Italy Flashcards
What are some major grapes grown in Italy?
Sangiovese Nebbiolo Barbera Dolce too Pinot Grigio Vernaccia Malvasia Trebbiano Canaiolo Merlot Cab Sauv Chardonnay
Which grapes are commonly blended to make supertuscans?
Cab Sauv, Merlot, Sangiovese, canaiolo
Which set of laws introduced IGTs (indicazione geografica tipica) to Italy in 1992?
Gloria laws
What are the levels of quality in Italy from lowest to highest?
Vino da tavola – bulk wine
Indicazione geografica tipica IGT – labeled by grape
Denominazione di origine controllata DOC – labeled by region or by grape and region
Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita DOCG – strictest regulations and must pass lab test
When were DOCG wines established in Italy and what were the first four?
1980
Barolo
Barbaresco
Brunello di montalcino
Vino nobile di montepulciano
What are the mesoclimates of Italy?
Alpine in the north
Mid country
Arid and warm in the south
According to the EU-wide system, which Italian quality levels are considered Wines With Origin?
IGT
DOC
DOCG
What makes Itaian wines so versatile with food pairings?
High acidity
How are frothy or carbonated wines referred to in Italy?
Spumante
What does passito mean?
Italian term for grapes that have been dried out before crushing in order to concentrate sugars
What does reserva refer to in Italy?
Wines that have been aged for a certain time longer than the minimum time
What method is typically used for sparkling wines in Italy?
Charmat
What does Classico refer to in Italian wines?
A more restrictive area inside a recognized region
What qualifies a superiore wine?
Italian wines with higher alcohol, longer aging periods, or a more specific appellation
Name a producer of brunello di montalcino
Biondi-santi
Describe the culture and cuisine of Piedmont, Itsly and the reasoning behind it.
French! Creamy, buttery cuisine due to proximity to France.
Describe Piedmont’s relationship with blending.
No blends. more focus on single varietal wines and terroir
Despite the rain shadow effect from the Alps, which weather phenomenons does Piedmont experience?
Hail and fog
Where are Barolo and barbaresco DOCGs and what grape makes their wine?
Piedmont, Italy
Nebbiolo
What is brachetto and where is it from?
Red spumante from Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG, Piedmont made with barbera or Nebbiolo or the brachetto grape. Traditionally served with fruit or sausage.
What are good vintages for Piedmont?
1996-2004
2006
What are main grapes in Piedmont?
Nebbiolo Barbera Cortese Moscato Dolcetto Arneis Chardonnay
What are the rules for aging in Barolo DOCG?
3 years including 2 in small French oak barrels
5 years aging for riserva wines
The longer barolos age, the better because tannins have more time to mellow.
What is the minimum alcohol in Barolo and Barbaresco DOCGs?
12.5%
What is the “wine of kings, king of wines?”
Barolo
What are good vintages in Barolo and Barbaresco DOCGs?
2001
2004
2008
2010
What are aging rules in Barbaresco DOCG?
Aged minimum 2 years including 1 in oak.
riserva requires 4 years
What grape is Asti made from and why are they low alcohol wines?
100% Moscato.
Arrested fermentation retains RS and keeps alcohol low.
Is Asti or moscato d’asti sweeter? Which is higher in alcohol. Which is more carbonated?
Moscato d’Asti is sweeter.
Asti is higher in alcohol.
Asti is more carbonated.
Which is considered Spumante and which is considered frizzante–Asti or moscato d’asti?
Asti is Spumante and moscato d’asti is frizzante.
What’s method is used to make Italian spumantes and frizzantes?
Charmat
What is the legal max of alcohol in moscato d’asti?
5.5%
Which grape grows in Gavi DOCG?
Cortese–white
Where is Gavi DOCG?
Piedmont
What grape is grown in Ruero DOCG and where is it?
Nebbiolo
Piedmont
Where is Valle d’Aosta DOC?
lombardia in northern Italy
Which is the area of Italy in which other majority of the wine regions are DOC or Higher?
Piedmont
What is franciacorta DOCG? Where is it form and which grapes go into it?
Sparkling wine from lombardia made through metodo Classico. They are not regular spumantes. They are made with Pinot noir, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and sometimes pinto Grigio.
What are two sparkling wines from Lombardy?
Franciacorta DOCG and Oltrepaso Classico DOCG
What method and what grape is used to make Oltrepaso pavese?
Metodo Classico
Pinot noir
What is the German name for Trentino Alto Adige?
sudtirol
What is primary grape of Trentino alto Adige?
Pinot Grigio
What is pergola trentina?
Trellising up poles and across wires to minimize dew and rot. The disadvantage is high yields which lowers quality.
What grape makes Piedmont’s vin santo? Which grapes make tuscany’s vin santo?
Nosiola
Trebbiano and/or Malvasia
What are major grapes of Trentino Alto Adige?
Pinot Grigio Chardonnay Pinot Bianco Merlot Cab franc Cab Sauv Tocai Sauv Blanc Pinot noir Schiava
What grapes comprises at least 70% of valtellina DOCG wines?
Nebbiolo
Which are two landlocked areas of northern Italy?
