Italy - Veneto

Question 1

Minimum alcohol for Ripasso wines / Valpo Ripasso Superiore

Answer 1

12.5% / 13%

Question 2

Amarone Riserva Minimum aging time

Answer 2

4 yrs

Question 3

2 DOCG of Valpolicella

Answer 3

1. Amarone della Valpolicella
2. Recioto della Valpolicella

Question 4

Valpolicella DOC
and
Valpolicella Ripasso DOC

Answer 4

• 45%-95% Corvina/Corvinone
• 5%-30% Rondinella
• Max 5% other reds
• Valpo DOC- min abv. 11% superiore is 12% Must be aged min 1 year from Jan. 1 following harvest.
• Valpo Ripasso DOC- min abv. 12.5%
  superiore 13%, wine not released until Jan 1 of the second year following the harvest.

Question 5

Modern producers of Valpolicella

Answer 5

Romano dal Forno, Allegrini (use new barriques)

Question 6

Traditional producers of Valpolicella

Answer 6

Quintarelli
Bertani
(use of traditional neutral Slavonian “Botti”)

Question 7

Amarone Riserva min aging

Answer 7

4 years

Question 8

Recioto della Valpolicella average drying time.

Answer 8

4 months

Question 9

Bardolino DOC
Bardolino Superiore DOCG

Answer 9

• Corvina/Rondinella dominate the blend for both
• Bardolino Superiore, only rosso requires 1 year of aging before release and minimum abv 12%

Question 10

What is Bardolino Novello & Bardolino Classico Novello?

Answer 10

The Bardolino novello was first produced in the late 1980s in a style that mimics Nouveau in Beaujolais. Corvina/Corvinone/Rondinella
Both must be bottled by Dec.1st having gone through 85% carbonic maceration. Classico is higher abv

Question 12

Corvina vine training

Answer 12

Corvina, the main grape of Valpolicella, has a thick, resistant skin that not only makes it suitable for air-drying but, according to Ian D’Agata, makes air-drying “an absolute necessity” for it to reach adequate sugar and alcohol levels. Corvina is sensitive to humidity, botrytis, and sunburn, so it is typically trained in the pergola veronese system, a horizontal canopy that shades the grapes and raises them high off the ground, providing good aeration and sun protection. Corvina is a reliable producer and performs best in dry, well-exposed hillside sites. It contributes the signature red cherry flavor to Valpolicella blends.

Question 13

DOCG in Veneto for Bordelaise varietals?

Answer 13

Montello Rosso DOCG was carved out from Montello Asolo in 2011 and is specifically for Bordeaux blends based on 40%–70% Cabernet Sauvignon; 30%–60% Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, and/or Merlot; and up to 15% other red grapes. It has yet to gain popularity, producing about 210 hectoliters annually from 6 planted hectares (15 acres).