ITALY - Prosecco - Growing Environments

Question 1

PDOC has what climate?

Answer 1

It is moderate continental

Question 2

What is the rainfall like in PDOC?

Answer 2

moderate rain

Question 3

What is the hazard on the plains?

Answer 3

Fungal disease from the river’s humidity

Question 4

What are the cooling influences in PDOCG?

Answer 4

The altitiude

Question 5

What does the diurnal shift do to PDOCG?

Answer 5

It lengthens the growing season and slows it which allows intensity of flavors to build and keeps the acidity high

Question 6

What are the hazards to the glera grape?

Answer 6

High yielding (high vigor)
Millerandage
Powdery Mildew
Downy Mildew
Drought
Grapevine Yellows

Question 7

What kind of planting densities are typical of glera?

Answer 7

3000 plants per hectare (low to medium)

Question 8

Many wines are 100% glera, but % of other grapes are permitted?

Answer 8

15% are permitted

Question 9

What is Syloz?

Answer 9

Vine training technique. High CORDON system and SHOOTS hang DOWNWARDS

Question 10

What are the advantages of Syloz Training?

Answer 10

Suited to high vigor sites (dominates in PDOC)
Inexpensive to make
Minimizes Winter pruning 
Suited to Machine Harvesting
Some Frost Protection

Question 11

What are the disadvantages of Sylvoz training?

Answer 11

• Overcropping is an issue. Leaves must be trimmed to reduce canopy
• Grape clusters difficult to distribute evenly

Question 12

What is double arched cane and what are its advantages?

Answer 12

Type of Replacement can pruning where canes are bent to create arches

• promotes even growth and fruitiness in the grape
• increases ventilation and cuts down on fungal disease

Question 13

What are the disadvantages to double arched canes?

Answer 13

• each cane must be tied off individually which add cost

- shoot thinning important to keep open canopy

Question 14

What other training system is also used on flatter Prosecco DOC

Answer 14

Guyot

Question 15

What does Guyot and Sylvoz both allow in the lowlands of Prosecco DOC which saves money at harvest time?

Answer 15

Machine Harvesting

Question 16

Name a few reasons that the DOC and DOCG have wines of different quality?

Answer 16

• wines on the flatlands are grown at high yield
• grapes are machine harvested and are thus subject to damage at DOC level
• Hillsides (south facing) grow the DOCG wines (hillsides have poorer soil and better drainage and greater diurnal shift)

Question 17

The steepest land is grassy and terraced , what are they called and why do they add cost to the DOCG wines?

Answer 17

Ciglione

• They require a good deal of maintenance which is costly
• They must be hand harvested which adds cost

Question 18

Must all grapes be handpicked in the DOCG? Are there exceptions?

Answer 18

-No. The winemaker has that choice unless the bottle is marked Cartizze, Rive or Sui Lieviti

Question 19

If making a PDOCG, describe the basics of wine making

Answer 19

• If handpicked (eg from steeper slopes) then whole bunch pressing ensues (some say preserves primary flavors)
• First fermentation (15-20 days) is 18 oC to keep fruit fresh
• Lower temp to halt ferment
• Liqueur de Tirage before Second Fermentation must have calculated sugar to ensure you the right amount of carbon dioxide and level of sweetness on the finish as no dosage is added
• Second Fermentation 30 days @ 12-15 deg C
• keep wine in contact with lees and agitate for several to 9 months The latter is the CHARMAT LUNGO METHOD

Question 20

What is Prosecco col Fondo

Answer 20

A style of Prosecco which may be from the PDOC or PDOCG

• “Refermented in Bottle (rifermentazione in bottaglia) written on the label
• Lightly cloudy frizzante style wine sealed with crown cap (similar to petnat)