Northeast Italy

Question 1

Northeast Italy regions

Answer 1

Trentino-Alto Adige
Friuli-venezia-Giulia
Veneto

Question 2

Trentino Grape Varieties, quality, and price

Answer 2

• Trentino typically produces mainly white wines (unoaked, fresh, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Müller-Thurgau) as well as red wines from Teroldego, Merlot and Marzemino that are good to very good in quality and inexpensive to mid-priced.
• A few producers’ wines are very good to outstanding in quality and are in the premium to super-premium range.

Question 3

Trentino Co-Ops

Answer 3

Just over 80 per cent of the wines are produced by co-operatives.

Question 4

Trentino Growing Environment & Grape Growing

Answer 4

• Trentino has a **moderate, continental climate but with cooling influences. **
• Daytime summer temperatures can be high due to the mountains providing protection from cold north winds, the moderating presence of Lake Garda to the south and heat building up on the valley floor during the growing season.
• However, there are large day/night temperature differences due to cold air descending from the mountains at night. The cold nights enable grapes to retain acidity and prolong the growing season, allowing flavours to intensify.
• Vineyards on higher and steeper slopes require working by hand, including harvesting.

Question 5

Trentino grape varieties and yields

Answer 5

Maximum yields are high: dependent on variety, whites are around a maximum of 100 hL/ha, reds around 90 hL/ha.

Whites:
* Pinot Grigio
* Chardonnay
* Muller-Thrugau
* Pinot Bianco
* Riesling
* Sauvignon Blanc
* Gewurtztraminer

Reds:
* Teroldego
* Marzemino
* Lagrein
* Merlot
* Cabernet Sauvignon
* Cabernet Franc
* Pinot Noir

Question 6

Teroldego, Marzemino, Lagrein

Answer 6

• Teroldego (black cherry)
• Marzemino (red cherry)
• Lagrein (red cherry, black plum)

all closely related to each other. They are all vigorous, mid- to late-ripening varieties making deeply coloured, medium tannin wines. They are mostly good to very good in quality and inexpensive to mid-priced.

Question 7

Teroldego

Answer 7

• This is the most common black variety in Trentino. Historically it was trained on pergolas for high yields. Quality minded growers now are also using Guyot.
• It can suffer from drying out of stems but is less susceptible to mildews than the other two varieties.
• The best clones are 145 and 152 for intense aromas. The best quality wines come from the Teroldego Rotaliano DOC on sandy and gravelly soils in the far north of Trentino.
• Outside the geographical area of Teroldego Rotaliano DOC and despite being the most grown black variety in the province, Teroldego cannot be bottled as Trentino DOC but as Vini delle Dolomiti IGT (which includes wines from both Trentino and Alto-Adige).

Question 8

Marzemino

Answer 8

• This black variety is prone to botrytis bunch rot and powdery mildew.
• Older vines were usually trained on pergolas; newer lower-yielding clones have been trained as spurred cordons.
• The best, ripest, wines come from the Ziresi subzone of the Trentino DOC due to full sun exposure and rich calcareous/clay and basalt soils.

Question 9

Lagrein

Answer 9

• This variety needs a warm site with plenty of sunshine to ripen fully. It can be subject to poor fruit set and thus low yields. Bitterness and some harshness on the finish is being addressed by shorter maceration times and oak ageing.
• Because of its deep colour, the variety is also used for rosés. The wines can be labelled in either Italian or German as ‘red’ and ‘rosé’: Lagrein rubino/dunkel and Lagrein rosato/kretzer.

Question 10

Moscato Rosa

Answer 10

• This variety is a member of the Moscato family and is made into rose-scented sweet wines.
• Poor fruit set and susceptibility to botrytis bunch rot make it difficult to grow successfully.
• The wines are made either by the appassimento method or by picking late harvest fruit.
• The wines are premium priced.

Question 11

Nosiola

Answer 11

• The white variety Nosiola is grown in the Valley of the Lakes, the warmest area with a sub-continental climate.
• It produces a small volume of distinctive white wines with a light hazelnut flavour. It is also made in a semi-dried fruit version, called Vino Santo (not Vin Santo). The hazelnut flavour is from the fruit, not from oak.
• It is vulnerable to spring frosts, powdery mildew and sour rot. The dry wine is mid-priced, the Vino Santo premium priced.

Question 12

Trentino White Winemaking

Answer 12

• The great majority of white wines are made by soft pressing of the grapes and fermenting the juice in stainless steel vessels at low temperatures (12–16°C/54–61°F) to retain primary fruit character.
• They may be briefly aged on the lees and released promptly for their fruitiness. Some top whites may be aged in small oak barrels, a small proportion being new, for an added layer of vanilla and spice notes.

