Italy Flashcards
What are the acronyms for Italian PDO wines, what do they mean and what conditions are attached?
DOC - Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Subject to; Geographical boundaries, Limits on grape varieties and rules on production methods.
DOCG - Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita
As above plus Must be bottled in area of production and subject to Min Ag tasting
What are Italian Classico wines?
Give an example
Wines made solely from the ORIGINAL, not expanded, land.
Soave from the plains
Soave Classico from the hillsides
What does ‘Riserva’ on an Italian wine mean?
Wine with both higher alc and longer ageing than the minimum for the appelation
What are the ageing conditions for:
Chianti Classico
Chianti Classico Riserva
Chianti Gran Selezione
Chianti Classico 12 months
Chianti Classico Riserva 24 months, min 3 in bottle
Chianti Gran Selezione 30 months, oak optional but usual
What are the ageing conditions for
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Brunello di Montalcino
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Min 2 years
Brunello di Montalcino 5 years, 2 in oak
What are the ageing conditions for:
Barolo
Barbaresco
Barolo. 3yrs, 18 mo in oak
Barbaresco. 2 yrs, 9 mo in oak
Generally, what is the climate of Northern Italy?
What role do the Alps play?
What is the influence of rivers e.g. River Po and lakes e.g. Lake Garda?
What happens in areas nearer the sea and name one risk
Moderate climate with dry, short, summers
The Alps provide a Northern barrier providing shelter from Northerly rain
Rivers and glacial lakes give a moderating influence to hotter inland areas
Nearer the sea, higher rainfall increasing the risk of fungal disease = more spraying
In Northern Italy how were grapes traditionally trained and, increasingly, how are they trained now?
What is a major benefit of this change?
Traditionally - high yield vines planted with low density.
Pergola, vine canopy with grapes hanging down = good airflow = less rot and shade against grape sunburn. Still used for high acid, low sugar grapes e.g. For sparkling wine.
Modern - VSP training allows higher density but fewer grapes per vine = better quality grapes. Overall increased prodn per hectare
What are the characteristics of Pinot Grigio
At altitude?
On the plains?
@ Altitude - dry, light to med body, hi acid, citrus and green fruit
On the plains - Med body, med acid with ripe stone fruit flavours
Pinot Grigio is key in which regions? 6
Alto Adige, Trentino, Friulli-Venezia Giulia, Collio, Colli Oriental and Veneto.
Where is Gargenega, primarily, grown?
What are it’s characteristics
At altitude?
On the plain?
Gargenega = Soave - Pear, red apple, stone fruit
@ altitude - Full flavour ripeness with high acidity - Soave Classico
On the plains - Fruitier with medium acidity - Soave
What is Trebbiano like and what is it used for?
High yield grape, usually simple and fruity for IGT wines
What are IGT wines?
PGI wines of Italy
IGT = Indicazione Geographica Tipica
Where is Chardonnay largely grown, in Northern Italy, and what is it used for?
Largely grown on Veneto plains and used in IGT wines
What is Cortese, what does it taste like and where is it, predominantly used?
White grape, high acidity, floral, pale, light, body with aromas citrus, green apple and pear.
Mainly used in Gavi
Usually temp control S. Steel but can be barrel ferment with lees stirring
What is Nebbiolo, what does it taste like and where is it mainly used?
Black grape, high acidity and tannin but light colour.
At altitude it has aromas of sour cherries, roses, herbs and dried flowers. With age develops Tar, truffle and leather
Used in Barolo and Barbaresco
What is Barbera, what’s it like and where is it mainly used?
Black grape, similar to Nebbiolo but lower tannin and higher acidity (2 x a’s in its name stand for acid and acid!), med to deep colour. Aromas of red cherries, plums and sometimes black pepper. Can be youthful and fruity or barrel aged for spicy flavours.
Mainly Barbera d’Alba DOC and the higher quality Barbera d’Asti DOCG
What is Dolcetto like and where is it mainly used?
