Northern Italy Flashcards
Piedmont, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Friuli, Lombardy, Emilia Roagna, Liguria, Valle d'Aosta
What does Piemonte mean in English?
Foot of the mountain
Which 2 mountains surround Piedmont?
Apennines and the Alps
What is the name of the river that cuts through Piedmont?
The Po River
What are the 3 main provinces in Piedmont?
Asti
Alessandria
Cuneo
What are the 2 main vine producing hills in Piedmont?
Langhe Hills
Monferrato Hills
What are the underlying soils of Piedmont?
Calcareous marl and sandstone soils with varying amounts of clay and sand
What is the climate of Piedmont?
Continental
What is considered to be the main risk for the Langhe hills?
Autumn hail showers
Which grape dominates Piedmont?
Nebbiolo
Where does the name Nebbiolo come from?
Named after the morning fog (La Nebbia in Italian) which prolongs the grapes ripening process
What is the typical palate of Nebbiolo?
High acid
High alcohol
High tannin
When was Nebbiolo first recognised for quality?
1431
What are the 2 red grapes of Piedmont? (except Nebbiolo)
Barbera
Dolcetto
Describe Dolcetto wines
Very fruity designed for younger consumption
Medium Tannin
Low Acid
Medium Alcohol
Describe the palate of Barbera
High acidity
Low tannin
Medium alcohol
What are the 6 less red grapes of Piedmont?
Brachetto
Grignolino
Ruche
Croatina
Vespolina
Freisa
What is the most planted white grape of Piedmont?
Moscato Bianco (Muscat a Petits Grains)
What are the other white grapes of Piedmont?
Cortese
Arneis
Erbaluce
Favorita (Vermentino)
What are the 5 most planted international grapes in Piedmont?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Syrah
Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
How many DOCGs and DOCs are in Piedmont?
19 DOCGs
41 DOCs
What are the 2 most prestigious DOCGs in Piedmont?
Barolo and Barbaresco
Which DOC are Barolo and Barbaresco sat within?
Langhe DOC
Which river cuts through Barolo and Barbaresco?
Tanaro River
Where are the best wines from Barolo and Barbaresco said to come from?
Domaine bottled single vineyard crus
What is the grape of Barolo?
Nebbiolo
How many communes are within Barolo?
11
Which 5 communes represent roughly 90% of Barolo’s output?
La Morra
Barolo
Serralunga d’Alba
Monforte d’Alba
Castiglione Faletto
Which Barolo communes have more Serravallian sandstone, producing wines with more structure?
Monforte d’Alba
Serralunga d’Alba
Castiglione Falletto
Which Barolo communes have more Tortonian soils with more calcareous marl?
La Morra
Barolo
What are the minimum aging requirements for Barolo?
Minimum 38 months aging from November 1st of the harvest year. Minimum 18 months in wood
How long does Barolo Riserva need to age for?
62 months
What do traditional Barolo winemakers do when aging Barolo?
They use large neutral casks after extended macerations of 30-50 days. Wines often need to be aged for decades before being approachable
Name 2 famous Barolo traditionist winemakers
Giacomo Conterno
Giuseppe Rinaldi
What do modernist Barolo winemakers do when aging Barolo?
They use barriques and short macerations to produce a rounder style of wine
Name 2 famous Barolo modernist winemakers
Luciano Sandrome
Paolo Scavino
What is Barolo Chinato?
A DOCG for aromatised wine, particularly red vermouth such as Cocchi. They are flavoured with quinine, which is a type of bark
What is the grape of Barbaresco?
Nebbiolo
How does Barbaresco differ from Barolo?
The wines are lighter bodied and more elegant
What are the 3 towns of Barbaresco?
Barbaresco
Neive
Treiso
What are the aging requirements of Barbaresco?
Minimum 26 months from November 1st of the year of harvest, including a minimum 9 months in cask
What are the aging requirements of Barbaresco Riserva?
50 months
Name 1 famous modernist producer in Barbaresco
Angelo Gaja
Name 1 famous traditionalist Barbaresco producer
Bruno Giacosa
What year was Roero granted DOCG status?
2004
What are the grape requirements for Roero DOCG?
Minimum 95% Nebbiolo
What are the white wines of Roero made from?
Arneis
What are the soils of Roero?
Sandy soils
Where is Gattinara DOCG and Ghemme DOCG located?
Along the Sesia River
What wines are produced from the Gattinara and Ghemms DOCGs?
Dry red wines based off Nebbiolo
What are the 3 main grapes used for Gattinara and Ghemme DOCGs?
Nebbiolo
Vespolina
Bonarda
What are the 3 DOCGs in Piedmont which produce Barbera based wines?