Question 13

Trentino Red Winemaking

Answer 13

• Red wines are made in two styles. Most are again made to be **fresh and fruity **in style with medium level of tannins and medium body. This is achieved by maceration on the skins during alcoholic fermentation (5–7 days) and moderate fermentation temperatures (17– 20°C /63–68°F). They are briefly aged in stainless steel or old, neutral wooden casks.
• By contrast, a minority of premium reds go through a period of maceration after alcoholic fermentation (additional 7–14 days) and warm fermentation temperatures (26–32°C/79–90°F). These wines will typically be aged in small oak barrels with a small proportion of new oak. These wines have medium (+) to intense fruit flavours and an additional layer of vanilla and sweet spice oak.

Question 14

Trentino DOC

Answer 14

• Bianco (minimum 80 per cent Chardonnay and/or Pinot Bianco)
• Rosso (single variety or blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère and Merlot)
• two variety blends from shorter lists of varieties.
• single variety wines, minimum 85 per cent of the named variety
• Rosé, also called Rosato or Kretzer.

In addition, there are DOCs for the sweet wines. Certain important sub-zones can appear on labels in conjunction with DOC Trentino, e.g. Val di Cembra.

Question 15

Trentino Wine Business

Answer 15

• Trentino is a province with many small growers with an average holding of 1.2ha. Due to this, co-operatives and to a lesser extent merchants are very significant for wine production. The co-operatives account for more than 80 per cent of total production with the largest, Cavit, producing 60 per cent of all wine made in the province.
• Smaller estates only produce about 10 per cent of the total production. The main denomination Trentino DOC allows for the production of most of the common varieties, with the alternative option of Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT.
• While a very high proportion of the wine is bottled as DOC, it is questionable if Trentino DOC as such has promoted uniformly high quality as its yield allowances are high, as already stated. This has encouraged some of the most high- quality growers not to use Trentino DOC, for example Foradori.

Question 16

Alto Adige (general varities and quality and price)

Answer 16

• Today Alto Adige produces pale red Schiava and then mostly international varieties Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.
• The wines are mostly good to very good in quality and inexpensive to mid-priced. Some top wines are very good to outstanding in quality and mid-priced to premium in price, especially Pinot Noir.
• 60 per cent of wine produced is white and 40 per cent red.

Question 17

Alto Adige growing environment (Climate)

Answer 17

• Alto Adige has a mild Alpine continental climate. It is protected from cold winds by the mountains to the north.
• Vines typically are grown between 300–700 m of altitude. **Warm air currents ** in the valleys, nearly 300 days of sunshine a year and large day/night temperature differentials create very good conditions for **ripening grapes and retaining acidity. **
• There is sufficient rainfall, spread throughout the year with a low amount in winter. Rainfall can sometimes be a concern at harvest time.

Question 18

Alto Adige Growing Environment (Soils)

Answer 18

• Volcanic porphyry,
• Quartz
• Mica rock
• Dolomitic limestone

Question 19

Alto - Adige Grape Growing

Answer 19

• Training systems are either the traditional pergola or Guyot.
• Leaf picking to encourage exposed bunches to ripen has been practised for some time but now, with rising temperatures, this has to be done carefully to avoid the risk of fruit burning or drying out.
• Vineyards on higher and steeper slopes require working by hand, including harvesting.

Question 20

Alto Adige two major growing zones

Answer 20

• Bassa Atesina in the south of the province with the warmer climate: all the main varieties are grown except Schiava. Müller Thurgau is grown at high altitude.
• Oltradige, including the Lake Caldaro area for Schiava, with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in the valleys and Pinot Noir and white varieties at higher altitudes.

Question 21

Schiava

Answer 21

• While four separate varieties have been identified, they are normally grown and vinified together.
• The vines are typically grown on a pergola to cope with their natural vigour and the vines produce high yields.
• The wine is typically a pale ruby wine with perfumed violet and strawberry aromas with a medium to light body and low tannins.
• In the Santa Magdalena DOC Schiava can be blended with up to 15 per cent Lagrein producing a deeper coloured and fuller bodied wine.

German name Vernatsch

Question 22

Alto Adige winemaking

Answer 22

• The emphasis in most white winemaking in Alto Adige is on **preserving fruit aromas and flavours. **
• The must is fermented at low to moderate temperatures (12–15°C/54–59°F) with selected yeasts and aged in stainless steel vessels.
• Mid-priced wines may be kept on fine lees for 4–6 months to fill out the body of the wine, premium wines for nearly a year.
• Some top white wines and reds (Lagrein, Pinot Noir) are aged in French barriques.

