North-East Italy Flashcards
trentino aldo adige (common traits)
historically austria heritage, into italy since 1919 trentino speaks italian, aldo adige (sudtirol) german alps foothills (vineyards o lower slopes of the hill)
both international and local varieties (all single varietals)
trentino varietals
white: pinot grigio, chardonnay, muller thurgau
red: teroldego, merlot, marzemino
trentino climate and influences
moderate continental with cooling influences
hot influences
1. mountains protect from cold north winds
2. heat from valley floor
cold influences (long growing season)
1. lake garda moderate
2. cold air coming at night from mountains
labour in trentino
mostly high steep vineyards require lot of work by hand
trentino yields
100hL/ha 90hL/ha 75% white varietals
main DOC and IGT of trentino
- Trentino DOC
- Vini delle Dolomiti IGT
teroldego yields, prone to, clones and what DOC
- high yields (before pergola to produce more, now guyot for quality)
- prone to dry stems, resistant to mildew
- clones for high aromatics (145, 152)
- mainly in the DOC of Teroldego Rotaliano (sandy/gravel soils)
marzemino: prone, trellising, DOC
- prone to botrytis bunch rot and powdery mildew
- old vines on pergola, now spurred cordon (low yields)
- mainly in Trentino DOC subzone of Zires (full sun and rich calcareous clay, basalt)
lagrein: main specs, prone to, a problem, styles
needs high sunshine to ripen fully
prone to poor fruit set (low yields)
bitter finish - short maceration/oak ageing
also for rose
moscato rosa: style
moscato family, mostly for sweet wines
prone to poor fruit set, and botrytis bunch rot (difficult to grow)
appassimento/late harvest style
nosiola: where is grown, styles and prone
- grown in the valley of the lakes (warm, sub continental climate)
- dry: light hazelnut flavour, also semi-dried styles (Vino Santo)
- prone to spring frost, powdery mildew, sour rot
white wine winemaking in trentino
- soft pressing
- ferment at lower tempo 12-16
- optional lees ageing
- premium examples will age in oak (some new)
red wines winemaking in trentino
- fresh fruity
skin maceration in fermentation (5-7 days) at mod temp 17-20
aged in stainless or neutral old oak - premium
7-14 days after fermentation maceration
high temp 26-32
small oak barrells with new oak %
trentino DOC rules
both local and international varieties
- Bianco - 80% min chard or p grigio
- Rosso - single/blends of cab sauv, franc, carmenere, merlot
- single variety 85% stated variety
- rose (can be called also Kretzer)
- you can blend between chard, p blanc, grigio, sauv blanc with 50-75% stated variety and the rest of another
trentino wine business
small holdings (1.2ha), mostly co-op (80%)
60% is only the group Cavit
problems of Trentino DOC
because of its high yields some producers like Foradori got out as the DOC doesn’t promote quality
Alto-Adige: where are most of the vineyards located
Valleys and lower slopes of the Dolomites.
Climatic specs of Alto-Adige.
Alpine continental climate
- mountains protect from north winds
- altitude 300-700mt
- warm air currents moderate the area giving high sunshine days
- sufficient rainfall (problem during harvest)
Soils of Alto-Adige
High diversity.
1. volcanic porphyry
2. mica rock and quartz
3. limestone (Dolomites)
Training and canopy management in Alto-Adige.
- Guyot or pergola.
- Leaf picking (expose bunches, risk of burning/drying so carefully done).
Most planted varietals in Alto-Adige.
- Schiava.
- Pinot Grigio.
- Gewurztraminer (Tramin village).
- Pinot Blanc.
- Chardonnay.
- Lagrein.
- Pinot Noir.
- Sauvignon Blanc
60% white, 40% reds
Two main areas of Alto-Adige
- Bassa Altesina (south-warmer) - all varietals (including Muller Thurgau) apart from Schiava.
- Oltradige (near lake Caldaro) - mostly Schiava also Merlot and Cab, more white varietals at high altitude.
Schiava main feature
High yields
Main areas for Schiava and what is the blend.
- Santa Magdalena DOC (15% Lagrein blend).
- Lago di Caldaro (usually 100%)
Alto-Adige winemaking.
- Low to mid-temperature stainless steel (preserve aromas).
- Selected yeast
- Lees (4 months up to one year), French barrique in premium.
Alto-Adige DOC laws.
- Bianco (min 75% Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc/Grigio).
- Single varietal 85% stated.
- If two varietals on label they should be more than 15% each in the blend.
Is the DOC Alto-Adige used?
Yes, 98% of the wines are using the DOC.
General holding of Alto-Adige for a grower.