Barbera d’Asti
Barbera del Monferrato Superiore
Nizza
How long does Barbera d’Asti have to be aged for?
4 months
How long does Barbera del Monferrato Superiore have to be aged for?
14 months, including 6 months in wood
When was Nizza given its own DOCG status?
2014
What is the grape used for Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG?
Ruche
When was Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato given DOCG status?
2010
What are the 3 DOCGs for Dolcetto based wines?
Dogliani
Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore (Ovada)
Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba (Diano d’Alba)
For all 3 Dolcetto DOCGs, what is the minimum aging requirements for the Superiore label?
10 months
What is the grape of Gavi DOCG?
Cortese
What styles of wine are produced in Gavi?
Normally still wines, though frizzante and Spumante wines are permitted
Where is Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG located?
Just south of the Carema province in northeast Piedmont
What is the grape of Erbaluce di Caluso?
Erbaluce
What is the grape of Erbaluce di Caluso?
Erbaluce
What is the best regarded wine style from Erbaluce di Caluso?
Passito
How much wine does Moscato d’Asti roughly produce annually?
650000 hectolitres. The highest producing DOCG in Italy
What is the wine style of Moscato d’Asti?
Spumante (sparkling)
What is the only grape of Moscato d’Asti?
Moscato Bianco
What happens to the grape must after pressing for Moscato d’Asti?
It is chilled and stored for batch fermentation throughout the year on demand
What is the sparkling wine method for Moscato d’Asti?
Charmat
Why is the Charmat method used for Moscato d’Asti?
It preserves floral notes and fruitiness on the wines as the wines only go through one fermentation and avoid autolysis
What is the maximum bottle pressure for Moscato d’Asti?
2.5 atmospheres
What are the alcohol boundaries for Moscato d’Asti?
4.5%-6.5%
What former subzone of Asti was promoted in 2023 with its own DOCG appellation?
Canelli DOCG
What style of wine is produced from Alta Langa?
Methode Traditionelle Spumante from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
What are the aging requirements for Alta Langa and Alta Langa Riserva?
30 months for normal Alta Langa
3 years for Riserva
What style of wine is Brachetto d’Acqui?
Usually sweet and frizzante
What 3 wine regions fall under the Tre Venezie?
Trentino-Alto Adige
Veneto
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Where is Trentino-Alto Adige located?
Northeast Italy
What is the topography of Trentino-Alto Adige?
Mountainous
What are the 2 provinces of Trentino-Alto Adige and what are their cultures?
Alto-Adige in the north is German speaking, often referred to as Suditrol
Trentino is Italian speaking to the south
What is Val d’Adige DOC?
A multiregional DOC encapsulating Trentino-Alto Adige and Verona in Veneto, though is rarely used
What are the 6 main white grapes of Trentino-Alto Adige?
Chardonnay
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Bianco
Muller-Thurgau
Sauvignon Blanc
Gewurztraminer
Where is Valle Isarco?
Northeast Alto Adige
What wines is Valle Isarco known for?
High quality white wines made from Austrian and German grapes such as Sylvaner, Veltliner, and Kerner
What is Trentino-Alto Adige’s most prominent red grape?
Schiava
What are the typical blends of Casteller DOC in Trentino?
Schavia, Merlot, Lambrusco
What is Legrein?
A red grape variety founnd in Trentino-Alto Adige
How many DOCGs are in Trentino-Alto Adige?
0
How much of Trentino-Alto Adige’s production is DOC status?
99%
Where is Veneto located?
Northeast Italy, bordered by Trentino in the north, Friuli in the east, and Lombardy to the west
Roughly how much of Veneto’s production is DOC?
25%
What are the 2 DOCG zones within Valpolicella DOC?
Amarone della Valpolicella
Recioto della Valpolicella
What are the grapes varieties for Amarone and Recioto della Valpolicella?
Corvina (45% - 95%)
Rondinella
When was Amarone della Valpolicella and Recioto della Valpolicella granted DOCG status?
2010
What winemaking method is used to make Amarone and Recioto della Valpolicella?
Appassimento method
Describe the appessimento method
The grapes are dried for 3 months in lofts and then fermented to concentrate sugars
Recioto is often dried for longer to make a semi-sweet wine whereas Amarone is fermented to dryness
What aromas and flavours does the appessimento method give the wine?
Dried fruit aromas
Mouthfeel is warm and glycolic
How long is Amarone della Valpolicella aged for?
2 years
How long is Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva aged for?
4 years
When did Valpolicella Ripasso gain DOC status?
2010
What wines does Valpolicella Ripasso DOC make?
Red wines which sit between the fruitiness of Valpolicella and depth of Amarone
The wines are refermented with the unpressed grape skins previously fermented for Amarone or Recioto
Where is Bardolino DOC located?