Question 23

Alto Adige wine law & regulations

Answer 23

• Allowed yields are slightly lower than in Trentino, for example the maximum for whites is around 90 hL/ha.
• Bianco (minimum 75 per cent Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco or Pinot Grigio – two of these varieties must be present but no single variety can exceed 70 per cent of the whole blend).
• There is no corresponding Rosso category.
• single variety wines, minimum 85 per cent of the named variety.
• two variety blends, for example, Chardonnay-Pinot Bianco or Cabernet-Lagrein in which both varieties must be more than 15 per cent of the blend each.
• It also possible to label wine in this DOC with one of the six subzones. The largest of these is Alto Adige Valle Isarco (mostly whites). The separate Lago di Caldaro DOC is devoted to Schiava.

98 per cent of the wines are DOC

Question 24

Alto Adige Wine Business

Answer 24

• Vineyard holdings in Alto Adige are typically very small, on average about one hectare per grower = Co-operatives are a very important part of the industry and account for 70 per cent of production including some high-quality wines.
• Even the better-known private estates have a limited number of hectares, with the result that they need to make mid-priced and premium wines

Question 25

Alto Adige wine business (sales)

Answer 25

• In general, the wines of the province are sold principally in Italy (75 per cent with a focus on whites and aromatic varieties) of which just under half are sales in the province itself with its very important tourist business. The most important sales sector in Italy is hospitality, then specialist wine shops with only a small proportion of supermarket sales. The most important export market is Germany and then the USA.

Question 26

Friuli Growing Environment

Answer 26

• The vineyards in the south of the region are on the flat plain near the Adriatic Sea and experience a warm maritime climate where warm air from the Adriatic Sea meets cooler influences from the Alps.
• The region has high rainfall (1,200 mm per year), one-third more than Bordeaux, with accompanying humidity. This requires extra work in the vineyard to combat diseases and makes organic viticulture challenging in this region.
• The region can be divided into two zones, the plain and the low hills. This corresponds to a broad distinction between everyday wines and higher quality wines.

Question 27

Friuli Plains and DOCs

Answer 27

• Everyday wines, especially Pinot Grigio and Merlot, are made from higher-yield fruit grown on the alluvial plain with rocky deposits, soils that are more fertile than the hillside sites.
• This includes five DOCs, the most important of which are Grave del Friuli DOC (mostly volume wines) and Friuli Isonzo DOC (best quality from sites on right bank of the river Isonzo neighbouring Collio). Yields are typically higher on the plain.

Question 28

Friuli Low Hills and DOCs

Answer 28

• The higher quality wines come from the hillside vineyards of **Collio DOC **and Collio Orientali del Friuli DOC with calcareous marl and sandstone. Soils include compacted marl, known as ponca, with excellent drainage.
• While the altitude is modest (200 m), a range of slopes and exposure to wind contribute to** lower yields and higher quality**, greater costs and price.

Question 29

Friuli Local Grape Varieties

Answer 29

• Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia di Istria, Verduzzo and Picolit
• Refosco, Schiopettino, Pignolo and Tazzalenghe

Question 30

Friuli grape variety specialities

Answer 30

• Friulano
• Ribolla Gialla
• Refosco

Question 31

Friulano

Answer 31

• It has good disease resistance, important in a region with high rainfall. The wines have medium (–) floral and apple flavours, medium to high alcohol with medium (+) acidity.
• They can either be made entirely in stainless steel to preserve the aromatics (most common) or be lightly oaked. The best wines have a capacity to age.
• They typically range from good to very good in quality and from mid-priced to premium.

Question 32

Ribolla Gialla

Answer 32

• This white variety is only grown in Collio and Colli Orientali, as it needs hillside sites to prevent it growing too vigorously. It is prone to shot berries.
• The wines have citrus and pepper notes and high acidity.
• Many styles are being experimented with as the profile of the variety has grown: oak-aged or not, Charmat sparkling wine, dry and off-dry, extended skin contact for orange wines, amphora wines.

Question 33

Refosco

Answer 33

• Refosco is the most planted of the local black varieties. It is another vigorous variety that produces its best wines when grown on hillside sites with lower fertility. It is late ripening and resistant to botrytis.
• The red wines produced are red cherry flavoured with herbal aromas. It has small berries that produce wines with high tannins that are best smoothed out by time in barrels.

