catarratto
Grillo
Inzolia
Etna Bianco DOC
Must be 60% Carricante
Razor sharp, similar to Chablis
Etna Bianco Superiore DOC
Requires 80% Carricante
Must come from the Milo contrade on the East side of Mt Etna
Etna Rossi DOC
80% Nerello Mascalese
Up to 20% Nerello Cappuccio (contributes darker color)
Riserva must be aged 4 years, 1 in oak
Major Red Varietals of Sicily
Frappato: juicy AF
Nerello Mascalese
Nerello Cappuccio
Nero d’Avola
Syrah
Perricone
Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG
Nero d’Avola blended with up to 50% Frappato
Famous reddish iron-rich sandy soils on limestone
SE part of Sicily
Marsala DOC
Grillo, Catarratto Bianco, Inzolia primarily
Sometimes blended with Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese and Perricone
Fortified using Solera system
Multitude of aging/sweetness/colour levels
Marsala sweetness levels
Secco: 4% RS
Semi secco: 4-10% RS
Dolce: 10%+ RS
Aging classifications for Marsala
“Fine Marsala”: 1 year
Superiore: 2 years
Superiore riserva: 4 years
Vergine: 5 years
Vergine Stravecchio: 10 years
Vermentino’s Names
Pigato: Ligurian coast
Favorita: Piedmont
Rolle: Southern France
Cannonau di Sardegna DOC
Also known as Grenache
Dry, spicy, well-structured, dried herbs
Vermentino di Sardegna DOC
Entire island
Vermentino di Gallura is only DOCG on island
Aromatic, herbaceous and rich stylistically