Black grape, likes cooler sites. Deep colour, high tannin (double t in its name!), med acidity. Aromas black plums, red cherries and dried herbs. Drunk young or aged
Mainly used Dolcetta d’Alba DOC
What is Corvina like and where is it mainly used?
Black grape, thin skin, moderate colour, low~med tannin with hi acidity (more at altitude) giving red cherry flavour.
Mainly used in Valpolicella
Which is Italy’s most northerly wine region and what is mainly produced there?
Alto Adige
Aromatic whites mainly from Pinot Grigio but also Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc
Where are the vineyards of Alto Adige situated and what is the climate like?
NE Italy in foothills of Alps. Vineyards on SE and SW facing terraces on valley sides of River Adige.
Climate - Moderate with short summers and little rain thru growing season. Large diurnal range due to altitude
Where is Trentino DOC, where are vines planted and what is mainly grown there?
Just south of Alto Adige
Vines on both slopes and valley floor
Mainly Pinot Grigio plus some Chardonnay
Where is Friuli - Venezia Giulia, what is the climate like and what grapes are mainly grown there and what is the style like?
NE corner of Italy, stretches from foothills of Alps to near the Adriatic coast.
Near the Alps - Moderate continental, cooled by mountain air
Nearer the coast - Warm Maritime
Mainly Pinot Grigio - med to full body, juicy peach and tropical fruit
Also some Merlot
What are the DOCs of Friuli - Venezia Giulia and what is the style of wine from each?
Friuli Grave DOC - wines from the plain, white, simple, fruity
Collio DOC and Colli Orientali DOC - Hills, more concentrated whites
What are the WSET regions of Northern Italy? 5
Alto Adige Trentino Friuli-Venezia Giulia Veneto Piemonte
Where is Veneto?
What are its two most famous appellations?
What else does it produce
What is the climate like and are there any risks?
NE Italy, from S end of Lake Garda to Venice in the east
Soave and Valpolicella
Also produces bulk wines from Pinot Grigio, chardonnay, merlot, corvina, gargenega and trebbiano labelled as Veneto IGT
Climate - Warm with moderate rain, cooler at altitude with diurnal diff, also W cooled by breezes from Lake Garda
Flat plain - warm air and for from R. Po = RISK disease and rot = more spraying
What is the soil like in Soave?
What is the main grape grown there?
How is the wine labelled
What is sweet Soave called?
Foothills - Limestone and clay = Cool + altitude = slow ripen = higher acidity
On the plain - Sandy alluvial = warmer = fruitier and med acidity
Gargenega
Hills - Soave Classico / Plain - Soave
Recioto di Soave DOCG
What is the soil like in Valpolicella?
What is the main grape grown there?
How is the wine labelled
What is sweet Valpolicella called?
Foothills - Limestone and clay = Cool + altitude = slow ripen = higher acidity
On the plain - Sandy alluvial = warmer = fruitier and med acidity
Corvina
Hills - Valpolicella Classico / Plain - Valpolicella
Recioto Della Valpolicella DOCG
What is Passito and what is the most famous wine made from it in Valpolicella?
There’s also a sweet wine made using the same method, what’s that called?
A process whereby grapes picked early when still have high acidity, dried indoors to concentrate colour, sugars and flavour
Most famous - Amarone Della Valpolicella
Sweet - Recioto Della Valpolicella DOCG
What is the style of Amarone Della Valpolicella?
Dry or off dry, full body, hi alc, med~hi tannin
Intense with concentrated red berry and spice.
Aged in large oak
What’s this Ripasso all about then?
Literally meaning ‘re-passed’ wine is racked off almost fermented Amarone leaving the skins. The skins are added to a vat of Valpolicella that’s already finished fermenting. The traces of yeast on the Amarone skins re-start fermentation and the skins give off more colour, flavour and tannin.
The finished wine has a med~full body, med to hi tannin with flavours of stewed cherries and plums and is labelled Valpolicella Ripasso DOC