Piedmont
Trentino Alto Adige
Which area of Italy has the most DOC and DOCG wines?
Veneto
How is pinto Grigio aged in Veneto?
Stainless steel
What are major grapes of Veneto?
Pinot Grigio Trebbiano Cab franc Merlot Corvina Glera Molinara Rondinella
What is Soave DOC known for? Where is it and what grapes go into its wines?
Sweet wines made from a blend of garganega blended with trebbiano. It is in Veneto. some sweet wines made through recioto method.
How does the Charmat fermentation method differ from the metodo Classico?
With Charmat method, the Second fermentation takes place is pressurized tanks to create carbonation.
How does prosecco differ in taste from champagne?
Prosecco is not yeasty
What are two DOCs in Veneto that produce prosecco?
Prosecco di valdobbiadene and prosecco di conegliano
What is bardolino?
Also called chiaretto. It is an inexpensive, quaffable sparkling wine made from corvina, molinara, and rondinella. It is from bardolino DOC in the Veneto.
What is the climate of the Veneto?
Coastal areas moderated by water, cooler inland alpine areas.
What grapes go into valpolicella?
Corvina, molinara, rondinella
What is a sweet wine from valpolicella DOC?
Recioto Della valpolicella. Recioto process arrests fermentation early to retain sugar.
Describe amarone Della valpolicella.
Recioto process raisinates grapes (molinara, corvina, and rondinella) and fermentation is full completed to create a dry wine. Aged for 5+ years (some in oak). 14-16% ABV. Good vintages 1995-2001.
What is ripasso?
Newly fermented valpolicella wine is added to amarone pumice to create valpolicella superiore.
What grapes grow in Friuli-Venezia Giulia?
Pinot Grigio Pinto Bianco Sauv Blanc Chardonnay Cab Sauv Merlot Cab franc Tocai Riesling Refrosco Friulano
Where is cinque terre DoC and what kind of wines are produced there?
Liguria, Italy. Whites and roses.
Where can Lambrusco be found? What is it?
Red sparkling wine ranging from dry to sweet from Emilia romagna DOCG.
How did the rise of supertuscans change DOC laws?
IGT category emerged
What grapes grow in Tuscany?
Trebbiano Sangiovese Vernaccia Malvasia Syrah Cab Sauv Merlot Canaiolo
What are good vintages in Tuscany?
2003-2007
In chianti DOCG wines, how much of a wine must be comprised of Sangiovese? What are the other blending grapes?
75% - 100% Sangiovese
Cab Sauv
Canaiolo
What are the percentage breakdowns of chianti classico DOCG wines?
Min. 80% Sangiovese
Max. 20% cab Sauv/Merlot/Syrah
What is the symbol of chianti Classico?
Gallo Nero
How long must chianti Classico riservas be aged?
25 months
What are good vintages of chianti Classico?
2001 and 2007
What are the percentage makeup of vino nobile di montepulciano DOCG?
70-100% pugnolo gentile AkA Sangiovese
What is the percentage makeup of brunello di montalcino?
100% brunello AkA Sangiovese
What are the aging specifications for brunello di montalcino?
Normale: 4 years with 2 in oak
Riserva: 5 years with 2 in oak
What kind of oak is used to age brunello di montalcino?
Old slavonian or new French or a combo of the two
What are good vintages of brunello di montalcino?
1999
2004
2007
What area is also covered with brunello di montalcino DOCG?
Rossa di montalcino DOC
What is the percentage of components of rosso di montalcino?
100% brunello/prugnolo/Sangiovese
What is the difference between brunello and rosso di montalcino?
Rosso di montalcino is lighter, fruitier and less complex. Made from younger vines with looser rules.
What white grape grows near san gimignano?
Vernaccia
What are the percentage breakdowns of components in Carmingnano DOCG wines?
Min. 50% Sangiovese 10-20% cab Sauv Max 20% canaiolo Max 10% Trebbiano or Malvasia Max 10% other
What is a madre?
A thick residue from a former batch of crushed grapes, which is combined with new crushed grapes. It is used to make vin santo in Tuscany.
What grapes make vin santo in Tuscany? How long are vin santos aged?
Trebbiano
Malvasia
3-6 years in small wooden barrels
What process contributes to the creation of vin santo in Tuscany?
Passito
Where is Est Est Est! Di montefiascone DOC and what kind of wine is produced there?
Lazio. Lean dry whites
What grapes grow in morellino di scansano DOCG?
Sangiovese
What kind of wines are produced in Orvieto DOCG?
Whites and botrytised
Where taurasi DOCG and what grapes are grown there? What pairs well with Taurasi?
In campania, Italy.
Aglianico grape.
Pairs with steak, lamb, big fatty meats.
sicily’s classification System is marked by which letter on the label?
Q
What grape is prominent in Sicily?
Nero d’avola
What is Marsala, where is it form and which grapes go into it?
A fortified wine from Sicily ranging from dry to sweet made with catarratto, grillo and inzolia grapes.
colors are gold, Amber or ruby.
17-18% ABV.
Aging: fine–aged one year
Superiore riserva–aged four years
Vergine– aged five years
Vergine stravecchio–aged ten years
