Northern Italy - Lombardy & Emilia-Romagna Flashcards
Where is Lombardy located?
- north central italy
- base of the alps
- border with switzerland
What is the climate like in Lombardy?
cool continental climate
What are some geological features in Lombardy?
- foothills of the alps
- many lakes influence the region such as lake garda and lake Iseo
Because of the marginal climate here, what style of wine thrives here?
Sparkling
Which is the most important DOCG zone in Lombardy?
Franciacorta DOCG
- traditional method sparkling wines
- pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot blanc
- blanc, rose, saten styles
What kind of wine is saten?
sparkling wines made from only white grapes and bottled at less than 5 atmospheres of pressure
What are the aging requirements for Franciacorta?
- minimum of 18 months maturing of the lees
- can’t be released until 25 months after harvest
What are the aging requirements for Franciacorta saten and rose?
- minimum of 25 months on the lees
- 31 months total
both styles may be millesimato or riserva
What are the aging requirements for Franciacorta Millesimato?
- minimum of 30 months on the lees after tirage
- total of 37 months
- 85% of grapes must be harvested from the stated year
What does millesimato mean?
vintage
If Franciacorta is labeled ‘riserva’, what are the aging requirements?
- 5 years on the less
- 67 months total
What is the sweetness level of saten?
exclusively brut
What is the range of sweetness level for Franciacorta other than saten?
there is a wide range of sweetness levels similar to that of champagne
What kind of wine is made under Oltrepo Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG?
- traditional method sparkling wine made in southern Lombardy
- at least 70% is pinot nero
- if 85% is pinot nero, it may be labeled varietally
What are the aging requirements of Oltrepo Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG wines?
- aging requirements are shorter than Franciacorta
- NV wines are aged at least 15 months on the lees
- Vintage wines are aged at least 2 years on the lees
What may still wines from the Oltrepo Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG?
Oltrepo Pavese DOC
North of Franciacorta, what is Lombardy’s most important region for red wine?
Valtellina DOC
What is the main grape in Valtellina?
Nebbiolo
AKA Chiavennasca
What is the style of nebbiolo like in Valtellina?
makes a lighter, more angular style compared to piedmont nebbiolo
List some facts about Valtellina climate and geography
- the vineyards of Valtellina is the northernmost zone for Nebbiolo in Italy
- this is a high elevation regions in the alpine mountains
- the abundant sunshine makes the ripening process possible
How many DOCGs does Valtellina DOC have?
2
- Valtellina Superiore DOCG
- Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG
If Valtellina Superiore is bottled in the neighboring Switzerland, what are the wines labeled as?
Stagafassli
What are the aging requirements for Valtellina Superiore?
- 24 months prior to release
- 3 years if riserva
What kind of wine is produced under Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG?
- wine is dry, aged for 2 years, and has a minimum of 14% alcohol content
- similar to recioto, the nebbiolo grapes are dried prior to fermentation
- the grapes yield no more than half the juice content as freshly harvested grapes
What kind of wines are made under the Moscato di Scanzo DOCG?
- sweet passito red wines made from 100% red moscato grapes
- aged a minimum of 2 years but may not be aged in wood
What is the name for the red moscato grape?
moscato di scanzo