Question 34

Friuli Winemaking

Answer 34

• The style of clean, mainly unoaked, white wines associated with Friuli was introduced by Mario Schiopetto and others from the late 1960s. It drew on German technical expertise especially the use of stainless steel for fermentation and ageing vessels, temperature control, cultivated yeasts and, latterly, pneumatic presses.
• Friuli became the go-to region within Italy for this style of wine.
• In the wake of this success, in recent decades, experimentation with late harvest fruit, skin maceration, lees stirring and the use of oak has followed.

Question 35

Friuli Orange Wine

Answer 35

• These wines are made from long maceration (8 days up to 6–8 months) on the skins of white varieties followed by long ageing (2–6 years) in large format oak barrels.
• The resulting wines are amber, orange or gold in colour. They have pronounced flavours, unlike white wines from the same varieties, of dried fruits, dried herbs, hay and nuts, and medium tannins.
• They sell for premium prices and are particularly appreciated by sommeliers, those committed to natural wines and adventurous drinkers.

Question 36

Friuli Orange Wine Tenants

Answer 36

• organic methods in the vineyard
• the use of local varieties (especially the celebration of Ribolla Gialla), alongside international ones
• long maceration on the skins
• fermentation with ambient yeasts with no temperature control
• long maturation in large format oak or other wood
• no fining or filtration
• low or no added SO2.

Question 37

Collio DOC & Collio Orientali del Friuli DOC

Answer 37

* Collio Doc
* Collio Orientali del Friuli DOC
* The principal wines in these two DOCs are the single-variety whites – Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay.

Collio DOC restricts yields to 77 hL/ha.

Question 38

Friuli Sweet Wine Appellations

Answer 38

• Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit DOCG (Picolit)
• Ramandolo DOCG (Verduzzo)

Both made from air-dried grapes

Question 39

a new Friuli DOC

Answer 39

• a new Friuli DOC was introduced in 2016 that allows growers to produce wine to a DOC standard across all the authorized areas of Friuli. Permitted yields are high (e.g. 98 hL/ha for the most popular whites). It remains to be seen if consumers and those in the supply chain see this as a positive development.

Question 40

Friuli wine business (growers associations)

Answer 40

The two main growers’ organisations for high quality wines are:

* Consorzio Tutela Vini Collio
** Consorzio Tutela Vini Friuli Colli Orientali e Ramandolo** which oversees four DOC(G)s: Colli Orientali del Friuli, Ramandolo, Picolit, Rosazzo

Question 41

Friuli wine business (markets)

Answer 41

• Friulian wine continues to have a good reputation in the Italian restaurant and specialist retail market. It is very successful in national wine competitions, such as the Gambero Rosso.
• Exports grew by 55 per cent by value between 2013 and 2018, partly but not exclusively due to the popularity of Prosecco and Pinot Grigio.
• While white wines continue to be the speciality of the region, increasing focus is being put on promoting red wines, especially the native varieties including Refosco. This may be partly because other north Italian regions, especially Trentino-Alto Adige, have entered the market for clean, modern, well-made whites, often at a lower price.
• Competition at the lower end of the market has also come from inexpensive Pinot Grigio grown both across Italy and in Eastern Europe where costs can be lower.

Question 42

Veneto Growing Environment (Climate)

Answer 42

• The climate in the Veneto is warm and moderately continental, with moderate rainfall.
• Cooling influences may come from altitude, exposing the vineyards in the foothills to a large diurnal temperature range, and from breezes from Lake Garda that cool the vineyards in the west of the region.
• The flat plain is affected by moist air and fog from the River Adige and the broad Po River valley, Italy’s largest expanse of flat land, thus increasing the number of sprays needed to combat disease and rot.
• The trunk disease Esca has become an increasing threat.

Question 43

Veneto Growing Environment (Soils)

Answer 43

• Soils are generally very fertile contributing to high yields. This is particularly the case in vineyards on the plain that have rich soils with high fertility.
• Hillside sites are better suited to quality production due to a combination of better drainage and less rich soils.
• The DOCs for Valpolicella and Soave extend to the plains. This extension, in combination with the high yields allowed, means that quality varies from good to outstanding.

Question 44

Veneto flat plain

Answer 44

• The flat fertile plain is a source of fruit for inexpensive, high volume brands growing international grape varieties such as Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot and for the local varieties Corvina, Garganega and Trebbiano.
• High yields mean that these wines are usually simple and fruity. They may be labelled Veneto IGP.
• There are a number of DOCs outlined in more detail below: Valpolicella, Soave, Bardolino, Bianco di Custoza and Lugana.

