Italy - North-East Flashcards
Trentino - Climate
Where is it located and what is the climate?
- 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
Trentino - Grape varieties
What is planted to white/black varieties and what are max yields?
- 75% white, 25% black
- 100 hL/ha (white), 90 hL/ha (black)
Trentino - Grape varieties
What are the 4 most grown white varieties (incl. % plantings)
- Pinot Grigio (31%)
- Chardonnay (28%)
- Müller Thurgau
- Nosiola (spring frost + powdery + rot, distinctive whites with hazelnut flavor, semi-dried fruit version called “Vino Santo”
Trentino - Grape varieties
What are the five black varieties (incl. characteristics)?
- 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)
Trentino - Winemaking
How are white wines typically made?
- 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
Trentino - Winemaking
How are red wines typically made?
- 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)
Trentino
What is the avg. vineyard size and what does it mean?
- 1.2 ha
- Co-ops (80% of production) and merchants are important
- Smaller estates (only 10% of production)
Trentino
What is the typical quality and price of wines?
- Good to very good quality (some outstanding)
- Inexp. to mid-priced (some premium and super-premium)
Alto-Adige
What is the typical quality and price of wines?
- Good to very good quality (some outstanding)
- Inexp. to mid-priced (some premium)
Alto-Adige
What is the ratio between white and black varieties?
- 60% white
- 40% black
Alto-Adige
What is the climate and climatic influences?
- Alpine continental climate
- Protected from cold winds
- 300-700m altitude
- Nearly 300 days of sunshine
- Large diurnal range -> retained acidity
- Sufficient rainfall
Alto-Adige
How are vines typically trained and what do they require in terms of vineyard management
- Pergola or Guyot
- Careful leaf management to avoid the risk of fruit burning or drying out
- Work on steeper slopes by hand
Alto-Adige
What are the 5 most important varieties?
- Schiava (b)
- Pinot Grigio
- Gewürztraminer
- Pinot Blanc
- Chardonnay
Alto-Adige
What is the variety Schiava otherwise known as? What is its vigor, color, aromas, body, tannins?
- Vernatsch (in Germany)
- High vigor -> pergola
- Pale ruby
- Violet, strawberry
- Light to medium body
- Low tannins
Alto-Adige
What is the general aim of winemaking?
- 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
Alto-Adige
What is the avg. vineyard size and what does it mean?
- 1 ha
- Co-ops very important (70% of production)
Alto-Adige
How much is exported/how much consumed domestically? What are the main export markets?
- 25% exported
- Germany, USA
- 75% domestically -> tourist business and hospitality sector
Friuli
What is the ratio between white and black varieties?
- 75% white
- 25% black
Friuli
What is the climate and climatic influences?
- Warm maritime climate with cooling influences from the Alps
- High rainfall (1,200mm)
- -> High humidity and risk of fungal diseases
Friuli
Where are vineyards located?
- 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
Friuli
What are the 5 most grown varieties (in descending order)?
- Pinot Grigio
- Merlot (b)
- Friulano
- Chardonnay
- Sauvignon Blanc
Friuli
What three varieties does it specialize in?
- 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)
Friuli
How are white wines typically made? What are recent experiments?
- Mainly unoaked white wines
- Mostly temp-controlled stainless steel, and cultured yeast
- Some experiments with late harvested fruit, skin maceration, lees stirring and oak
Friuli
What region is known for orange wines and how are they made?
- 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
Friuli
What is the typical style of orange wines from Friuli? (color, intensity, aromas, tannins, price)
- Amber, orange or gold color
- Pronounced intensity
- Dried fruits, dried herbs, hay and nuts
- Medium tannins
- Premium prices
Friuli
What are the two most important DOCs and what are the principal varieties?
- Collio DOC and Collio Orientali del Friuli DOC
- Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay
Veneto
What is the size and from where to where does it spread?
- 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
Veneto
What is the climate and climatic influences?
- 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
Veneto
What are the most planted varieties and what are they mainly used for?
- Glera
- Garganega
- Merlot (b)
- Corvina (b)
- Pinot Grigio
- Cabernet Sauvignon (b)
- -> Mostly on flat fertile plain for inexpensive, high volume brands
Veneto - Soave
What are the general climatic influences?
- Two parts:
- Flat plain
- Foothills -> altitude slows down ripening, leading to ripe grapes with high acidity
Veneto - Soave
Garganega: What are the grape’s characteristics? (vigor, ripening, training)
- High vigor
- Late ripening
- Traditionally: pergola
- Nowadays: trellised
Veneto - Soave
Garganega: What is the typical style of wine from the hillsides?
