Northern Italy Flashcards
Where does Pinot Bianco find its best expression within the Alto Adige?
Oltradige
South of Bolzano near Appiano
Name a traditionalist and a modernist of Amarone della Valpolicella.
Traditionalist: Quintarelli
Modernist: Dal Forno, Allegrini
Which of the following is not a commune of Barolo?
a. La Morra
b. Serralunga d’Alba
c. Sassella
d. Castiglione Falletto
e. Monforte d’Alba
c. Sassella
a subzone of Valtellina Superiore
What DOCG in Piedmont produces generally sweet, sparkling red wines?
Brachetto d’Acqui
What is Piedmont’s most planted white grape?
What other whites exist?
Moscato (Muscat a Petits Grains)- usually goes into the production of sparkling within Asti.
Secondary: Cortese, Arneis, Erbaluce and Favorita (Vermentino)
What was the first still white wine that was promoted to DOCG status in Piedmont? What is the grape associated with this DOCG?
Gavi (Cortese di Gavi) DOCG-
Cortese grape
What are the 4 DOCGs of Friuli?
Ramandolo
Colli Orientali del Friuli-Picolit
Lison
Rosazzo
What are the most well known white wines within Liguria?
Cinque Terre DOC- Bosco grape variety
What percentage of Barbera must be used in the DOCG’s of Barbera d’Asti and Barbera del Monferrato Superiore?
85%
What are the DOCG’s of Piedmont?
-17-
Barolo
Barbaresco
Ghemme
Gattinara
Roero
Barbera del Monferrato Superiore
Barbera d’Asti
Dogliani
Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore
Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba
Brachetto d’Acqui
Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato
Gavi/Cortese di Gavi
Erbaluce di Caluso
Asti/Moscato d’Asti
Alta Langa
Nizza
What are the 3 regions that comprise the Tre Venezie?
Verona
Trentino-Alto Adige
Friuli-Venezia-Giulia
What are the four noteworthy DOCs of Friuli?
Collio DOC
Collio Goriziano DOC
Colli Orientali di Friuli DOC
Grave del Friuli DOC
When was DOCG introduced?
The Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) category, a more prestigious and—theoretically—higher quality designation designed to represent the best of Italian wine, was also introduced in 1963, although the first DOCG was not awarded until 1980, when Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo, Barbaresco and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano were upgraded from DOC
Name the most appropriate appellation for the following grapes.
a. Spanna
b. Petit Rouge
c. Corvina
d. Schiava
e. Rossesse
a. Spanna- Ghemme
b. Petit Rouge- Torette
c. Corvina- Valpolicella
d. Schiava- Santa Maddelena
e. Rossesse- Dolceacqua
What is Pignoletto most closely associated with varietal wise?
Greccheto from Umbria
Pignoletto was known by the Romans as Pino Lieto
What are the 2 areas of Soave that can produce Soave Superiore?
Classico or Colli Scaligeri
What are the 5 communes that make up the Barolo DOCG?
La Morra - Northeast
Barolo- Centraleast
Castiglione Falletto- Northwest
Serralunga d’Alba- Central west
Monforte d’Alba- South
What brand catapulted Lambrusco into the spotlight in the 70’s?
Riunite
What wine serves as the base of the Bellini cocktail?
a. Prosecco
b. Barbera d’Alba
c. Franciacorta
d. Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico
e. Moscato d’Asti
a. Prosecco
What mountain range serves as the spine of Italy?
Appenine Mountains
In what subregions do you find Picotendro grown in the Valle d’Aosta?
Donnas and Arnad-Montjovet
Picotendro= Nebbiolo
What are the aging requirements for Amarone della Valpolicella?
Normale:
Minimum 2 years starting from the January following the harvest
Riserva:
Minimum 4 years starting from November 1 of the harvest year
Picolit and Verduzzo Gialla make sweet passito wines under what 2 DOCGs?
Colli Orientali del Friulli-Picolit
Ramandolo
List the 5 important communes that make up Barolo.
La Morra
Barolo
Serralunga d’Alba
Monforte d’Alba
Castiglione Falletto
There are 11 allowed communes but these 5 make up 90%
Which of the following DOCG zones is not located within Piedmont?
a. Barolo
b. Barbaresco
c. Moscato d’Asti
d. Recioto di Soave
e. Gavi
d. Recioto di Soave
What is the premier geographical appellation for Schiava wines?
Santa Maddelena in Trentino Alto-Adige
What grapes make up the classic blend from Terlano?
Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Sauvignon Blanc
both oaked and unoaked
Recioto della Valpolicella wines may be spumante.
True or False?
True
What are the aging requirements for Franciacorta?
NV= Minimum 18 months on the lees from February 1 of the year following the harvest, 25 months total from the date of harvest
Saten & Rose= Minimum 24 months on the lees from February 1 of the year following the harvest, 31 months total from the date of harvest. Both styles may also be Millesimato or Riserva.
** Millesimato**= Minimum 30 months on the lees from February 1 of the year following the harvest, 37 months total from the date of harvest
Riserva= Minimum 60 months on the lees from February 1 of the year following the harvest, 67 months total from the date of harvest
What wine monopolizes the central provinces of Modena and Reggio within Emilia-Romagna?
Lambrusco wine- frizzante dry-dolce
Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC
Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC
Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce DOC
One DOC lies over the border in Lombardy
Lambrusco Montovano DOC
What are the 3 important cru of Barolo?
