Marche

Question 1

Marche general types of wine produced

Answer 1

• It mainly produces red wines from blends
  of Montepulciano and Sangiovese and white wines from Verdicchio.
• Most of the wines, both white and red, are in the inexpensive to mid-priced range with Riserva wines attracting premium prices.

Question 2

Marche has two general climates

Answer 2

• Land suitable for grape growing is on the low hills rising from the coast, and in some higher zones, with a broadly Mediterranean climate featuring hot summers and little rainfall in summer.
• Inland, west of Ancona, the climate is more continental in character with helpful dry autumns.

Question 3

Marche Soils

Answer 3

• The soils are principally limestone and clay, with a good balance between being free-draining and retaining sufficient water for vines through the summer.

Question 4

Marche White Grape Varieties List

Answer 4

• Verdicchio
• Pecorino
• Passerina
• Biancame
• Trebbiano Toscano

Question 5

Marche Red Wines List

Answer 5

• Montepulciano
• Sangiovese

Question 6

Verdicchio in the Vineyard

Answer 6

• Late Ripening
• This variety needs to be given space, as the first four buds are sterile, and it therefore is planted at low densities.
• It retains high acidity levels. It needs to be given a long time in the vineyard to ripen fully to make high quality wines, but this exposes the crop to the risk of late season rain.
• It is susceptible to both forms of mildew and to botrytis bunch rot.

Question 7

Verdicchio style quality and price

Answer 7

• The wines have a pale lemon colour,
• medium (–) aromatic intensity with blossom, apple, lemon, fennel and almond notes with a slightly bitter finish,
• high acidity
• medium body.
• Wines are made across the whole quality range from acceptable to outstanding.

Question 8

Verdicchio Winemaking

Answer 8

• Most entry level Verdicchio does not go through malolactic conversion (to preserve the crisp high acidity). The wines are aged for 4–6 months in stainless steel and bottled for early release and consumption.
• Some producers choose to put their riserva wines through malolactic conversion for creamier acidity.
• A long ripening season can produce wines with high fruit concentration and high acidity. Riserva wines will often be aged on the lees in old oak barrels for additional texture, but not oak flavours. These wines can be aged for a decade or more, developing dried fruit and mushroom tertiary notes.

Question 9

Two Marche Apellations for Verdicchio

Answer 9

• Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC
• Verdicchio di Matelica DOC

Question 10

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC soils, size, and yield

Answer 10

• valley with clay and limestone soils producing floral and fruity wines.
• This is much the larger of the two denominations with nearly ten times as many hectares as Matelica
• Permitted yields are high at 98 hL/ha.

Question 11

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC classico and classico superiore

Answer 11

• Classico is reserved for grapes from the historic heart of the appellation and Classico Superiore for wine from lower yields (77 hL/ha, giving wines of greater concentration)

Question 12

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva DOCG ageing reqiurement

Answer 12

• It requires minimum 18 months of ageing, which may be, but does not have to be, in oak. This additional ageing requirement adds to the cost of production.

Question 13

Verdicchio di Matelica DOC

Answer 13

• Is in a higher zone in the foothills of the Apennines, protected from the influence of the sea by mountains and hence with a continental climate of hot days and cold nights, resulting in a longer ripening season and higher retained acidity than vines grown closer to the sea.
• The soils are a mixture of sandstone with fossils and contain less clay than in Castelli di Jesi; they are therefore faster draining
• The permitted yield is marginally lower than for the basic Castelli di Jesi (91 hL/ha). The wines here are fuller bodied but with higher acidity and are less overtly fruity.

Question 14

Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva DOCG

Answer 14

• requires minimum 12.5% abv and 18 months of ageing, which may be, but does not have to be, in oak.

Question 15

Pecorino In the vineyard

Answer 15

• Pecorino is planted mostly in the south of the Marche and farther south in Abruzzo
• high disease resistance.
• Like Verdicchio it is best trained long (Guyot or pergola) as it has sterile buds near the trunk.
• Clonal selection has focused on rectifying its low productivity.
• It ripens early, thus avoiding late season rain. It can be vinified before other local varieties creating space in the winery.

