Liguria - online Flashcards
Where is Liguria located and what are its borders?
NW of Italy France Piemonte Emilia Romagna Toscana
What is the topology like?
Steep cliffs into the Ligurian sea
Crescent shaped
Where does Liguria region rank?
3rd smallest region
What are the 3 most prominent grapes?
Vermentino
Pigato
Rossese
What was the original tribe?
Liguri
What areas were famous in Roman times and which area did Pliny write about?
Cinque Terre
Luni - Pliny the Elder
What was the powerful city state and its capital found in Liguria?
Genoa
Who took over Liguria in the 19th century?
France and Napoleon
What are the 4 main provinces of Liguria?
Imperia
Savona
Genoa
La Spezia
What are the 2 main subzones?
Riviera di Ponente the West Coast
Riviera di Levante the East Coast
What is the largest and driest subzone?
Riviera di Ponente
Where is the majority of wine growing?
Riviera di Ponente
What area has steep cliffs, caves and scattered beaches?
Riviera di Levante
What is the topography breakdown of Liguria?
65% mountains
35% hills
NO FLAT LAND
Heroic viticulture
What are the 2 mountain ranges in Liguria?
Maritime Alps (N) Ligurian Apennines (NE) Merge with coast
What are the soils in Ponente?
Poor soils
Reddish, calcareous marl
What are the soils in Levante?
Poor soils
Clay, sand, limestone mix
What is the seasonal Ligurian climate?
Mediterranean - humid, breezes Spring - mild, little rain Summer - Warm & Dry - DROUGHT ISSUE Autumn - Mild, Highest rain Winter - Mild on Coast, cooler inland valleys, rain
Where is it driest in Liguria?
Ponente
Where is it wettest and why in Liguria?
Levante due to prevailing winds
What causes wide range of meso-climates in Liguria and where?
Many inland valleys in Ponente
What is the best way to describe the Ligurian climate?
Mountain ranges running through the region. offer protection from cold northerly winds
How many grape varieties grown in Liguria?
More than 100
What type of grapes dominate indigenous or international?
Indigenous
Co-planing within vineyards
International very little mostly IGT wines
Is Liguria white or red?
70% white
What is the largest planted grape?
Vermentino
What are the two most important white grapes?
Vermentino and Pigato
What is Liguria’s red grape?
Rossese
Where is Pigato most important?
Savonia
Imperia
Varietals for Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC
What is identical to Vermentino?
Pigato
What is the character difference between Vermentino and Pigato?
Pigato is musky
Vermentino - aromatic herbs, mineral-salty
Describe Bosco
Grown in Levante
Right on the sea
Blended with Vermentino & Albarola
Adds structure & Body
Describe Rossese
Identical to Tibouren (France)
Most widely planted red (10%)
Almost all in Ponente
Dolceacqua DOC
Describe Ormeasco
Dolcetto synonym West Liguria Dry & sweet Lighter than Piemonte Dolcetto Ormeasco di Pornassio
Liguria’s training system
Guyot suitable on poor, dry hillside soils
Cordone - suitable on medium-poor soils - mechanical prunning
Alberello - Ponente tradition
Pergola (low) - Levante tradition
Production in Ponente
Entirely focused on varietals red & white
Production in Levante
Varietals and blends
White and Red
Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC
Western Riviera San Remo to Genoa Largest DOC Pigato & Vermentino varietals Rossese for reds Albenganese - Pigato Finlese - Vermentino
What town has the best Pigato?
Albenganese
What town has the best Vermentino?
Finalese
Dolceacqua DOC
Rossese Regarded by Napolean 1st DOC '72 French Border Most distinctive Ligurian
What is the most distinctive wine in Liguria?
Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC
What was the first DOC in Liguria?
Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC
What is unique about Rossese
Very terroir sensitive
Needs water-retaining hillsides
Protected from wind
How many hamlets in Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC
38
Can amend name on label
What % Rossese in Dolceacqua DOC
95%
Is there a Superiore Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC
Yes
1 year age
13% ABV
Pornassio DOC grape
Ormeasco (95%)
What region is entirely in the mountains of Liguria?
Ormeasco di Pornassio DOC
up to 800m
What is the character of Ormeasco di Pornassio DOC
Dry Floral Fruity Spicy Bitter finish
Is Superiore Ormeasco di Pornassio DOC allowed?
Yes
1 year age
Higher ABV
What styles are produced in Ormeasco di Pornassio DOC
Dry
Rosato (Sciac-trà)
Superiore
What is the difference between Sciac-trà and Schiacchetrà
Sciac-trà - sweet red passito - Pornassio
Schiacchetrà - sweet white passito - Cinque Terre
Chose correct statement
a. Albenganese is known for Pigato
b. Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC stretches from San Remo to W Genoa
c. Riviera di Levante has the most are under vine
a & b
Ponente has the most area
What area does not border the sea?
Pornassio DOC
What does Cinque Terre mean?
Five lands
Refers to the 5 fishing villages
What appellation in Liguria has been renowned since the Romans?
Cinque Terre DOC
What is Cinque Terre’s claim to fame?
Sciacchetrà - rare passito
Not made every year
How close are Cinque Terre’s vines to the sea?
The are close enough to get sprayed by sea water
What are the vineyards like in Cinque Terre?
Super steep
Grapes harvest with monorails
Heroic
What wines does Cinque Terre DOC produce
Only dry white Bosco - Structure (>40%) Albarola - Acidity (<40%) Vermentino - Perfume (<40%) also auxiliary grapes (<20%)
What do the blended grapes add in Cinque Terre?
Bosco - Structure
Albarola - Acidity
Vermentino - Perfume
What wines do Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà DOC produce
Sweet passito
Bosco, Albarola, Vermentino
Dried on Graticci
Only in Best Years.
Colli di Luni DOC
Inter-regional with Toscana
Covers most of E Liguria
3 towns in Toscana
Roman town of Luni
What are the wines of Colli di Luni DOC?
Vermentino - varietal
Albarola - varietal
Bianco - Blended Vermentino and TT
Rosso - Sangiovese based
What statement is correct?
a. Sciacchetrà is made every year
b. Sciacchetrà is produced in very tiny quantities
c. Sciacchetrà is sweet white passito
b & c
Sciacchetrà only produced in best year
What is the major commercial port in Liguria?
Genoa
What is the Cinque Terre blend
Albarola, Bosco, Vermentino
What was the 1st Ligurian DOC?
Dolceacqua DOC