1 ha. Mostly sold to Co-Op
Co-Op in Alto Adige - names and commitment
Tramin, Kaltern. They encourage and are committed to quality. They pay high prices for the grapes to push quality.
Where are Alto-Adige wines mostly sold?
Italy, mostly domestic in hospitality. Small export in Germany and USA.
the production of friuli is mainly what style?
white wine 75%
friuli general climate and influences
warm maritime (adriatic sea)
alps cooler influences (balances warm sea)
high rainfall (1200mm) and high humidity (more labour needed)
main 2 growing areas of friuli - appellation and soils
- plain (everyday wine) mostly p. grigio and merlot, rocky soils, fertile, higher yields
main docs are grave del friuli, friuli isonzo - low hills (quality) calcareous marl, sandstone, also compacted marl called ponca (high drainage) 200mt altitude, slopes
collio, collio orientali del friuli
varieties in friuli
- local - ribolla, malvasia di istria, verduzzo, picolit, refosco, schioppettino, pignolo, tazzalenghe
- austrian/german influences - riesling, welsciriesling (riesling italico), gewurz, muller, blaufrankisch
- french - merlot, sauvignonasse, chardonnay, sauv blanc, cab franc/sauv, pinot noir, carmenre
friulina specs
also called sauvignon vert, sauvignonasse in france good disease resistance stainless or lightly oak
ribolla gialla specs
needs hillside with less fertile land to stop high yields prone to shot berries many styles from dry, to charmat, to off dry or orange
refosco specs
most planted black variety of friuli
hillside low fertility best wines
late ripening
botrytis resistant
general winemaking of friuli wines
unoaked (schioppetto style, Germany influenced) stainless, temp control, cultured yeast, pneumatic press
lately experimentation with late harvest, skin maceration, lees stirring, oak
orange wines in friuli
mainly in oslavia long maceration (6-8 months), long ageing (2-7 years) in big oak/anphorae
orange wines top producers
gravner radikon princic
orange wines producers main commitment
- organic
- local varieties
- long skin maceration
- ambient yeast
- maturation in larg oak
- no fining/filtration
- low or no so2
2 most important doc of friuli
collio (77hl/ha)
colli orientali del friuli
friulano, ribolla, chard, sauv blanc,
friuli sweet wines appellation
colli orientali del friuli picolit docg (historical competitor of tokaji), small volumes as picolit has berry set problems
ramandolo docg (air dried verduzzo)
big appellations in friuli
friuli doc (from all over the region)
pinot grigio delle venezie (large area between three regions)
friuli exports
raised 55% in recent years because of pinot grigio popularity
they are sponsoring reds (refosco) because of cheaper alternatives in italy or outside or new high quality whites in neighbourgin regions)
Veneto general climate.
Warm and moderate continental with moderate rainfall.
Plains vs foothills in Veneto. Influences, soils and varietals.
Plains - moist air and fog (high rot risk and esca) from river Adige, fertile soils, inexpensive Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Corvina, Garganega, Trebbiano.
Foothils - altitude, Lake Garda, poor soils, better drainage.
Most planted grapes in Veneto.
- Glera.
- Garganega.
- Merlot.
- Corvina.
- Pinot Grigio.
- Cabernet Sauvignon.
Soave main two areas and soils.
- Foothills (north) - limestone, clay, volcanic rocks (basalt).
- Plains (south) - sandy and alluvial soil.
Harvesting in Soave.
High quality by hand, lower quality by machine.
Garganega ripening, training and what it is prone to.
Late ripening.
Traditionally trained on a pergola now trellised.
Prone to winter cold, mildew and botrytis.
What techniques are employed by quality producers for Garganega?
Cold maceration.
Cool fermentation (16-18).
Few months of lees ageing.
Oak fermentation/maturation.
Soave general laws on admitted varietals and blends.
70% Garganega, 30% Trebbiano di Soave or Chardonnay. 5% of the 30% can be of any permitted varietal.
Applies to Soave DOC, Soave Classico DOC, Soave Superiore DOCG.
Yields for all the Soave’s appellations.
Soave DOC - 105hl/ha.
Soave Classico DOC - 98hl/ha.
Soave Superiore DOCG. - 70hl/ha.
Release dates for all the Soave’s appellations.
Soave DOC - 1st December after harvest.
Soave Classico DOC - 1st February after harvest.
Soave Superiore DOCG. - 1st September after harvest.
Are all the appellations of Soave coming from the same area?
No.
Soave DOC can be sourced from all areas (now three times bigger than in 1931) but mostly from the plains.
Soave Classico DOC from the hillside Classico region.
Soave Superiore DOCG - delimited hilly zone (same as Recioto).
What is Recioto di Soave.
DOCG for sweet wines from semi-dried grapes.
