Lombardy Flashcards
What is the capital city of Lombardy?
Milan
True or False:
Vineyards are planted relatively close to Milan’s city center and are under constant threat from urban sprawl.
False. Vineyards tend to be pretty far removed from Milan
Lombardy’s wine reputation rests on which style of wine?
Sparkling
How many DOCs are located in Lombardy?
Lombardy has 22 DOCs
How many DOCGs are located in Lombardy?
5
What are the 5 most important wine production zones of Lombardy?
Franciacorta Lugana Oltrepo Pavese Valtellina Lambrusco
Where is Franciacorta located?
Franciacorta is located in the hills immediately east of Brescia in Lombardy
What grapes are used in the production of Franciacorta?
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Pinot Bianco
Erbamat
Where does Franciacorta get its name?
The name Franciacorta is a corruption of the medieval “Francae Curtes”.
Curtes meant Communes
Francae meant “Exempt of Taxes”
True or False:
Franciacorta DOCG produces both sparkling and still wines.
False. Although the region produces both sparkling and still wines, only the bubbles are eligible for DOCG status.
Still wines from Franciacorta are sold as _________ DOC or _______ IGT.
Curtefranca DOC
Sebino IGT
When were sparkling wines first documented in the Franciacorta region?
1570
List 2 producers of Franciacorta DOCG
Ca’del Bosco
Bellavista
Who produced Franciacorta’s first modern sparkling wines?
Guido Berlucci
He produced the regions first modern sparkling wines in the 1960s
When did Franciacorta achieve DOCG status?
1995
Franciacorta flavors are driven by ____________ + ___________.
Secondary Fermentation
Autolysis
What grapes are allowed to be used to produce Franciacorta Rose? What percentages?
Pinot Nero [minimum 35%]
Chardonnay [maximum 65%]
Pinot Bianco [maximum 50%]
Erbamat [10%]
What grapes and in what percentages are allowed to produce Franciacorta DOCG?
Pinot Nero +/or Chardonnay
Pinot Bianco [maximum 50%]
Erbamat [maximum 10%]
How many styles of wine are produced under Franciacorta DOCG? What are they?
There are 5
Franciacorta Franciacorta Saten Franiacorta Rose Franciacorta Millesimato Franciacorta Riserva
For Franciacorta to be released as vintage, what percentage of the percentage year is required?
85%
What are the aging requirements for non-vintage Franciacorta?
minimum 18 months on the lees
25 months total aging from the date of harvest
What are the dominant soil types of Franciacorta?
Mineral-Rich Gravel
Limestone
What lake exerts a moderating influence on Franciacorta?
Lake Iseo
When Franciacorta is listed as “Saten” what does that tell you?
The Saten designation means that the wine will be brut and only produced from Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco and rested for a minimum of 24 months on the lees. These wines also have lower atmospheres of pressure that for a regular Franciacorta.
What are the aging requirements for Franciacorta Saten?
minmum 24 months of aging on the lees
31 months total from the date of harvest.
What are the aging requirements for Franciacorta Rose?
Aging requirements are the same as for Saten:
24 months minimum on the lees with 31 months total
What are the aging requirements for vintage dated Franciacorta?
Franciacorta Millesimato must age for a minimum of 30 months on the lees
Total aging must be 37 months from the date of harvest
What are the aging requirements for Riserva Franciacorta?
Franciacorta Riserva must age for a minimum of 60 months on the lees with a total of 67 months from the date of harvest
True or False:
Franciacorta’s RS scale mimics Champagne’s
True
Oltrepò Pavese was administratively part of what region between 1741-1859?
Piedmont
Where is Oltrepò Pavese located?
Oltrepò Pavese is moated across the hills of a series of communed in the province of Pavia south of the Po river
What does the name Oltrepò Pavese mean?
Oltrepò Pavese means “beyond the Po, in the Pavia region”
Oltrepò Pavese is the name of an extensive overarching DOC that encompasses _____ DOC[s] and _____ DOCG[s].
6 DOCs
1 DOCG
Is Franciacorta the only sparkling wine center of Lombardy?
No. the DOCG Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico is also important.
What grapes are used to produce Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico? What percentages?
Pinot Nero [minimum 70%]
Chardonnay
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Bianco
[combined maximum 30%]
How do the aging requirements for Franciacorta differ from Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico?
Oltrepò Pavese is shorter than Franciacorta with wines only required to rest for 15 months on the lees as compared to 18.
What are the aging requirements for Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico
minimum 15 months aging sur lee
What are the allowable grapes and percentages for Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico Rose?
Pinot Nero [minimum 85%]
Chardonnay
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Bianco
[combined maximum 30%]
What are the aging requirements for vintage dated Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico?
Millesimato wines must age for 24 months on the lees
When was Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico upgraded to DOCG status?
