Italy - North-East Flashcards

1
Q

Trentino - Climate
Where is it located and what is the climate?

A
  • North of Italy, in sight of the Alps
  • Moderate continental climate with cooling influences
  • High daytime temps in summer (mountains protect from cool winds)
  • Moderating influence through Lake Garda to the south
  • Large diurnal range (cold air from mountains)
  • -> retained acidity and prolonged growing season
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2
Q

Trentino - Grape varieties
What is planted to white/black varieties and what are max yields?

A
  • 75% white, 25% black
  • 100 hL/ha (white), 90 hL/ha (black)
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3
Q

Trentino - Grape varieties
What are the 4 most grown white varieties (incl. % plantings)

A
  • Pinot Grigio (31%)
  • Chardonnay (28%)
  • Müller Thurgau
  • Nosiola (spring frost + powdery + rot, distinctive whites with hazelnut flavor, semi-dried fruit version called “Vino Santo”
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4
Q

Trentino - Grape varieties
What are the five black varieties (incl. characteristics)?

A
  • Teroldego (best clones: 145, 152)
  • Merlot
  • Marzemino (botrytis and powdery)
  • Lagrein (needs warm site, poor fruit set, deep color, also used as Rosé)
  • Moscato Rosa (poor fruit set + botrytis, sweet rosé wines through appassimento or late harvest, premium prices)
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5
Q

Trentino - Winemaking
How are white wines typically made?

A
  • Soft pressing
  • Fermentation in stainless steel at low temps
  • May be briefly aged on lees
  • Soon released
  • Some top whites may be aged in small oak barrels to add a layer of vanilla and spice notes
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6
Q

Trentino - Winemaking
How are red wines typically made?

A
  • Fruity style (mostly)
  • Maceration on the skins during alcoholic fermentation
  • Moderate fermentation temps
  • Brief ageing in stainless steel or old, neutral wood
  • Premium reds
  • Longer maceration after fermentation
  • Warm fermentation temps
  • Aged in small oak barrels (some new)
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7
Q

Trentino
What is the avg. vineyard size and what does it mean?

A
  • 1.2 ha
  • Co-ops (80% of production) and merchants are important
  • Smaller estates (only 10% of production)
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8
Q

Trentino
What is the typical quality and price of wines?

A
  • Good to very good quality (some outstanding)
  • Inexp. to mid-priced (some premium and super-premium)
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9
Q

Alto-Adige
What is the typical quality and price of wines?

A
  • Good to very good quality (some outstanding)
  • Inexp. to mid-priced (some premium)
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10
Q

Alto-Adige
What is the ratio between white and black varieties?

A
  • 60% white
  • 40% black
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11
Q

Alto-Adige
What is the climate and climatic influences?

A
  • Alpine continental climate
  • Protected from cold winds
  • 300-700m altitude
  • Nearly 300 days of sunshine
  • Large diurnal range -> retained acidity
  • Sufficient rainfall
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12
Q

Alto-Adige
How are vines typically trained and what do they require in terms of vineyard management

A
  • Pergola or Guyot
  • Careful leaf management to avoid the risk of fruit burning or drying out
  • Work on steeper slopes by hand
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13
Q

Alto-Adige
What are the 5 most important varieties?

A
  • Schiava (b)
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Gewürztraminer
  • Pinot Blanc
  • Chardonnay
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14
Q

Alto-Adige
What is the variety Schiava otherwise known as? What is its vigor, color, aromas, body, tannins?

A
  • Vernatsch (in Germany)
  • High vigor -> pergola
  • Pale ruby
  • Violet, strawberry
  • Light to medium body
  • Low tannins
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15
Q

Alto-Adige
What is the general aim of winemaking?

A
  • Aim is to preserve fruit aromas
  • -> Low to moderate fermentation temps
  • -> Stainless steel
  • Some are kept on fine lees
  • Some are aged in French barriques
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16
Q

Alto-Adige
What is the avg. vineyard size and what does it mean?

A
  • 1 ha
  • Co-ops very important (70% of production)
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17
Q

Alto-Adige
How much is exported/how much consumed domestically? What are the main export markets?

A
  • 25% exported
  • Germany, USA
  • 75% domestically -> tourist business and hospitality sector
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18
Q

Friuli
What is the ratio between white and black varieties?

A
  • 75% white
  • 25% black
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19
Q

Friuli
What is the climate and climatic influences?