- 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)
Veneto - Soave
Garganega: What is the typical style of wine from the flat plain?
- To be drunk young
- Medium acidity
- Acceptable to good quality
- Inexpensive
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?
- 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
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?
- Recioto di Soave DOCG
- Delimited hilly zone
- Semi-dried grapes
- 36 hL/ha
- Rich, floral, honeyed, sweet wines with high balancing acidity
Veneto - Soave
What are the avg. vineyard holdings and what does it mean?
- 2 ha
- Co-ops are important
Veneto - Soave
How much is exported and what are the top export markets?
- 80%
- Germany, UK
Veneto - Soave
What are current challenges? And what are the effects?
- Lost ground to Pinot Grigio
- -> low quality Garganega vines are replanted with Pinot Grigio
Veneto - Soave
What was recently done to promote quality?
- Soave Consorzio classified single vineyards
- -> 33 named single vineyards were approved
Veneto - Valpolicella
Where are the vineyards located and what are the two different types of soils?
- 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
Veneto - Valpolicella - Corvina Veronese
What are the variety’s characteristics? (vigor, ripening time, skin, diseases)
- High vigor and yields
- Mid to late ripening
- Thick skins -> suitable for drying
- Prone to downy mildew, botrytis and esca
- Sensitive to drought
Veneto - Valpolicella - Corvina Veronese
How is it trained and what is the typical style (aromas, acidity, tannins)
- Pergola training -> good air circulation
- Violet, red cherry and red plum with a herbal note
- High acidity
- Low to medium tannins
Veneto - Valpolicella
What are the three other black varieties and for what are they used?
- 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
Veneto - Valpolicella
How are inexpensive red wines made?
- 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)
Veneto - Valpolicella
Describe the Apassimento method
- 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
Veneto - Valpolicella
What are the different wines that can be made from Corvina blends?
- 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
Veneto - Valpolicella
What are requirements regarding varieties for all Valpolicella DOCs and DOCGs?
- 45-95% of Corvina and/or Corvinone
- 5-30% Rondinella
- Other authorized (e.g., Molinara)
Veneto - Valpolicella - Valpolicella DOC
Describe the typical style of wine (MAX YIELD, intensity, aromas, acidity, tannins, quality, price)
- 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
Veneto - Valpolicella - Valpolicella Classico DOC
Describe the typical style of wine (origin of grapes, concentration, quality, price)
- Grapes from hilly Classico zone
- Greater concentration
- Good to very good quality
- Inexpensive to mid-priced
Veneto - Valpolicella - Valpolicella Valpantena DOC
Where do the grapes come from
Valpantena Valley
Veneto - Valpolicella - DOC
What does the labeling “Superiore” mean on the Valpolicella DOC styles?
- 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
Veneto - Valpolicella - Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG
Describe the typical style of wine (origin of grapes, harvest, yield, aromas, body, tannins, alcohol, sugar, quality, price)
- 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
Veneto - Valpolicella - Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG
Describe the typical style of wine (origin of grapes, harvest, yield, aromas, acidity, tannins, alcohol, sugar, quality, price)
- 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)
Veneto - Valpolicella - Valpolicella Ripasso DOC
Describe the Ripasso method
- 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
Veneto - Valpolicella - Valpolicella Ripasso DOC
Describe the typical style of wine (aromas, body, tannins, alcohol, ageing, quality, price)
- 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
Veneto - Valpolicella - Wine Business
How did the production of Amarone, Ripasso, and Recioto evolve?
- 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
Veneto - Valpolicella - Wine Business
Who is responsible for marketing purposes and research?
- Valpolicella Consorzio
- Represents > 80% of producers who make DOC(G) wines
Veneto - Valpolicella - Wine Business
How much of Amarone is exported and what are the most important export markets?
- 65%
- Germany, USA, Switzerland, and UK
Veneto
Name four other DOCs in the Veneto
- Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC
- Bardolino DOC and Bardolino Superiore DOCG
- Bianco di Custoza DOC
- Lugana DOC
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)
- 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
Veneto - Bardolino DOC and Bardolino Superiore DOCG
What types of wines does it produce?
- Mainly light bodied reds and rosés
- Red wines: Corvina blends
- Rosé wines: called “Chiaretto” and light and fresh
Veneto - Bianco di Custoza DOC
What types of wines does it produce?
- Mostly easy-drinking, lightly aromatic, fresh white wines
- Blend of Trebbiano Toscano, Garganega,
Friulano and optionally Cortese
Veneto - Lugana DOC
Describe the typical style of wine (variety, aromas, acidity, ageing)
- 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