Cannubi, Brunate, Sarmassa
Define DOC and what year was it established?
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
was introduced in 1963 as a means of formalizing and protecting Italian wine appellations.
What communes are surround by the four fingers (valleys) of the Valpolicella Classico region?
-5-
Fumane
Marano
Negrar
Sant’Ambrogio
San Pietro in Cariano
What is the aging requirement for Barbera d’Asti?
4 months- may be released as normale
What is the generally considered to be the best cru in the village of Barolo?
Cannubi
What are the 3 important cru of La Morra?
Brunate, Cerequio, Le Rocche
What soil type is common between Serralunga d’Alba, Monforte d’Alba and Castiglione Falletto?
Serravallian (Helvetian)- sandstone soils that provide more stucture in the wine
What character does appassimento add to the final wine?
- dried fruit tones
- additional alcoholic warmth
- round glycolic mouthfeel
What Venetian DOCG is shared with Friuli?
Lison
What is a synonym for Pigato? In what 2 DOC’s within Liguria does it thrive?
Vermentino
Colli di Luni
Riviera Ligure de Ponente
Terlano is a DOC of what growing zone?
Val d’Adige
What are the 2 DOCGs of Prosecco?
Conegliano Valdobbiadone Prosecco DOCG
Asolo Prosecco DOCG
Which of the following is not a synonym for Nebbiolo?
a. Spanna
b. Ormeasco
c. Chiavennasca
d. Picotendro
b. Ormeasco- dolcetto
What is the sole DOC of the Valle d’Aosta region?
Valle d’Aosta
What are approved grape varieties for the production of Franciacorta?
Chardonnay
Pinot Nero
A max 50% Pinot Bianco
What are the aging requirements of Bardolino Superiore DOCG?
Minimum 1 year starting November 1 of the harvest year
What are the indigenous red varietals that make up Piedmont?
Most important: Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto
Secondary: Brachetto, Grignolino, Ruchè, Croatina, Vespolina, and Freisa.
In what regions of Valle d’Aosta is the Petit Rouge grape dominant?
Torrette, Chambave, Enfer d’Arvier
La Morra and Barolo have what soil type in common?
Tortonian- calcerous marl- younger soils
This produces a softer style of wine
What is the one subzone of Colli Orientali del Friuli-Picolit DOCG?
How does its aging differ from the rest of the DOCG?
Cialla
2 years aging vs. 1 year
Higher minimum abv 16% vs 15%
What province do Barolo and Barbaresco reside in and what river do they lie on?
Cuneo Province
Tanaro River
What are the 4 important cru of Barbaresco?
Asili
Roncagliette
Martinenga
Rabajà
What is the genetic progeny of Teroldego?
Marzemino
Lagrein is a sibling of Teroldego
What is the most important DOCG of Lombardy?
Franciacorta DOCG
What white grape varieties do you see in Valle Isarco?
Mainly Austrian varieties
Silvaner
Veltliner
Kerner
Where is the best region to grow Pinot Nero in Alto Adige?
Bassa Atesina
Alto Adige’s southernmost wine growing region
List 4 classic aromas of Nebbiolo within Barolo and Barbaresco
Tar
Truffle
Rose Petals
Dried Fruits
color is characteristically moderate in concentration and orange-tinged even in youth
What are the 3 important cru of Neive?
Serraboella
Gallina
Basarin
What is Italy’s smallest region?
Valle d’Aosta
Translate: Dolcetto
Little sweet one
Produce tannic fruity wines with low acidity
Explain Piedmont’s climate
Continental
Rain shadow effect form the Alps
Neive and Treiso are two important communes of what important DOCG?
Barbaresco
Define: the appassimento process
the grapes are dried for over three months in special lofts (fruttai) before fermentation, effectively concentrating sugar and extract
What is Kerner a cross between?
Riesling & Schiava
What 2 DOC in the very northern part of Piedmont focus on Nebbiolo?
Lessona- near Ghemme
Carema- a bit isolated
What are the aging requirements of Soave Superiore?
Soave Superiore- 1yr with 3 months of bottle age
Soave Superiore Riserva- 2yrs
What are the 3 main indeginous red grape varieties of Friuli?
Refosco (a relative of Savoie’s Mondeuse)
Pignolo
Schiopettino
How did Mario Schiopetto help modernize Friuli?
The introduction of controlled cold fermentations in stainless steel coupled with the region’s moderate temperatures, led to the Friulian style: crisp, aromatic, fruit-driven varietal white wines designed for quick consumption
What is the minimum percentage of Glera to be used for both DOCG zones within Prosecco?
85%
What region do the following DOCG lie within?
a. Albagna di Romana
b. Barolo
c. Ramandolo
e. Valtellina Superiore
d. Recioto della Valpolicella
a. Albagna di Romana- Emilia Romagna
b. Barolo- Piedmont
c. Ramandolo- Friuli
d. Valtellina Superiore- Lombardy
e. Recioto della Valpolicella- Veneto
Where is Erbaluce di Caluso located and what grape is used for its DOCG?
What style is best?
South of Carema
Erbaluce grape
Passito method generally invokes the most praise
What region is Dolceacqua DOC located within and what grape variety is it’s sole component?
Liguria
Rossese is grape