A
  • Warm maritime climate with cooling influences from the Alps
  • High rainfall (1,200mm)
  • -> High humidity and risk of fungal diseases
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20
Q

Friuli
Where are vineyards located?

A
  • Flat alluvial plain near the Adriatic Sea
  • -> higher yields
  • -> everyday Pinot Grigio and Merlot
  • Low hills, e.g., Collio DOC and Collio Orientali del Friuli DOC
  • -> some altitude (200m), good drainage, lower yields
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21
Q

Friuli
What are the 5 most grown varieties (in descending order)?

A
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Merlot (b)
  • Friulano
  • Chardonnay
  • Sauvignon Blanc
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22
Q

Friuli
What three varieties does it specialize in?

A
  • Friulano (resistant to high rainfall)
  • Ribolla Gialla (citrus, pepper notes and high acidity)
  • Refosco (most planted local black variety, red and herbal notes with high tannins)
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23
Q

Friuli
How are white wines typically made? What are recent experiments?

A
  • Mainly unoaked white wines
  • Mostly temp-controlled stainless steel, and cultured yeast
  • Some experiments with late harvested fruit, skin maceration, lees stirring and oak
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24
Q

Friuli
What region is known for orange wines and how are they made?

A
  • Friuli, and especially the small Oslavia sub-region of Collio
  • Long maceration on the skins (8 days up to 6-8 months)
  • Long ageing (2-6 years) in large oak
  • Often with traditional methods, like organic, use of local varieties, ambient yeasts, no temperature control, no fining or filtration, low or no added SO2
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25
Q

Friuli
What is the typical style of orange wines from Friuli? (color, intensity, aromas, tannins, price)

A
  • Amber, orange or gold color
  • Pronounced intensity
  • Dried fruits, dried herbs, hay and nuts
  • Medium tannins
  • Premium prices
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26
Q

Friuli
What are the two most important DOCs and what are the principal varieties?

A
  • Collio DOC and Collio Orientali del Friuli DOC
  • Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay
27
Q

Veneto
What is the size and from where to where does it spread?

A
  • Italy’s largest wine-producing region
  • From southern end of lake Garda to Venice
  • From the foothills of the Alps to the flat plain of the Po delta
28
Q

Veneto
What is the climate and climatic influences?

A
  • Warm and moderately continental
  • Moderate rainfall
  • Cooling influences may come from
  • -> altitude -> large diurnal range
  • -> breezes from Lake Garda
  • Flat plain is affected by moist air and fog
  • Soils are generally very fertile -> high yields
29
Q

Veneto
What are the most planted varieties and what are they mainly used for?

A
  • Glera
  • Garganega
  • Merlot (b)
  • Corvina (b)
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Cabernet Sauvignon (b)
  • -> Mostly on flat fertile plain for inexpensive, high volume brands
30
Q

Veneto - Soave
What are the general climatic influences?

A
  • Two parts:
  • Flat plain
  • Foothills -> altitude slows down ripening, leading to ripe grapes with high acidity
31
Q

Veneto - Soave
Garganega: What are the grape’s characteristics? (vigor, ripening, training)

A
  • High vigor
  • Late ripening
  • Traditionally: pergola
  • Nowadays: trellised
32
Q

Veneto - Soave
Garganega: What is the typical style of wine from the hillsides?

A
  • Medium intensity
  • Lemon, apple/pear, white pepper
  • High acidity
  • Medium body
  • Some oak (high-end examples)
  • Best examples can age (almonds and honey)
  • Good to very good quality (some outstanding)
  • Inexpensive to mid-priced (some premium)
33
Q

Veneto - Soave
Garganega: What is the typical style of wine from the flat plain?

A
  • To be drunk young
  • Medium acidity
  • Acceptable to good quality
  • Inexpensive
34
Q

Veneto - Soave
What are the three main DOCs for dry wines? (in ascending quality)
Where are they located and what is their production and max yields?

A
  • Soave DOC: entire region, 80% of Soave, 105 hL/ha
  • Soave Classico DOC: hilly region, 20% of Soave, 98 hL/ha
  • Soave Superiore DOCG: same zone as Recioto di Soave, tiny amount, 70 hL/ha
35
Q

Veneto - Soave
What other DOCG exists and what type of wines does it produce? What are the max yields and what is the typical style?

A
  • Recioto di Soave DOCG
  • Delimited hilly zone
  • Semi-dried grapes
  • 36 hL/ha
  • Rich, floral, honeyed, sweet wines with high balancing acidity
36
Q

Veneto - Soave
What are the avg. vineyard holdings and what does it mean?

