Italy Flashcards
What is the greatest moderating influence with respect to Italy’s climate?
The Mediterranean Sea
What three seas, besides the Mediterranean, play a role in the climate of Italy?
The Tyrrhenian to the West, the Adriatic to the East and the Ionian to the South?
How many subregions is Italy divided amongst?
20
What two mountain ranges affect the topography of Italy?
The Alps, which form the border to the North and the Apennines, which run the length of the peninsula.
How many grapes are allowed in Italian wine production?
400 (closer to 2000 including sub-varieties)
What are the leading white and red grapes of Italy?
Trebbiano Toscana and Sangiovese (also Pinot Grigio)
What are four designations of Italian wine in increasing order of quality?
Vino (Table wine)
Indicazione geografica tipica (IGT)
Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC)
Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG)
How much of Italy’s wine production is table wine?
40%
What are Super Tuscans?
Outstanding limited-production wines produced at the IGT level.
A varietal IGT wine must have what percentage of the state grape variety?
85%
What were the first wines to receive DOCG status, in what year?
Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano in 1980.
What does Classico mean?
A central or historic subzone within a larger region, denotes higher quality.
What does Superiore mean?
A specific higher level of alcohol in the finished wine, usually riper grapes and lower yields.
What does Riserva mean?
Aged for a longer minimum period of time than a regular wine.
What rivers and lakes play a role in the climate and terroir of Veneto?
- Po River
- Adige River
- Piave River
- Lake Garda
What are the five top varieties in Veneto?
- Corvina
- Corvinone
- Rondinella
- Garganega
- Glera
What does appassimento mean?
The process by which grapes are left to dry in slatted boxes, on open shelfs or hung from the rafters until they’ve lost up to 60% of their water content.
What does recioto mean?
An appassimento wine in which fermentation is arrested at around 12% ABV, producing a sweet wine.
What four styles of wine are made in Valpolicella?
- Valpolicella DOC
- Recioto della Valpolicella DOC
- Valpolicella Ripasso DOC
- Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG
What does Ripasso mean?
The practice of reusing the sediment, or lees from Amarone or recioto production to produce a Valpolicella with more flavor, tannin and alcohol.
What are the aging and alcohol requirements for Amarone?
2 years and 14%
What wines are produced in Bardolino DOC?
Reds and chiarettos from Corvina and Rondinella.
What are the Soave appellations?
Soave DOC, Soave Superiore DOCG and Recioto di Soave DOCG
What grapes are used in the production of Soave DOC?
70% Garganega with either Chardonnay, Verdicchio or both
What four appellations are based on the Glera grape?
Prosecco DOC, Prosecco Rose DOC, Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOGC, Avolo Prosecco
What are the Tre Venezie?
Trentino-Alto Adige
Friuli-Venezia Guilia
Veneto
What is made in the Lugana DOC?
Light white wines from Turbiana.
How many IGTs are found in Veneto?
10, including Veneto IGT and Trevenezie IGT
What area does delle Venezie DOC encompass and what is made there?
Trentino, Veneto and Fruili-Venezia Giulia; a good amount of Pinot Grigio
What is made in the following appellations from Veneto?
- Piave DOC
- Piave Malanotte DOCG
- Lison-Pramaggiore DOC
- Lison DOC
- Dry and appassimento wines from a variety of grapes.
- Red wines from Raboso
- Range of white and reds from international and indigenous varieties.
- Friulana
What is another name for Alto-Adige and what language is spoken there?
Sudtirol and German
What wine is made in Trentodoc?
Traditional method sparkling wine from Trentino.
How much wine from Trentino-Alto Adige is DOC?
80%
What are the three primary DOCs in Trentino-Alto Adige?
Alto Adige, Trentino and Valdadige.
What indigenous red grape is important in Friuli?
Refosco
What indigenous grape in Friuli is used to make an orange wine?
Ribolla Gialla
What grape in Fruili is used to make a sweet wine wine?
Picolit
What are the two highest quality appellations in Fruili?
Friuli Colli Orientali DOC and Collio Goriziano DOC
What wine is produced in the Ramandolo DOCG in Fruili?
Sweet whites from Verduzzo
What wine is produced in the Rosazzo DOCG in Friuli?
Dry whites with 50% Friulano; Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Ribolla Gialla make up the rest of the mix.
What are the first and second-largest producers of DOC and DOCG wines in Italy?
Veneto, then Piedmont
Describe Piedmont’s climate?
Cold, snowy winters, foggy autumns, warm and dry summers
What are the leading red grapes in Piedmont?
Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Brachetto, Freisa, Grignolino
What are the leading white grapes of Piedmont?
Moscato, Arneis, Cortese, Erbaluce
How many DOCGs and DOCs are found in Piedmont?
18 and 40
What are the two best known DOCGs in Piedmont, and what varietal do they use?
Barolo and Barbaresco, 100% Nebbiolo
What are the aging requirements for Barolo and Barbaresco?
- Barolo - 38 months, 62 for riserva
- Barbaresco - 26 months, 50 for irserva
What kind of wine is produced in Asti DOCG, and by what method.
Asti Spumante, made with Moscato Bianco, using the Charmat method.
What kind of wine is produced in d’Asti DOCG, and by what method?
Moscato d’Asti, a frizzante, off-dry wine, using the Asti method.
What other product is Piedmont known for?
Vermouth
What is the Asti method of producing sparkling wine?
Wine undergoes a single fermentation in a pressurized tank which is halted by refrigeration, resulting in a lower alcohol, lightly carbonated, slightly sweet wine.
What DOCG is based on the Brachetto grape and what style of wine does it produce?
Brachetto d’Acqui, generally slightly sweet, carbonated reds with bright berry aromas.