Northern Italy

Question 1

What is the most widely planted grape in Piedmont?

Answer 1

Barbera

Question 2

Name the 8 Regions that make up Northern Italy

Answer 2

Valle d’Aosta

Piedmont

Liguria

Lombardy

Emilia-Romagna

Trentino-Alto Adige

Veneto

Fruili-Venezia Giulia

Question 3

Describe Brachetto d’Acqui

Answer 3

Pink, low alcohol, slightly sparkling wine made from Brachetto in Piedmont

Question 4

4 Primary white grapes of Piedmont

Answer 4

Cortesi

Moscato

Arneis

Chardonnay

Question 5

4 Primary red grapes of Piedmont

Answer 5

Nebbiolo

Barbera

Dolcetto

Brachetto

Question 6

Name 9 Important DOCGs of Piedmont

Answer 6

Barolo

Barbaresco

Gattinara

Asti

Moscato d’Asti

Barbera d’Asti

Barbera del Monferrato Superiore

Gavi

Roero (Arneis & Nebbiolo)

Question 7

Recent Highly Regarded vintages of Piedmont for Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera based wines

Answer 7

2000 = great “ripe” year

2001 = excellent “classic” year

2002 = POOR!

2004 = excellent “classic” year

Question 8

Name and describe the 4 important DOCGs of Lombardy

Answer 8

Franciacorta = quality Metodo Classico sparkling wines

Valtellina Superiore = Nebbiolo-based reds

Sforzato di Valtellina = amarone style from Nebbiolo

Oltrepo Pavese Classico = sparkling

Question 9

What is the northernmost region in Italy?

Answer 9

Trentino-Alto Adige

Question 10

What is another name for the Prosecco grape?

Answer 10

Glera

Question 11

What does Valpolicella translate to?

Answer 11

“Valley of Many Cellars”

Question 12

Name the 10 important DOCGs of Veneto

Answer 12

Amarone della Valpolicella

Recioto della Valpolicella

Prosecco di Conegliano

Prosecco di Valdobbiadene

Prosecco de Colli Asolani

Soave Superiore

Soave Superiore Classico

Soave Recioto de Soave

Bardolino Superiore

Recioto di Gambellara

Question 13

What are the 3 principle grapes that go into a Valpolicella blend?

Answer 13

Corvina Veronese

Rondinella

Molinara

Question 14

Describe the Ripasso process

Answer 14

Literally “re-passed”

Traditional winemaking technique in the Veneto

Young Valpolicella put into tanks or barrels containing lees or dried fruit from previous Amarone fermentation

Causes secondary fermentation, increasing alcohol content and giving Amarone character to the wine

Question 15

Describe Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG wine

Answer 15

Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone and others

Produced from ripe bunches of dehydrated grapes

Fruit dries and develops unique flavor characteristics

Wine fermented to dry or off-dry

Intensely flavored at 14-16% abv

Question 16

Describe the Appassimento Process

Answer 16

Grapes harvested and dried for several weeks in special rooms

Used to produce passito, recioto and Amarone wines

Modern technology: use of ventilators and de-humidifiers makes process more reliable

Question 17

Describe Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG wines

Answer 17

sweet wines made from passito grapes in Veneto

Question 18

What grapes are Soave wines made from?

Answer 18

Garganega with some Trebbiano di Soave

Question 19

Name 3 important DOCGs of Friuli Venezia Giulia

Answer 19

Ramandolo (Verduzzo)

Picolit

Picolit-Gialla

(All made from Ripasso grapes)

Question 20

Where does the sparkling wine Lambrusco come from?

Answer 20

Emilia Romagna

Question 21

3 primary white grapes of Tuscany

Answer 21

Trebbiano Toscano

Vernaccia

Malvasia

Question 22

5 primary red grapes of Tuscany

Answer 22

Sangiovese

Calaiolo

Syrah

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Question 23

Name the 6 important DOCGs of Tuscany

Answer 23

Chianti

Chianti Classico

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Brunello di Montalcino

Morellino di Scansano

Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Question 24

What white wine is most notable from Tuscany?

Answer 24

Vernaccia di San Gimignano