The west of Veneto near Lake Garda
What grapes dominate the Bardolino DOC blends?
Corvina and Rondinella
What DOCG lies within Bardolino DOC?
Bardolino Superiore DOCG
What are the aging requirements of Bardolino Superiore DOCG?
1 year prior to release
What are the grape requirements of Soave DOC?
Minimum 70% Garganega
Maximum 30% Trebbiano (di Soave) and/or Chardonnay
What are the 2 DOCG zones of Soave?
Soave Superiore DOCG
Recioto di Soave DOCG
What are the 2 subzones of Soave Superiore?
Classico
Colli Scaligeri
What are the aging requirements for Soave Superiore to be Riserva?
1 year
How is Recioto di Soave produced?
From grapes dried for 4-6 months from the same area as Soave Superiore
Which of the following 3 appellations are allowed to be spumante?
Soave DOC
Soave Superiore DOCG
Recioto di Soave DOCG
Soave DOC
Recioto di Soave DOCG
What are the grape requirements of Gambellara DOC?
Minimum 80% Gargenaga
What are the grapes of Recioto di Gambellara DOCG?
100% dried Gargenaga
What is the winemaking method used to make Prosecco?
Charmat
What is the main tasting note of the Prosecco (Glera) grape?
Peach
What are the required pressures for Prosecco spumante and Prosecco frizzante?
3.5 atmospheres for spumante
1-2.5 atmopsheres for frizzante
Which vessel to the Prosecco wines undergo secondary fermentation in?
Stainless steel
What are the 2 DOCG zones of Prosecco?
Congelliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG
Asolo Prosecco DOCG
What are the required sweetness levels for Superiore Prosecco?
Between Brut and Demi-Sec
How much of a Prosecco blend must be from a single vintage in order for the label to declare a vintage bottling?
85%
What countries does Friuli-Venezia Giulia border?
Austria and Slovenia
What is the name of the overarching DOC covering all of Friuli-Venezia Giulia?
Friuli DOC
How many DOCGs does Friuli-Venezia Giulia and what are they?
4 DOCGs
Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit DOCG
Lison DOCG
Ramandolo DOCG
Rosazzo DOCG
Which DOCG of Friuli-Venezia Giulia lies partly within Veneto?
Lison DOCG
What is the main white grape of Friuli?
Friulano
What are the main red grapes used in Friuli?
International grapes of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot
What is the major sparkling wine DOCG of Lombardy?
Franciacorta DOCG
What are the still wines of Franciacorta released as?
Curtefranca
What is the method used to produce Franciacorta?
Methode Traditionelle
When was the Franciacorta DOCG created for methode traditionelle sparkling wines?
1995
What are the grape varieties of Franciacorta?
Chardonnay
Pinot Nero (Noir)
Pinot Bianco (max 50%)
What are the aging requirements of NV Franciacorta?
18 months on the lees
Cannot be released until 25 months after harvest
What are the aging requirements for vintage Franciacorta?
Minimum 37 months aging after harvest
What are the aging requirements for Franciacorta Riserva?
Minimum 5 years on the lees
Released after 67 months from harvest
How much of a Franciacorta blend must be from a single vintage in order for the label to declare a vintage bottling?
85%
What styles of wine are made in Oltrepo Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG?
Methode Traditionelle sparkling wines
What are the grape requirements for Oltrepo Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG?
Minimum 70% Pinot Nero
What are the aging requirements of Oltrepo Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG?
15 months on the lees for NV
2 years on the lees for Vintage
What are the still wine of Oltrepo Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG released as?
Oltrepo Pavese DOC
What style of wine does Valtellina DOC produce?
Still red wines based off Nebbiolo
What are the DOCG in Valteillina?
Valtellina Superiore DOCG
Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG
What are the aging requirements for Valteillina Superiore and the Riserva?
Non-Riserva is minimum 2 years aging, with 1 in cask
Riserva is minimum 3 years aging
What style of wine comes Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG?
Appessimento method wines based off Nebbiolo
What style of wines does Moscato di Scanzo DOCG produce?
Sweet passito red wines based off red Moscato
Which Emilia Roagna appellation was the first to receive DOCG status for white wines in Italy?
Romagna Albana DOCG
What is the grape of Romagna Albana DOCG?
Albana
Which DOCG in Emilia Roagna produces white wines based off the Grechetto grape?
Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto DOCG
What is the famous frizzante red wine to come from Emilia Roagna?
Lambrusco
What are the 4 Lambrusco DOCs?
Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro
Lambrusco di Sorbara
Lambrusco Salamino di Croce
Lambrusco Mantovano
What is the main white grape of Liguria?
Vermentino (Pigato)
What is the main red grape of Liguria?
Rossese
How many subzones does Valle d’Aosta DOC have?
7