Italy Flashcards
How is Italian sparkling wine made?
Tank:
Asti
Lambrusco
Prosecco
Traditional:
Franciacorta
Trentodoc
What are the key geographical points of Prosecco areas?
Prosecco DOC - mainly grown on the plains. Largest area
Conegliano Valdobbiandene - hilly
Asolo - hilly
What are indications of quality Prosecco?
DOCG
Use of Superiore for spumante wines
What is the Prosecco climate?
- warm
- moderately continental
- humid/fog common (sprays used)
- cooler, with diurnal range, in DOCG
List training methods in Prosecco
Training typically:
Sylvox - high with hanging shoots, protect against frost. Requires monitoring of the canopy to avoid excessive shade. Mechanical harvest suitable
Double arched cane - canes are bent over into arches. Cost to do this, but good ventilation for DOCG
Guyot
List vineyard management consideration in Prosecco
best wines are from south facing vineyards (less fertile, good drainage, more diurnal swing)
May have grassed terraces if steep
List winemaking considerations in Prosecco
limited whole bunch pressing
18°C ferment for 15-20 days
No MLF
2nd ferment in tank at 12-15°C
a few weeks on the lees
Limited sweetness adjustment, but it is allowed
List legal yields and term for prosecco
Prosecco DOC - 125 hL/ha
DOCG - 94.5 hL/ha
Rive - 90 hL/ha
Superiore di Cartine - 85 hL/ha (single vineyard from Valdob.)
List some Prosecco business considerations
half of Italian sparkling wine
Co-operatives makelarge volumes of base wine to sell to private companies to finish
Exports have tripled in decade to 2014
What method is used to make Asti?
A variant of the tank method referred to as the Asti method:
Must is pressed and clarified as quickly as possible, but then stored at 2-3°C for fermentation
Fermentation is a single step using pressure-resistant, stainless tanks at 16-18°C. (no MLF, no tirage).
Part way during fermentation, CO2 venting is stopped. When alcohol and CO2 levels reach target levels, the wine is chilled, filtered and bottled.
What is the climate for Asti (Piemonte)?
moderate continental.
Spring rain can affect fruit set.
Grapes are grown on hillside.
What is the maximum permitted yield for Asti?
75 hL/ha
How are grapes for Asti typically trained?
Moscato Bianco (Muscat Blanc) à Petits Grains is typically grown VSP, to ensure good sunlight, and ventilation
What are the soils in Asti?
The best grapes are grown on limestone
When is Asti harvested?
Needs sufficient acid to balance the sugar
Early Sep for Asti, mid Sep for Moscato d’Asti for more aromatic grapes
Set out the requirements for DOCG wines from Asti
Asti DOCG:
- alcohol has to be over 6% (typically 6-8%, with 100g/l sugar)
- Asti Metodo Classico has to have 9 months on lees and 50 g/l residual sugar)
Moscato d’Asti:
- 4.5% to 6.5% alcohol
- 2.5 atmospheres or less
Set out key wine business points for Asti
Martini & Rossi is the larges producers
Smaller producers typically use specialist firms to produce their wine
Co-operatives provide much of the chilled juice to larger producers
Set out the climate and grape growing for Lambrusco
735mm rain annually
Hills of about 150m
Alluvial soils
Trained for high yield - Sylvoz or Geneva Double Curtain
Humidity from the rivers - spraying is required
Grapevine yellows has been a problem in recent years (rapid removal, and target vectors)
What the minimum grape quantities and max. yield required in respective DOC from their namesake grapes?
Salamino di Santa Croce - 85% minimum, 133 hL/ha
Grasparossa di Castelvetro - 85% minimum, 126 hL/ha
di Sorbara (the pale one) - 60%, 126 hL/ha
The regions not named after grapes
Reggiano - 126 hL/ha
Modena - 161 hL/ha
What are the key steps in making Lambrusco?
Cold skin maceration for 1-2 days (3-4 in Grasparossa)
First ferment at 18-20°C
MLF is blocked
2nd ferment - 12-15°C in tank. 2 weeks for frizzante, 1 month for spumante
What are the Italian terms for sparkling wines?
Frizzante - semi sparkling
Spumante - fully sparkling
List key legal considerations for Lambrusco
Lambrusco is not a protected name, undermining any brand
Minimum alcohol requirements (or potential alcohol for dolce) are:
11% Spumante
10.5% Frizzante
What are the grape growing considerations in Franciacorta?
Warm continental climate, with cooling summer winds from the alps
Predominantly gentle slopes
Rainfall in autumn/winter - pick late Aug/early Sep to avoid
Largely consistent vintage weather
wide variety of soil types that give different qualities to grapes for blending
What are the legal and business consideration for making Franciacorta?
min planting of 4,500 per ha
Cordon spur training encouraged (GDC prohibited)
75% of estates are organic
Predominantly estate grown
Whole bunch pressed (Pinot Noir can be de-stemmed for rose)
Max yield is 65 hL/ha
90% is sold in Italy
What are the typical winemaking choices for Franciacorta?
majority of base wine is stainless steel
must be traditional method
18 months on lees (required)
What 5 styles of Franciacorta are there?
Non-vintage:
- 18 months on lees
- up to 50% Pinot Bianco
Satèn:
- white grapes only
- 24 months on lees
- less sugar to give =<5 atms
- Brut
Rosé:
- min. 35% pinot noir
- all rosé methods permitted
- min 24 months on lees
Millesimato
- declared vintage with 85% fruit from that year
- 30 months on lees
Riserva
- 60 months on lees
What are the growing and geographical considerations for Trentodoc?
warm continental
- valleys heat up during the day
- cool nights give good duirnal range
Soils are stoney and well drained, contributing to slow ripening/growth
slopes are 400-700m high and need hand harvesting
Harvest early sep
Max yield 105 hL/ha
What are the typical winemaking decisions in Trentodoc?
First ferment in stainless
MLF typically carried out
Reserve wines are small only
Lees i min. 15 months, but 20-30 months is common
Vintage is minimum 24 months, Reserve 36 months
What are the key business points for Trentodoc?
Dominated by Ferrari
4 companies produce 95% of wine
80% sold in Italy