Who produces most of Soave? General holding.
Co-op Cantina di Soave (around half of total production). 2ha general holding. Mostly small growers.
What is the current status of Soave in the market?
Popular in the 60s and 70s, came down because of the popularity of Pinot Grigio. Many areas of Soave DOC are replanted to Pinot Grigio.
Export of Soave.
80% of total production.Germany and UK.
Two main areas of Valpolicella and their soils.
- North - foothills, limestone, clay and volcanic (cooler).
- South - flat, gravel, sand, clay (warm).
Main varieties in Valpolicella. What do they bring into blends and what is their quantity by DOC/DOCG laws?
- Corvina Veronese (floral, red fruits, herbal,acidity).
- Corvinone (red fruits, tannins).These two needs to be 45-95% of the blend.
- Rondinella (high sugar, also good for Recioto).5-30% of the blend.
- Molinara (lightness, pale colour).Included as “other varieties”.
Why are grapes in Valpolicella good for the Appassimento method?
- Thick skin.
- Good resistance to diseases (they can dry well).
Why pergola is the most used training system for Corvina?
- Corvina does not fruit on the first few buds of the cane.
- Prevent sunburn.
- Lower temperature.
- Air circulation.
Only downside is that more water is lost through evotranspiration.
Grapes in Valpolicella are mostly prone to what diseases?
- Downy mildew.
- Esca.
Most famous single-varietal Corvina wine.
La Poja by Allegrini.
Principal problem of Corvinone.
Does not ripen evenly. Fruit must be picked bunch by bunch during harvest (more cost).
Why Molinara is less planted?
Because of his paler colour. The market wants deeper coloured wines.
Appassimento method.
- Grapes are picked at 11/11.5% to maintain acidity.
- Stored in a drying loft for 3-4 months in well spaced trays (to avoid mould) to dry.
- Water is lost (1/3 of volume) and sugars, acidity, anthocyanins and flavours are concentrated. Also glycerol is produced (more mouth-feel).
- Grapes are crushed.
Three main DOC/DOCGs and their yields in Valpolicella.
- Valpolicella DOC (84hL/ha).
- Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG (48hL/ha).
- Amarone della Valpolicella (48 hL/ha).
Styles and appellations of Valpolicella DOC.
- Valpolicella - easy drinking, short maceration.
- Valpolicella Classico - only from hillside Classico area, more concentration.
- Valpolicella Valpantena - only from Valpantena valley.
- Superiore - higher alcohol, mandatory 1 year in old oak, can be attach to all previous three. Some producers uses some semi-dried grapes and long ageing.
Why Recioto and Amarone are different from the Valpolicella appellations?
They are based on winemaking method rather than terroir.
Grapes can be sourced from anywhere in the Valpolicella DOC.
Style of Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG.
Sweet from semi-dried grapes.12% and 50g/L.
Amarone della Valpolicella style and ageing.
Dry, off-dry from semi-dried grapes.15% and 5-9g/L.
2 years in oak (large or barrique) and 4 years for Riserva.
Amarone characteristic flavour.
Nutty and volatile notes.Are coming from mildly oxidative ageing.
How is Valpolicella Ripasso DOC made.
- A Valpolicella wine is made.
- Grape skins from Amarone and Recioto with some residual sugar are added to the vat for a second maceration.
- The yeasts on those skins will ferment also the extra sugar they bring.
Ageing for Valpolicella Ripasso DOC.
1 year in large oak vessel.Min 12%, 13% for Superiore.
Valpolicella, Ripasso and Amarone changes in the current market.
- Valpolicella production has dropped.
- Ripasso is a niche market.
- Amarone has six-fold its production and grape prices have tripled. 65% is exported to USA, Germany, Switzerland and UK.
Pinot Grigio delle Venezie from IGP to DOC in 2017. What changed?
- Yields (from 152 to 126hl/ha).
- Three regions: Veneto, Friuli and Trentino.
- Producers can now use a local appellation or this bigger one to help promote the wine.
Lugana DOC location and grape.
South of Lake Garda.Turbiana (Trebbiano di Lugana/Verdicchio).
Bianco di Custoza is a blend of what varieties?
- Trebbiano Toscano.
- Garganega.
- Friulano.
- Cortese.
Bardolino DOC and Bardolino Superiore DOCG styles and blends.
Light bodied red and roses (Chiaretto).
Yields at 91hL/ha. 35-80% Corvina
Up to 20% other authorised red varietals.
Differences between Bardolino DOC and Superiore DOCG. Is there an easy way to move up in category?
Based on min alcohol. 10.5% DOC, 11% DOCG.
20% of Merlot can be used in blend to push the alcohol up and be classified DOC or DOCG.
