Italy - All General & Geography

Question 1

What percent of wine imported to USA is Italian

Answer 1

30%
(source: Italian Wine Central)

Question 2

Where does Italy stand in world wine production?
(volume/acreage/sales/exports)

Answer 2

Volume: #1
.
Acreage: #3 (Spain #1, France #2)
.
Sales: #2 (France #1)
.
Exports: #1

Question 3

How many official grapes are recognized in Italy?

Answer 3

600+

Question 4

What countries does Italy border?

Answer 4

France
.
Austria
.
Switzerland
.
Slovenia

Question 5

What are the lage bodies of water that Italy touches?

Answer 5

Mediterranean Sea
~~~~~~~~~~
.
Specifically:
Adriatic Sea (to the northeast)
.
Ionian Sea (to the southeast)
.
Tyrrhenian Sea (to the southwest)
.
Ligurian Sea (to the northwest; aboce Corsica)

Question 6

What are the two major mountain chains of Italy?

Answer 6

Alps
(on the borders of France, Switzerland, and Austria)
.
Apennines
(the central spine of Italy)

Question 7

What is Italy’s longest river?

Answer 7

The Po

It runs the entire northern plain of Italy to the Adriatic Coast

Question 8

What are the general Climatic zones of Italy?

Answer 8

Alpine Zone
Cool, short summers
Long winters with frequent snow

Po Valley
Hot, humid summers
Cold, foggy winters

Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Coast
Hot summers
Mild winters

Apennines
Cool summers
Cold, rainy winters

Adriatic Coast
Hot summers
Chilly winters

Mediterranean Zone
Hot, dry summers
Very mild winters

Question 9

Describe the climate of the Alpine Zone

Answer 9

Cool, short summers
Long winters with frequent snow

Question 10

Describe the climate of the Po Valley

Answer 10

Hot, humid summers
Cold, foggy winters

Question 11

Describe the climate of the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Coast

Answer 11

Hot summers
Mild winters

Question 12

Describe the climate of the Apennines

Answer 12

Cool summers
Cold, rainy winters

Question 13

Describe the climate of the Adriatic Coast

Answer 13

Hot summers
Chilly winters

Question 14

Describe the climate of the Mediterranean Zone

Answer 14

Hot, dry summers
Very mild winters

Question 15

What is the major city of Lombaria?

Answer 15

Milan

Question 16

What is the major city of Campania?

Answer 16

Naples

Question 17

What is the major city of Tuscany?

Answer 17

Florence

Question 18

What is the major city of Veneto?

Answer 18

Venice

Question 19

What is the major city of Lazio?

Answer 19

Rome

Question 20

What is the major city of Piedmont?

Answer 20

Turin

Question 21

What is the major city of Liguria?

Answer 21

Genoa

Question 22

What are the landlocked regions of Italy?

Answer 22

Vallee d’Aosta
Piedmont
Lombardy
Trentino Alto-Adige
Umbria

Question 23

Name this Wine Region

Answer 23

Marche

Question 24

Name this wine region

Answer 24

Abruzzi

Question 25

Name this wine region

Answer 25

Molise

Question 26

Name this wine region

Answer 26

Puglia

Question 27

Name this wine region

Answer 27

Basilicata

Question 28

Name this wine region

Answer 28

Calabria

Question 29

How long has Italy been growing Wine?

Answer 29

6,000+ years

Oldest artifacts are clay pots with “wine” residue found in an archaeological site near Agrigento, Sicily

3,000+ year-old Vitis vinifera seeds have been found in Sardinia

Question 30

Earliest winemaking culture of Italy?

Answer 30

Etruscans

Central Italy before the founding of Rome.

Question 31

What is DOP?

Answer 31

Denominazione d’Origine Protetta

Question 32

What is IGP?

Answer 32

Indicazione Geografica Protetta

Question 33

What is a fascetta?

Answer 33

The band that is seen on many bottles of DOP-level Italian wine