Question 16

Pecorino style & quality

Answer 16

• The wines tend to be high in alcohol (e.g. 14.5% abv) due to the low productivity but this can be balanced by the grape’s natural high acidity.
• The wines have herbal notes (sage, thyme, mint), with crisp apple and pear fruit and are medium bodied.

Question 17

Pecorino can be sold as:

Answer 17

• The wines can be sold as **Marche IGT **or, if grown within the Offida area and in line with its regulations, as Offida Pecorino DOCG.
• Some of the DOCG wines are released early to retain primary fruit while a minority are aged for 12–18 months in old oak barrels for additional texture.
• The wines from this white variety have grown rapidly in popularity since the turn of the millennium.

Question 18

Passerina

Answer 18

• This variety is also grown in the Marche and in Abruzzo.
• It has good disease resistance and high production.
• It ripens later than Pecorino, thus making it more vulnerable to late season rain.
• Passerina has naturally high acidity, but can lose acidity quickly once fully mature, and therefore harvest needs to be scheduled with this in mind.
• It produces ripe lemon and yellow apple fruited wines.
• The wines can be sold as Marche IGT or, if grown within the Offida area and in line with its regulations, as Offida Passerina DOCG.

Question 19

Biancame

Answer 19

• This is a local variety making fresh and crisp white wines for local consumption.

Question 20

trebbiano toscano

Answer 20

As in other regions of central Italy, Trebbiano Toscano (see Tuscany) is grown for wine that is consumed locally.

Question 21

Montepulciano in the vineyard

Answer 21

• In the Marche, it is often blended with Sangiovese.
• The high quality wines tend to be 70–85 per cent Montepulciano.
• The variety is resistant to botrytis bunch rot and downy mildew but is susceptible to powdery mildew.
• It needs a long season to ripen fully (to avoid bitterness) but tends to ripen unevenly within individual bunches. This leads to either lower quality or to the need to select carefully, which adds cost.

Question 22

Montepulciano winemaking

Answer 22

• The wine made predominantly from Montepulciano is deep ruby in colour.
• It is susceptible to developing reductive sulfur compounds during winemaking and requires frequent aeration to avoid the development of off odours.
• Maceration times depend on the style being made: short 4–5 days for simpler, lighter wines and a longer period of around 20 days for higher quality wines. However, care must be taken not to extract too much tannin.

Question 23

Montepuliciano two styles:

Answer 23

• ripe, medium intensity red-cherry fruited wines with no oak flavours with a medium body and medium tannins (short maceration);
• medium (+) to pronounced intensity red cherry and black plum fruited wines with oak aromas and medium (+) tannins (long maceration of top quality fruit followed by ageing in oak, typically large oak vessels).

Question 24

Marche DOCs for Montepulciano

Answer 24

• Rosso Piceno DOC
• Rosso Piceno Superiore DOC
• Offida Rosso DOCG
• Rosso Conero DOC
• Conero Riserva DOCG

Question 25

Rosso Piceno DOC

Answer 25

• Montepulciano, often blended with Sangiovese (which contributes acidity), is a major part of Rosso Piceno DOC (35–85 per cent Montepulciano) which covers a large area of the middle of the Marche

Question 26

Rosso Piceno Superiore DOC

Answer 26

• higher quality designation that can only
  be made from fruit grown in 13 townships in the Ascoli Piceno province in the south of the region. This denomination requires a slightly higher alcohol level and a minimum of one year of ageing. Within this geographical area, a further distinction was made with the creation of the Offida DOCG, 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Ancona

Question 27

Offida Rosso DOCG

Answer 27

• must be 85–100 per cent Montepulciano and the wine must be aged for 24 months of which 12 must be in oak before release.

Question 28

Rosso Conero DOC and Conero Riserva DOCG

Answer 28

• South of Ancona
• Dedicated to Montepulciano wines (minimum 85 per cent in both cases).
• In the case of Conero Riserva DOCG, the blending variety, if used can only be Sangiovese.
• Conero Riserva DOCG must have a minimum two years of ageing (of which one in wood) before release.

Question 29

Marche Sangiovese

Answer 29

• In the Marche, as noted, it is used typically as the second variety in blends with Montepulciano.
• It contributes red cherry fruit, high acidity and high tannins.

