Italy: Central Italy

Question 1

What are the 5 regions of central Italy?

Answer 1

Tuscany
Umbria
Latium (aka Lazio)
Marche
Abruzzo

Question 2

What is the major white grape to know from central Italy?

Answer 2

Vernaccia (grows in Tuscany)

Question 3

What are the red grapes to know from central Italy?

Answer 3

Sangiovese
Syrah
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot

Question 4

What 3 DOCGs of Tuscany do you need to know?

Answer 4

Chianti DOCG
Chianti Classico DOCG
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

Question 5

What are the minimum percentages of Sangiovese required for:

Chianti DOCG
Chianti Classico DOCG
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

Answer 5

Chianti - 70% min

Chianti Classico - 80% min

Brunello di Montalcino - 100% only

Question 6

What are the soils of Chianti Classico?

Answer 6

Sandstone

Galestro

Question 7

What are the soils of Brunello di Montalcino?

Answer 7

clay + marine sediment, Galestro

Question 8

What is the name of the Sangiovese clone that goes into Brunello di Montalcino?

Answer 8

Sangiovese Grosso, aka Brunello by locals

Question 9

What are the aging requirements for Brunello di Montalcino and Brunello di Montalcino Riserva?

Answer 9

aged in wood barrels minimum 2 years
aged in bottle minimum 4 months
cannot be sold before Jan 1 the 5th year following harvest

Riserva: minimum 2 years in wood, 6 months in bottle, a total of 6 years.

Question 10

What kinds of oak barrels are used in Brunello di Montalcino?

Answer 10

Small barriques

Large Slavonian casks

Question 11

What is the white grape of Le Marche?

Answer 11

Verdicchio

Crisp white that’s vinified dry and unoaked

Question 12

What are the DOCs to know in Le Marche?

Answer 12

Verdicchio di Matelica DOC

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC

Question 13

What is Goria’s law?

Answer 13

Producers in Bolgheri and Maremma, the home of Super Tuscans, made world-class wines and labeled them under Vino de Tavola. It made a mockery of the DOC system and in 1992 the Italian government created the IGT to allow winemakers more freedom than DOC (which restricts grape varieties) . Today the DOC/G does little more than restrict the boundaries of an area.

Question 14

How many DOCG’s in Italy?

Answer 14

76

Question 15

White grapes of Tuscany

Answer 15

Trebbiano, Vernaccia, Vermentino

Question 16

Red grapes of Tuscany

Answer 16

Sangiovese (brunello, grosso, prugnolo gentile and many other clones),
Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah

Question 17

Two soils of Chianti

Answer 17

In Chianti, the two main soils are galestro (friable marl), and albarese (sandstone)

Question 18

Describe the first super tuscan. When, where, what grapes, who?

Answer 18

1968, Marquis Mario Rochetta releases the first “Super Tuscan,” Sassicaia, a blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is classified as Vino di Tavola

Question 19

What’s the Chianti Classico Project?

Answer 19

1987: The creation of the Chianti Classico 2000 Project by the Consorzio Vino Chianti
Classico. This project studies clonal variations of Sangiovese for historical context and
viticulture use such as disease resistance.

Question 20

Winemaker preferences: Tuscany

Answer 20

Much of the Sangiovese grown here is vinified according to traditional techniques such as
longer macerations and aging in neutral large Botti. Some producers such as those that
make Super Tuscans will age wines in new French barrique and incorporate cold
macerations.
Regions that make tannic reds like Brunello will have extended aging requirements on
the wines to soften them before release.
Whites here are usually easy drinking and do not see any new oak aging unless it is a highend Chardonnay. These wines may be fermented in a neutral barrel but will still maintain
varietal purity.

Question 21

What does “Governo” mean?

Answer 21

refermenting a wine with the juice of dried grapes. Used to give alcohol and
body to wines in Chianti.

Question 22

Aging requirements Chianti Reserva

Answer 22

A minimum of 2 years

Question 23

The original 4 villages of production for Chianti

Answer 23

Radda, Gaiole, Castellina, Greve

Question 24

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG:

Answer 24

Tuscany. Dry red wine from a minimum of 70% Sangiovese, can be Riserva

Question 25

Vin Santo del Chianti DOC:

Answer 25

Tuscany. White and red dessert wines you dip biscotti into from Trebbiano and Sangiovese. The red style is called “Occhio di Pernice,” and can be Riserva.

Question 26

Umbria elevator pitch

Answer 26

Umbria is landlocked right in the
center of the country, it has a
continental climate with
Mediterranean influences and rugged
and beautiful terrain from the
Apennine mountains. Grapes from
Tuscany are prominent here and
Orvieto, the most prominent DOC for
white wines makes dry whites from
Trebbiano Toscano and Grechetto. In
Orvieto is Lago di Corbara DOC for all
styles of wine, but their reds can be of
high quality from international
varieties. There are many DOCs here,
but you will not see them very often as
they tend to be catch-all DOCs for local
and international varieties and have
not really received any acclaim from
the wine world

Question 27

Two DOCGs of Umbria

Answer 27

The two DOCGs here are Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG (dry red wines from Sangiovese at
Riserva level only), and Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG (dry to sweet red wines from 100%
Sagrantino). Both produce high-quality wines, but Sagrantino di Montefalco, especially from
good producers, can be coveted in Italian restaurants.

Question 28

Elevator pitch Lazio

Answer 28

We are back on the Tyrrhenian coast for Lazio, more famous for the city of Rome than its wines.
Most wine produced is made for the masses of the city and most of the production is quaffable
white wines. Sweet wines and sparkling wines are made around the region and one DOCG is for
strictly Vendemmia Tardiva wines from Malvasia Bianca di Candia-Cannellino di Frascati. The
other two DOCGs are Cesanese di Piglio for red wines (can be Superior and Reserva) from the
local Cesanese grape, and Frascati Superiore DOCG for dry white wines from Malvasia Bianca di
Candia (can be Riserva)