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