Piedmont Flashcards
Capital of Piedmont
Turin
Which DOCs in Piedmont were first to be elevated to DOCG status?
Barolo and Barbaresco
Arneis is a great alternative to…
Pinot Grigio
Arneis translates to … in the local dialect
“rascal” - reflects difficult to grow nature
Arneis vs Cortese
Cortese is citrus-fruit driven; Arneis is orchard fruit w/ a slightly bigger body
What is “grignolino”
red Piedmont variety. High acid + tannins + fruity; low complexity. good Pizza wine
What is “freisa”
Red Piemont variety. relative to Nebbiolo; high acids + tannins
What is “vespolina”
Red variety; thought to be Nebbiolo’s child. Often blended with nebbiolo to soften the tannins of the wine
Center of Piedmont is dominated by…
Po River and its tributaries
Piedmont’s hillside vineyards can be grouped into these 3 sets
Alba (southwest) composed of Langhe and Roero
Monferrato (southeast) - surrounding city of Alba
Alto Piemonte (north)
The ___ and ____ hills account for more than 80% of Piedmont’s production
Alba and Monferrato
Biggest viticultural hazard in Piedmont
Hail in summer and fall
Which hills surround the city of Alba to the north and south?
Langhe and Roero
sori - define
prized south facing slopes
Nebbiolo is noted for its ….. growing season
extremely long
Why are vintage variations so considerable for Barolo?
Nebbiolo is very sensitive to fluctuations in weather
Two clones of Nebbiolo planted in Barolo
Michet (small berries; concentration)
Lampia (reliable; most widely planted)
“botti”
used, large oak
What does the use of new, french oak do?
helps make the wine more accessible upon release
What is Barolo Chinato?
Aromatized wine. Barolo + bark, herbs, and spices. Primarily quinine. Created by a pharmacist turned winemaker; originally consumed as medicine
Barolo Chinato is a great pairing for…
dark chocolate
Modernists in the 1970s and 80s looked to international wine regions for methods to make wine more ….
approachable in its youth
Modernists are known for..
aging in French oak barriques
using temp controlled stainless steel vats
shortened macerations at higher temps
emphasizing ripeness of grapes in vineyard