Question 30

Marche wine business

Answer 30

• The IMT (Istituto Marchigiano di Tutela Vini) is a consortium dedicated to the promotion of the wines of the region. It represents three quarters of the individual denominations and 80 per cent of the exports of the region.
• Significant private companies include Umani Ronchi (70 per cent exported) and Fazi Battaglia. Co-operatives include Moncaro, which exports 55 per cent.
• Most of the wine of the Marche is sold in Italy but about one third by value of wine produced is exported. The USA, Canada, China and Japan are the leading markets.13 In the past inexpensive Verdicchio sold very well both in Italy and in export markets but now has been overtaken by Pinot Grigio from other regions, leading to a marked drop in the area planted.
• The current challenge is for producers to build an international reputation for quality, rather than quantity.

Question 31

Umbria Climate

Answer 31

• Umbria has a warm, mildly continental climate.
• Hot summers can lead to periods of heat stress for the vines. An average of 800 mm of rain falls mainly in autumn and winter. This gives enough water to be stored in winter to keep vines supplied through the growing season, and lessens the risk of fungal diseases.
• The risk of rain in September and October, can affect the harvest period. However, there are sufficient dry autumns that allow picking for late harvested and botrytised styles.

Question 32

Umbria grape Varieties

Answer 32

• Grechetto
• Sangiovese
• Sagrantino

Question 33

Grechetto vine characteristics and style quality and price

Answer 33

• Grechetto di Orvieto is a white, thick-skinned variety, with resistance to fungal disease that makes it suitable for late harvesting.
• It has good resistance to downy mildew.
• Wines made with Grechetto have low to medium intensity lemon and white flower aromas and flavour, with high acidity and a medium body.

Question 34

Sagrantino vine characteristics

Answer 34

• It needs full sunshine and heat to ripen and is moderately productive.
• The vineyards are principally on hillside sites, 220–470 m, for the best sunlight interception and good drainage. It is trained with either Guyot or cordon with spurs and VSP trellised.
• The main pests are tiny spiders that can live on the hairy underside of its leaves and reduce vegetative growth, vine moths and downy and powdery mildew, depending on the conditions in any year.

Question 35

Sagrantino Style,

Answer 35

Sagrantino is a very tannic variety.

The varietal wines are deep ruby in colour, with medium (+) to pronounced blackberry and red plum fruit, high acidity and high tannins, which require long ageing in the production phase and often in bottle before the wines are ready to drink.

Question 36

Umbria Docs

Answer 36

• Montefalco rosso doc
• Montefalco Sagrantino docG

Question 37

Montefalco Rosso DOC grape compostion

Answer 37

• 60-70% Sangiovese
• 10-15% Sagrantino
• Max yield 77hl/ha
• Minimum Aging 18 months

Question 38

Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG

Answer 38

• 100 % Sagrantino
• 52 hL/ha
• Aged 37 months, 1 year in wood
• These lower yields and the long maturation time add to the cost of production.
• Single vineyard wines may carry the name of the vineyard.
• The wines are typically very good to outstanding in quality and mid- to premium priced.

Question 39

Producer options to reduce tannin in Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG

Answer 39

• 2-3 weeks skin maceration instead of (3-4 months)
• Aging in New French oak Barrique
• Ageing in traditional large casks, followed by extended bottle ageing.

Question 40

Montefalco Consortium

Answer 40

• Initiated a series of projects to raise the standard of grape growing across the denomination as a whole. It has created a network of weather stations, collected and processed
  the data and made it available so that growers can be informed of impending threats of disease.
• This has enabled growers to reduce the number of treatments in the vineyard and the amount of chemicals used.

Question 41

Montefalco Sagrantino Wine Business

Answer 41

• The production of Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG has grown rapidly, with hectares under vine quadrupling to 650 ha in the period 2000 to 2015. 60 per cent is exported, especially to the USA, Germany and Canada.

Question 42

Umbria Wine Business

Answer 42

• Umbria has several large companies that have been innovators in the fields of organic viticulture, recovery of energy from biomass, and sustainability. Montefalco Grape Assistance is an example of a regional sustainability initiative.