2007
Oltrepò Rosso is produced from what grapes?
Barbera [25-65%]
Croatina [25-65%]
maximum 45% combined:
Uva Rara
Ughetta [aka Vespolina]
Pinot Nero
maximum 15% other non-aromatic reds
What it Italy’s northernmost wine zone?
Valtellina
What is Chiavennasca?
Chiavennasca is another name for Nebbiolo. It is used in the Valtellina region of Lombardy.
What is the latitude of Valtellina?
46-degrees latitude
How are grapes able to grow so far north in Valtellina?
The region is protected to the north by the Alpi Retiche and to the south by Alpi Orbi. This is combined with steep terraced vineyards to optimize solar radiation for grape ripening.
What is Lombardy’s most important red wine producing zone?
Valtellina
How do the wines of Valtellina compare to those of the Langhe hills?
Although both are made from the same grape, wines from Valtellina a typically lighter, with more perceptible tannins and acidity.
When did Nebbiolo arrive in Lombardy?
The beginning of Nebbiolo cultivation in Valtellina appears to date fro the early 1800s
When was the Valtellina DOC established?
1968
What grapes are allowed in the production of Valtellina DOC? What percentages?
minimum 90% Chiavennasca [aka Nebbiolo]
maximum 10% other non-aromatic red grapes
What river formed the valleys of the Valtellina region?
The Adda River
Is Valtellina Superiore considered DOC or DOCG?
DOCG
How many DOCGs are in Valtellina?
2
Valtellina Superiore
Sforzato di Valtellina
List the DOCGs of Valtellina:
Valtellina Superiore
Sforzato di Valtellina
Does Valtellina Superiore contain any sub zones?
Yes! It contains 5 sub zones:
Valgella Inferno Grumello Sassella Maroggio
List the sub zones of Valtellina Superiore:
Valgella Inferno Grumello Sassello Maroggio
What styles of Nebbiolo are produced by each to the different Valtellina Superiore sub zones?
Maroggio [delicate] Sassella [elegant + mineral] Grumello [harmoniously precocious] Inferno [earthy + powerful] Valgella [fresh + fruity]
All of Valtellina DOCs and DOCGs must contain a minimum of _____% Nebbiolo.
90%
What is the IGT zone that surrounds Valtellina?
Terrazze Retiche di Sondrio
What style of wine is Sforzato di Valtellina?
Sforzato is a full-bodied, dry red made from Nebbiolo grapes that have been dried for 3 months. its similar to an Amarone
What are the aging requirements for Valtellina Superiore?
Valtellina Superiore must age for 24 months including a minimum of 12 months in wood
What are the aging requirements for Valtellina Superiore Riserva?
Wines must age for a minimum of 3 years.
When did Valtellina Superiore achieve DOCG status?
1998
In what province is Valtellina located?
Sandrio
What are the aging requirements for Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG?
Wine must age for a minimum of 20 months from April of the year following harvest including a minimum 12 months in wood.
How long are the grapes dried to make Sfurzat?
3 months
List 4 notable producers in Valtellina:
Mamete Prevostini Rainoldi Ar.Pe.Pe Fay Nino Negri [negociant]
What is Lugana?
Lugana is a dry white produced from Trebbiano di Lugana
Where is Lugana produced?
Lugana is located to the South and South west of Lake Garda in the province of Brescia, straddling Lombardy and Veneto.
What style of wine is produced in Lugana?
Lugana produces mainly dry whites made from a minimum of 90% Trebbiano di Lugana [aka Turbina]. Sparkling and late harvest expressions are also produced under the DOC
What grape[s] are used in Lugana? In what percentage[s]?
Trebbiano di Lugana [minimum 90%]
maximum 10% other non-aromatic white grapes
Where is the heart of Lugana?
Genuine Lugana comes from a narrow band of white clay-limestone soils on the south shore of Lake Garda
Lugana’s heartland is locally known as ___________.
Menadel
Trebbiano di Lugana is also called ________.
Turbina
What grape is Turbina synonymous for [or closely genetically related to]?
Trebbiano di Lugana is either synonymous with or closely genetically related to Trebbiano di Soave
What soils are common in the heartland of Lugana?
Strikingly white, clay-limestone soils
What is Moscato di Scanzo?
Moscato di Scanzo is a dark-berried speciality of Bergamo in Lombardy. It is used to make sweet passive reds.
What is a Futura?
It is a slender 500mL often used to bottle Moscato di Scanzo [and inniskillin]
What style of wine is produced in Scanzo DOCG?
Scanzo DOCG, also known as Moscato di Scanzo DOCG, produces sweet passive reds.
True or False:
Scanzo DOCG produces sweet red wines aged in cask for a minimum of 2 years.
False. Although wines must age for a minimum of 2 years, it cannot spend any time in oak.
