Italian Wine Law Flashcards
Who oversees Italy’s wine quality classification regime?
The Ministry of Agriculture and further regulated through the European Union’s wine organization structure.
What are the four levels of Italian Wine Quality.
Vino - used to be Vin da Tavola
Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT)
Denominazione di Orignine Controllata (DOC)
Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)
True of False: Indication of origin, vintage and grape variety are required to be stated on bottles at the Vino quality level.
False - not required
IGT is called this under the European Union’s wine quality scheme
Protected Geographical Indication
When was IGT instituted?
1992
What % of grape variety is mandated by IGT to come from the designated winegrowing area?
85%
What is the Goria Law?
It established the category of Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) - a more relaxed regulation, offering winemakers wider freedomes
When did IGT’s first appear?
1994
When was DOC introduced?
1963
When was the first DOC granted? Which DOC?
1966
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
How many DOCs in Italy?
333
What is a consorzio?
An organization composed of the region’s grower-producers, which sets the local wine laws.
When was the DOCG tier introduced?
1963
When was the first DOCG granted? When?
Brunello di Montalcino
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Barolo
Barbaresco
1980
How many DOCGs in Italy today?
76
What is a Novello wine?
Nouveau wines in Italy
Regulations of novello wines
Offer the first taste of any given vintage
Cannot be sold until November 6 of the year of harvest
Minimum 30% carbonic maceration nationwide (some DOC/Gs set stricter thresholds)
How many years after DOC approval must a region wait until they can apply to be upgraded to DOCG?
10 years
How many states in Italy have DOCG?
15 out of 20
What states in Italy don’t have DOCG?
Trentino-Alto Adige
Valle d’Aosta
Liguria
Molise
Calabria
What does the Classico zone of any DOC/G typically refer to?
Refers to the historic region of production for a given wine region (i.e Chianti Classico)
What does Vigne Vecchie mean?
Old vines
