Italy

Question 0

Aging regimes: Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello, Chianti, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Answer 0

Barolo: 2 years oak, 1 bottle; Riserva: >4 years aging
Barbaresco: 2 years total, 1 oak; Riserva: >4 years aging
Brunello: 5 years, 2 oak; Riserva: >6 years aging
Chianti: March 1st year following harvest; Riserva: 26 months, >12% abv
Vino Nobile: 2 years oak; Riserva: >3 years

Question 1

Describe Ripassa/Ripassato

Answer 1

Ripassa: young wine fermented on lees of a recioto wine “repassed” over the dried grape lees for extra flavor and alcohol

Question 2

Describe Classico, Riserva, and Superior

Answer 2

Classico: best, oldest, or most famous part of a DOC zone
Riserva: wines aged for a certain period
Superiore: usually refers to longer than minimum aging requirements

Question 3

Describe Recioto and Amarone

Answer 3

Recioto: Veneto specialty, most commonly red Della Valpolicella (Corvina, Rondinella, etc.), also rarer di Soave white. Specially selected bunches dried one month longer than Amarone…strong, sweet counterpart to Amarone
Amarone: Veneto, 40-80% Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, min 14% abv. Selected superior bunches dried in special chambers, crushed and fermented dry, powerful and balanced, aged for silky tannins

Question 4

Name DOCG of Sardinia and Siciliy

Answer 4

Sardinia: Vermentino di Gallura
Sicily: Cerasualo di Vittoria: Frappato/ Nero d’Avola

Question 5

Describe Vin Santo

Answer 5

“Holy wine” of Tuscany; passito grapes sealed in casks without being topped off, oxidized amber color, usually Trebbiano/Malvasia

Question 6

Name DOCG and varietal of Abruzzi

Answer 6

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo di Colline Terramare, 90% Montepulciano

Question 7

Name DOCGs and varietals of Campania

Answer 7

Taurasi: red Aglianico
Fiano di Avellino: white Fiano with Trebbiano/Greco/Coda
Greco di Tufo: 85-100% Greco

Question 8

Name DOCG and varietals of Tuscany

Answer 8

Chianti and Chianti Classico: 75% Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero, Cab Sauv, Trebbiano Toscano, Malvasia del Chianti
Brunello di Montalcino: Brunello
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: Prugnolo Gentile, Canaiolp, Mammolo, Trebbiano, Malvasia

Question 9

Name DOCG and varietal of Umbria

Answer 9

Sagrantino di Montefalco: dry red or sweet passito from Sagrantino

Question 10

Name DOCG and varietals of Veneto

Answer 10

Amarone Della Valpolicella, Recioto Della Valpolicella: Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara/
Bardolino Superiore: red or rose of above
Soave Superiore: Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave, Chard, Pinot Bianco/
Recioto di Soave Superiore: dried version of above
Conegliano Valdobbiane: Prosecco

Question 11

Name varietals and DOCG of Lombardia

Answer 11

Franciacorta: Chard, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Noir; Oltrepo Pavese: Pinot Noir; Vallentina Superiore: Nebbiolo

Question 12

Name DOCG and varietals of Emilia Romanga

Answer 12

Albagna di Romanga: Albagna grape, especially passito/

Colli Bolognesi Classico Pignoletto: white Pignoletto

Question 13

Describe appassimento, passito, passito annoso

Answer 13

Appassimento: partial use of semi-dried grapes
Passito: strong, often sweet wine of semi-dried grapes
Passito Annoso: agreed passito

Question 14

Name varietals and DOCG of Lombardia

Answer 14

Franciacorta: sparkling Chard, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Noir, Franciacorta Rose min 25% Pinot Noir (still wines Curtefranca DOC)/ Oltrepo Pavese: traditional method sparkling 70% Pinot Noir (still wines Oltrepo Pavese DOC)/ Vallentina Superiore: Nebbiolo/ Sforzato di Vallentina or Valtellina Sfurzat: similar to Recite, dried Nebbiolo/ Moscato di Scanzo: sweet passito reds from red Moscato grape

Question 15

Describe occhio di pernice

Answer 15

Partridge’s eye, sweet red vin santo

Question 16

Describe IGP, DOC, and DOCG systems

Answer 16

IGP: official production zone but cannot claim village, estate, or vineyard
DOC: over 250, some cover multiple varietal appellations and wines
DOCG: theoretically highest official designation of a growing area, but encompasses a lot of ordinary wine and wines without strong regional identity

Question 17

Define auslese used in Italy

Answer 17

Wines of selected grapes in Alto Adige region

Question 19

Describe climate of NW, NE, W, E, and S Italy

Answer 19

NW: sever winter, fog, high hail risk, long autumn (slow ripeners like Nebbiolo)
NE: severe winter, hot summers, unpredictable patterns
W: long dry-ish summers, drought problems, milder winters
E: Mediterranean, hot dry summers, cool winters, many microclimates in hilly areas
S and islands: hottest and driest, coasts tempered by wind

Question 20

Describe aging requirement of Amarone

Answer 20

Two years after fermentation, Riserva minimum four years