A
  • 2 ha
  • Co-ops are important
37
Q

Veneto - Soave
How much is exported and what are the top export markets?

A
  • 80%
  • Germany, UK
38
Q

Veneto - Soave
What are current challenges? And what are the effects?

A
  • Lost ground to Pinot Grigio
  • -> low quality Garganega vines are replanted with Pinot Grigio
39
Q

Veneto - Soave
What was recently done to promote quality?

A
  • Soave Consorzio classified single vineyards
  • -> 33 named single vineyards were approved
40
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella
Where are the vineyards located and what are the two different types of soils?

A
  • Foothills (north):
  • Limestone and clay/volcanic
  • Cooler, slower ripening, higher acidity, greater concentration
  • Flatter land (south):
  • Gravel and sand
  • Warmer, fruitier, less acidity and concentration
41
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella - Corvina Veronese
What are the variety’s characteristics? (vigor, ripening time, skin, diseases)

A
  • High vigor and yields
  • Mid to late ripening
  • Thick skins -> suitable for drying
  • Prone to downy mildew, botrytis and esca
  • Sensitive to drought
42
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella - Corvina Veronese
How is it trained and what is the typical style (aromas, acidity, tannins)

A
  • Pergola training -> good air circulation
  • Violet, red cherry and red plum with a herbal note
  • High acidity
  • Low to medium tannins
43
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella
What are the three other black varieties and for what are they used?

A
  • Corvinone (not related to Corvina): good complement to Corvina in blends as it supplies tannins
  • Rondinella: rather neutral wines; accumulates sugar quickly (useful for Recioto)
  • Molinara: has been grown less in recent years
44
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella
How are inexpensive red wines made?

A
  • Aim is to create fresh, fruity wines for early consumption
  • Fermentation at mid-temps
  • Short maceration times
  • Aged in stainless steel or large oak barrels (6-8 months)
45
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella
Describe the Apassimento method

A
  • Practiced in Soave and Valpolicella
  • Resulting wine style is called passito
  • Grapes are picked early at 11-11.5% potential alcohol to maintain acidity and to ensure perfect bunches (healthy)
  • Grapes are stored for 3-4 months in drying lofts to get semi-dried ->
  • -> grapes are regularly checked with careful control of humidity and temperature
  • -> Grapes lose around one third of
    their weight
  • -> concentrating flavors and raising levels of sugar, potential alcohol, acidity, anthocyanins, tannins
  • -> chemical changes occur, e.g., glycerol is produced, giving a softer, fuller mouth-feel
46
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella
What are the different wines that can be made from Corvina blends?

A
  • Valpolicella DOC
  • Valpolicella Classico DOC
  • Valpolicella Valpantena DOC
  • -> Superiore may be added to each of the three in case of higher alcohol levels and 1y ageing
  • Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG
  • Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG
  • Valpolicella Ripasso DOC
47
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella
What are requirements regarding varieties for all Valpolicella DOCs and DOCGs?

A
  • 45-95% of Corvina and/or Corvinone
  • 5-30% Rondinella
  • Other authorized (e.g., Molinara)
48
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella - Valpolicella DOC
Describe the typical style of wine (MAX YIELD, intensity, aromas, acidity, tannins, quality, price)

A
  • Max 84 hL/ha -> Low intensity
  • Red cherry and rose, no oak flavor
  • Medium to medium(+) acidity
  • Low to medium tannins
  • Good quality (some very good)
  • Inexpensive to mid-priced
49
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella - Valpolicella Classico DOC
Describe the typical style of wine (origin of grapes, concentration, quality, price)

A
  • Grapes from hilly Classico zone
  • Greater concentration
  • Good to very good quality
  • Inexpensive to mid-priced
50
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella - Valpolicella Valpantena DOC
Where do the grapes come from

A

Valpantena Valley

51
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella - DOC
What does the labeling “Superiore” mean on the Valpolicella DOC styles?

