Italy - Piedmont Flashcards
Where is Piedmont located in Italy and what are the geographical influences on the Piedmont region?
Piedmont is located in Northwestern Italy, bordering both France and Switzerland. Piedmont is actually a French word meaning “foot of the mountain”; the region is cradled by the Alps to the north and west and the Apennines to the south and east. The verdant Po River, Italy’s most important, begins in Piedmont.
What is the most planted grape varietal in Piedmont?
Barbera
What is the climate in Piedmont?
Continental
Name the 2 mountain regions that border Piedmont. Which sides of the region do they border?
Alps to the north and west
Apennines to the south and east.
Which provinces (towns) do most of the grape production occur?
The provinces of Asti, Alessandria, and Cuneo. In the foothills south of the Po Valley.
Where are the best vineyards located in Piedmont?
In the southern-facing slopes in the Monferrato and Langhe hills, known as sorì in the Piedmontese dialect
Where are the villages of Barolo and Barbaresco located?
On opposite ends of Alba. Barolo southwest and Barbaresco northeast
What was the Nebbiolo grape named after?
The thin-skinned Nebbiolo, purportedly named for the morning fog (la nebbia) that prolongs the grape’s ripening process in the fall, produces wines of high acid, alcohol and extreme tannin, yet the best examples offer haunting aromatic complexity and great longevity.
What are the aging requirements for Barolo?
38 months - 18 of these months MUST be in oak
What are the aging requirements for Barbaresco?
26 months - 9 of these months MUST be in oak
What are the aging requirements for Barolo Reserva?
62 months - 18 of these months MUST be in oak
What are the aging requirements for Barbaresco Reserva?
50 months - 9 of these months MUST be in oak
What is Piedmont’s most planted white grape?
Moscato Bianco (Muscat à Petits Grains) is Piedmont’s most planted white grape
What are the 3 major grapes of Piedmonte?
The late-ripening Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera form the trio of major Piedmontese red grapes.
Dolcetto, the “little sweet one,” is the earliest to ripen
Describe the tasting notes of Nebbiolo including the structure.
How is Barolo different from Barbaresco?
The aromas of tar, truffle, rose petals, and dried fruits are classically attributed to both wines, and their color is characteristically moderate in concentration and orange-tinged even in youth.
Bone-dry Medium-full Body High Tannins Medium-high Acidity 13.5–15% ABV
Barolo wines are typically more powerful and long-lived, whereas Barbaresco is slightly softer and regarded as Barolo’s more feminine counterpart.
Name at least 3 top Barolo/Barbaresco producers and top vintages
Ceretto Gaja Vietti Elio Altare Renato Ratti Guiseppe Rinaldi Romagna
Vintages: 1989, 1990, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2015 (hot), 2016 (balanced)
La Morra, Serralunga d’Alba, and Monforte d’Alba are communes included in which of the following DOCGs?
Barolo
Gavi di Gavi
Amarone della Valpolicella
Barbaresco
Valtellina Superiore
Barolo
What was the first still white wine in Piedmont to be promoted to DOCG?
Gavi (Cortese di Gavi) was the first still white wine in Piedmont to be promoted to the DOCG level.
Gavi’s dry, mineral-tinged whites are produced from the Cortese grape
The appellation is located in the extreme southern portion of Alessandria province and shares its western border with Ovada. Gavi’s dry, mineral-tinged whites are produced from the Cortese grape
Modern Barolo and Barbaresco producers commonly use new oak barriques and shortened macerations.
A.False
B.True
B. True
The Dogliani DOCG produces varietal wines from which of the following grapes Dolcetto Muscat Blanc á Petit Grains Nebbiolo Barbera Corvina
Dolcetto
Which DOCG province is the largest producer of DOCG wine in Italy?
Asti the largest producer of DOCG wine in Italy. Asti shed the pejorative “Asti Spumante” label with its move from DOC to DOCG, but the wines are always fully sparkling (spumante).
Moscato d'Asti DOCG wines are most commonly produced in which of the following styles? A.Spumante B.Dry C.Still D.Rosé E.Frizzante
E. Frizzante
Asti DOCG wines are most commonly produced in which of the following styles? A.Spumante B.Dry C.Still D.Rosé E.Frizzante
A. Spumante
What are the vinification differences between Moscato d’Asti and Asti? What level of carbonation applies to each?
– Moscato d’Asti: Off-dry, frizzante sparkling wines
– Asti DOCG: White, spumante, or metodo classico sparkling wines
What grape are Moscato d’Asti and Asti wines made from?