Question 45

Veneto Main Areas

Answer 45

• Soave
• Valpolicella

Question 46

Soave growing areas

Answer 46

• Soave is east of Verona and has two distinct parts: foothills to the north and a flat plain in the south, near the River Adige.
• The hillside soils are** limestone** and **clay and/or volcanic rocks (basalt). **
• These soils are naturally cool, and this together with the influence of altitude, slows down ripening, leading to grapes with full flavour ripeness yet high acidity.

Question 47

Soave grape variety

Answer 47

Gargenega

Question 48

Gargenega

Answer 48

• vigorous, very productive and late ripening (October). Traditionally it was trained on a pergola system but nowadays it may be trellised. It is sensitive to winter cold and to mildew and botrytis. The grapes are usually handpicked on hillside sites and machine-harvested on the plain.
• The wines typically have high acidity levels, a medium body and medium intensity of lemon, apple/pear, white pepper and, in the ripest examples, stone fruit. They do not typically display any aromas or flavours of new oak, though some high-end examples are oaked.
• The best examples can age, developing aromas of almonds and honey. They are typically good to very good in quality and inexpensive to mid-priced. The top producers’ wines are very good to outstanding in quality and mid- to premium priced.
• The vines on the plain are planted on fertile sandy and alluvial soils. Grapes produced here on the plain are fruity with medium acidity and the wines are meant to be drunk young. They are acceptable to good in quality and inexpensive in price.

Question 49

Gargenega winemaking

Answer 49

• Quality producers will typically employ a short cold maceration period, cool fermentation at 16–18°C (61–64°F) and a few months of ageing on the lees before bottling. A few producers ferment and/or age their leading wines in oak barrels.

Question 50

Soave Docs

Answer 50

• For Soave, there are three main DOCs for dry wines, with slightly rising minimum alcohol levels.
  *** Soave DOC
• Soave Classico DOC
• Soave Superiore DOCG
• Recioto di Soave DOCG**

Question 51

Soave DOC

Answer 51

• Grapes from the entire Soave region of which a minimum of 70 per cent must be Garganega, with up to 30 per cent of Trebbiano di Soave or Chardonnay. Of this 30 per cent, a maximum of 5 per cent can be any other authorized variety.
• Maximum yield is a substantial 105 hL/ha. The wine can be sold very young, after December 1 of the year of harvest.
• Production is around 80 per cent of all Soave.

Question 52

Soave Classico DOC

Answer 52

• Grapes from the hilly Classico region, same rules about varieties as Soave DOC, marginally lower yield at 98 hL/ha.
• Wines can be released on 1 February of the year after harvest.
• Production is around 20 per cent of all Soave.

Question 53

Soave Superiore DOCG

Answer 53

• Grapes from same hilly zone as Recioto di Soave, same rules about varieties as Soave DOC.
• Lower yield than the two other Soave DOCs at 70 hL/ha.
• Wines can only be released on 1 September of the year after harvest.
• However, production is tiny by comparison with the two above.
• The details above show that high to very high yields are permitted in both Soave and Soave Classico. This led to the introduction of Soave Superiore DOCG with its markedly lower maximum yields. However, leading producers work with yields close to the maximums allowed and still produce concentration and flavour intensity in their wines, showing that Garganega when well grown on favourable sites can produce fully flavoured wines at relatively high yields.

Question 54

Recioto di Soave DOCG

Answer 54

• Grapes from a delimited hilly zone, this is made from the same blend as Soave but from semi-dried grapes. As a result, the yields are a low maximum of 36 hL/ha, producing rich, floral, honeyed, sweet wines with high balancing acidity.

Question 55

Soave wine business

Answer 55

• Soave is a region of small growers (average vineyard holding two hectares) and large bottlers. Less than 10 per cent is bottled by small family wineries. The largest co-operative, the Cantina di Soave, bottles just under half of the total wine made.
• The demand for Soave was at its peak in the 1960s and 70s but in recent decades, it has lost ground in the volume market to Pinot Grigio from the Veneto and elsewhere. As a result, old, low quality Garganega vines within the Soave DOC are being replanted with Pinot Grigio. However, Soave continues to be in demand in export markets with 80 per cent being exported, especially to Germany and the UK. Over the last ten years, the value of exports has held up with the volume dropping, indicating that slightly higher prices are being achieved.

Question 56

Soave wine business (new ideas)

Answer 56

• Until recently, the quality reputation for Soave was conveyed either by reference to the Classico zone or by the names of individual producers
• As part of an effort to re-position Soave as a higher quality wine, the Soave Consorzio has now carried out a classification of single vineyards across Soave as a whole. This followed detailed study of soils, aspect and elevations and their combined effect on wine style.
• These ‘cru’ vineyards are all on hilly sites and most but not all of them are in the Classico zone.19 In 2020, 33 named single vineyards were approved.