A
  • Optional for Valpolicella DOC and Valpolicella Classico or Valpantena DOC
  • Marginally higher min alcohol
  • Often aged in large oak vessels for one year
  • Ruby color
  • Greater concentration than basic Valpolicella
  • Some Outstanding super-premium wines, e.g., from Romano dal Forno
  • Compared to, e.g., Soave, the term Superiore is not used for a separate DOCG but rather to “upgrade” the DOCs
52
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella - Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG
Describe the typical style of wine (origin of grapes, harvest, yield, aromas, body, tannins, alcohol, sugar, quality, price)

A
  • Sweet, semi-dried grape wine
  • Grapes sourced from anywhere within the Valpolicella DOC -> DOCG ONLY based on winemaking style
  • Grapes dried off the vines for 100-120 days
  • Final max yield: 48 hL/ha
  • Intense red, fresh- and dried-fruit flavors
  • Full body
  • Medium(+) to high tannins
  • Min 12% alcohol
  • Roughly 50 g/L sugar
  • Very good to outstanding quality
  • Premium priced
53
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella - Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG
Describe the typical style of wine (origin of grapes, harvest, yield, aromas, acidity, tannins, alcohol, sugar, quality, price)

A
  • Dry (or off-dry), semi-dried grape wine
  • Grapes sourced from anywhere within the Valpolicella DOC -> DOCG ONLY based on winemaking style
  • Grapes dried off the vines for 100-120 days
  • Final max yield: 48 hL/ha
  • Intense cherry, dried fruit flavors and spice and wood notes (sometimes new oak)
  • High acidity
  • Medium to high tannins
  • Min 14% alcohol
  • Roughly 5-9 g/l residual sugar (max 9)
  • Min two years in large casks or barriques (4 in case of “Riserva”)
  • Good to outstanding quality
  • Mid-priced to premium (some super- premium)
54
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella - Valpolicella Ripasso DOC
Describe the Ripasso method

A
  • Ripasso method
  • Unpressed grape skins with some residual sugar from the end of the fermentation phase of Amarone or Recioto
  • Newly made Valpolicella wine is then added to these grapes for a second maceration
  • Yeasts ferment the remaining sugar -> grape skins give color, flavor and tannins
  • 15% Amarone wine may also be added
55
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella - Valpolicella Ripasso DOC
Describe the typical style of wine (aromas, body, tannins, alcohol, ageing, quality, price)

A
  • Flavors of fresh and stewed red cherries and plums
  • Medium to full body
  • Medium(+) tannins
  • Min 12.5% alc (13% for superiore)
  • At least one year of ageing (often in large oak)
  • Good to very good quality
  • Mid- to premium priced
56
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella - Wine Business
How did the production of Amarone, Ripasso, and Recioto evolve?

A
  • Popularity had strong effect
  • In the past: rare and exceptional wines
  • Recioto has remained a niche market
  • Amarone and Ripasso increase 6 to 4 times
  • Production of Valpolicella has dropped
57
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella - Wine Business
Who is responsible for marketing purposes and research?

A
  • Valpolicella Consorzio
  • Represents > 80% of producers who make DOC(G) wines
58
Q

Veneto - Valpolicella - Wine Business
How much of Amarone is exported and what are the most important export markets?

A
  • 65%
  • Germany, USA, Switzerland, and UK
59
Q

Veneto
Name four other DOCs in the Veneto

A
  • Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC
  • Bardolino DOC and Bardolino Superiore DOCG
  • Bianco di Custoza DOC
  • Lugana DOC
60
Q

Veneto - Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC
What is the region known for and what is the typical style of wine? (intensity, aromas, acidity, body, alcohol, quality, price)

A
  • Produces > 40% of the world’s Pinot Grigio
  • Light to medium(-) intensity
  • Apple and lemon
  • Medium(+) acidity
  • Light to medium(-)body
  • Medium alcohol
  • Good quality (some very good)
  • Inexpensive to mid-priced
61
Q

Veneto - Bardolino DOC and Bardolino Superiore DOCG
What types of wines does it produce?

A
  • Mainly light bodied reds and rosés
  • Red wines: Corvina blends
  • Rosé wines: called “Chiaretto” and light and fresh
62
Q

Veneto - Bianco di Custoza DOC
What types of wines does it produce?

A
  • Mostly easy-drinking, lightly aromatic, fresh white wines
  • Blend of Trebbiano Toscano, Garganega,
    Friulano and optionally Cortese
63
Q

Veneto - Lugana DOC
Describe the typical style of wine (variety, aromas, acidity, ageing)

A
  • Principal varietiy: Turbiana (previously known as Trebbiano di Lugana - same as Verdicchio)
  • Ripe apple, citrus and hazelnut
  • Lively acidity and a saline finish
  • Sometimes ageing in oak