The wines are comprised solely of Moscato Bianco and blended from vast vineyards across the southern provinces of Piedmont before undergoing secondary fermentation, usually via the Charmat Method.
What style of wines are produced in the Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG?
Sweet, sparkling red wines
Which grapes are used to make wines from Gavi DOCG?
Gavi’s dry, mineral-tinged whites are produced from the Cortese grape
The Gattinara DOCG and Ghemme DOCGs produce wines based on which following grapes? Dolcetto Barbera Nebbiolo Corvina
These appellations offer Nebbiolo-based reds exclusively.
What is the name of the river that runs through Barolo and Barbaresco?
Tanaro River
Explain the stylistic differences between Moscato d’Asti and Asti DOCG wines
Asti is less sweet, higher in alcohol and more carbonated.
– Moscato d’Asti: Off-dry, frizzante sparkling wines
– Asti DOCG: White, spumante, or metodo classico sparkling wines
What is the grape varietal that comprises Moscato d’Asti and Asti DOCG wines?
Moscato
Besides Barolo & Barbaresco, which other 3 DOCG regions in Piedmont produce Nebbiolo?
Gattinara DOCG
Ghemme DOCG
Roero DOCG
What grape varietals are produced in the Roero DOCG? What is the style of wine?
Nebbiolo - Minimum 95% Nebbiolo
Arneis - Fresh and floral white wines. Wines are still and dry (secco)
What grape varietals are produced in the Gavi DOCG? What is the style of wine?
Cortese - Dry (secco) mineral-tinged whites
What is Italy’s most important river in Piedmont?
Po River
Modern Barbera often sees new wood. True or false?
True
What are the 2 Barbera grape-based appellations that were granted DOCG status in 2008?
Barbera d’Asti and Barbera del Monferrato Superiore.
Located in the Monferrato hills east of the Langhe
What are the aging requirements for Barolo and Barbaresco? Reserva for each?
Barolo - 38 months - 18 of these months MUST be in oak
Barolo Reserva - 62 months - 18 of these months MUST be in oak
Barbaresco - 26 months - 9 of these months MUST be in oak
Barbaresco Riserva - 50 months - 9 of these months MUST be in oak
Legal aging requirements for Barolo prior to 2010? After 2010?
Barolo is a massively tannic wine by nature, and prior to 2010, regulations called for a minimum three years of aging before release, two of which were in oak—or, rarely, chestnut—casks. Today, Barolo must be aged at least 38 months from November 1 of the harvest year, but only 18 months need be in oak.
Match the soil to the communes:
La Morra
Serralunga
Barolo
Tortonian Soil
Serravallian (Helvetian)
Tortonian Soil
Barolo
La Morra
Serravallian (Helvetian)
Serralunga
Legal aging requirements for Barolo prior to 2010? After 2010?
Prior to 2010, regulations called for a minimum three years of aging before release, two of which were in oak—or, rarely, chestnut—casks. Today, Barolo must be aged at least 38 months from November 1 of the harvest year, but only 18 months need be in oak.
What are the 2 main soil types in Barolo?
Tortonian soils - The lighter-tasting wine communes include La Morra and Barolo, with limestone-based soils.
Serravallian (Helvetian) - The bolder-tasting wine communes include Serralunga d’Alba, Monforte d’Alba, and Castiglione Falletto, with more weathered sandstone-clay soils.
Barolo producers - Modern vs. Traditional (M or T) Giacomo Conterno Bartolo Mascarello Giuseppe Rinaldi Paolo Scavino Luciano Sandrone Elio Altare
TRADITIONAL
Giacomo Conterno
Bartolo Mascarello
Giuseppe Rinaldi
MODERN
Paolo Scavino
Luciano Sandrone
Elio Altare
Barolo was divided between the “traditionalists” who retained faith in older winemaking techniques—Giacomo Conterno, Bartolo Mascarello, Giuseppe Rinaldi—and the “modernists” who embraced barriques, shorter macerations, and a rounder style of wine—Paolo Scavino, Luciano Sandrone, Elio Altare.
What is the largest DOCG in Italy?
Asti is the largest DOCG in Italy.
What is the smallest DOCG in Italy?
Valle d’Aosta
What is the Nebbiolo grape called in Gattinara DOCG and Ghemme DOCG? Is there another synonym from another region you can name?
Spanna - Gattinara DOCG and Ghemme DOCG.
Chiavennasca - Valtellina (Lombardy)
