Piedmont (Piemonte) Flashcards
What does “Piedmont” mean, and what geographical features surround it?
“The foot of the mountain,” cradled on three sides by the Apennines and the Alps
What major river flows through Piedmont, and what does it create?
The Po River, creating a fertile alluvial plain
Why is most of Piedmont’s grape-growing concentrated in the foothills south of the Po Valley?
The fertile alluvial plain is too rich for viticulture, so grape-growing occurs in the foothills
In which provinces of Piedmont does most grape-growing occur?
Asti, Alessandria, and Cuneo
What are the key wine-producing hills in Piedmont?
Montferrato Hills and Langhe Hills
What types of soils are found in Piedmont’s grape-growing areas?
Thinner, calcareous marl and sandstone soils with varying percentages of clay and sand
What climate does Piedmont experience, and what effect do the Alps have on it?
Piedmont experiences a continental climate, and the Alps provide a “rain shadow” effect
What weather phenomenon can be a concern in the Langhe hills, and how did Barbaresco producers historically try to mitigate it?
Autumn hail, and producers were fond of firing cannons into the skies to disperse threatening cloudbanks
What are the prized southern exposures in the Langhe and Monferrato hills known as?
Sori
Which is the most noble and ageworthy red grape of Piedmont?
Nebbiolo
What is the origin of the name Nebbiolo, and what does it reference?
Named after the morning fog (la nebbia) that prolongs the grape’s ripening process in the fall
What are the characteristics of wines made from Nebbiolo?
High acid, alcohol, and extreme tannin, with haunting aromatic complexity and great longevity
How was Nebbiolo valued historically in the Langhe region?
Quite VALUABLE - a 1431 statute of La Morra in the Langhe prescribed severe punishments for uprooting the vine, ranging from the loss of a right hand to death
What are the three major Piedmontese red grapes?
Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Barbera
What is Dolcetto known for, and how is it typically consumed?
The “little sweet one,” it ripens early, provides tannic, fruity wines that are lower in acid, and is generally designed for youthful consumption
What distinguishes Barbera, Piedmont’s most planted red grape?
It demonstrates high acidity but low tannin and is subject to a range of stylistic interpretations
What effect has the incursion of modern winemaking techniques had on Piedmont’s red grapes?
It has diminished some of the obvious varietal differences between Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto in some cases
Name some of the lesser indigenous red grapes of Piedmont
Brachetto, Grignolino, Ruchè, Croatina, Vespolina, and Freisa
What is Piedmont’s most planted white grape, and what type of wine is it primarily used to produce?
Moscato Bianco (Muscat à Petits Grains), used primarily for the sparkling wines of Asti.
Which other white grape varieties are grown in Piedmont, listed in diminishing order of importance?
Cortese, Arneis, Erbaluce, and Favorita (Vermentino)
Since when have international grape varieties been growing in significance in Piedmont?
Since the 1980s
In which type of DOCs are non-traditional grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot typically used in Piedmont?
Less-specific DOCs
As of 2023, how many DOCGs and DOCs does Piedmont claim?
19 DOCGs and 41 DOCs
What percentage of Piedmont’s wine production is of at least DOC quality?
Almost half
What are the two most prestigious DOCGs in Piedmont, and where are they located?
Barolo and Barbaresco, located along the Tanaro River in the Cuneo Province
What grape is used to produce the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco?
Nebbiolo
How do Barolo wines generally compare to Barbaresco wines?
Barolo wines are typically more powerful and long-lived, while Barbaresco is slightly softer and regarded as Barolo’s more feminine counterpart
What classic aromas are attributed to both Barolo and Barbaresco wines?
Tar, truffle, rose petals, and dried fruits
How is the color of Barolo and Barbaresco wines typically described?
Moderate in concentration and orange-tinged even in youth
How many communes can produce Barolo wines, and which five represent almost 90% of the DOCG’s demarcated land?
Barolo wines can be produced in 11 communes. The five key communes are La Morra, Barolo, Serralunga d’Alba, Monforte d’Alba, and Castiglione Falletto
What soil type characterizes the vineyards of La Morra and Barolo, and what style of wine does it produce?
Tortonian soils, which contain a higher proportion of calcareous marl, produce a softer style of wine
What soil type is more common in Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba, and Castiglione Falletto, and how does it affect the wine?
Serravallian (Helvetian) sandstone soils supply more structure in the wine
What are the minimum aging requirements for Barolo wine before release as of 2010?
Barolo must be aged at least 38 months from November 1 of the harvest year, with only 18 months required in wood
How long must Barolo Riserva be aged before release?
Barolo Riserva requires a total of 62 months prior to release
What was the traditional method of aging Barolo, and how did it affect the wine?
Historically, Barolo was aged in large neutral casks after extended macerations of 30-50 days, requiring long periods of cellaring before the wine became approachable
What are the two main styles of Barolo producers, and how do they differ?
“Traditionalists,” who retain older winemaking techniques with extended macerations and aging in large casks, and “Modernists,” who embrace barriques, shorter macerations, and a rounder style of wine
Name some notable traditionalist Barolo producers.
Giacomo Conterno, Bartolo Mascarello, Giuseppe Rinaldi
Name some notable modernist Barolo producers.
Paolo Scavino, Luciano Sandrone, Elio Altare
How has the distinction between traditionalist and modernist Barolo producers changed in recent times?
The distinction has become more fluid, with many producers blending techniques from both camps.
How do the Nebbiolo wines of Barbaresco DOCG compare to those of Barolo?
They are perfumed, tannic, and ageworthy, yet slightly lighter in body and more elegant
In which towns is Barbaresco wine production primarily concentrated?
Barbaresco, Neive, and Treiso
What are the aging requirements for Barbaresco wines before release?
A minimum of 26 months from November 1st of the harvest year, including at least 9 months in cask
What are the aging requirements for Barbaresco wines labeled as riserva?
A minimum of 50 months prior to release
Who is credited with achieving acclaimed cult status for Barbaresco wines through a modernist approach?
Angelo Gaja
Which traditionalist producer is equally talented in Barbaresco, and what does the local co-operative offer?
Bruno Giacosa is a traditionalist producer, and Produttori del Barbaresco offers great value and exemplifies the terroir of the region
What similarities do Barolo and Barbaresco have with Burgundy?
Similar aromatic richness, climate, the importance of single vineyards, and the emphasis on domaine bottling
What sparked the emphasis on domaines and estate-bottling in Barolo and Barbaresco?
The trend began in the 1960s, leading to the determination of single vineyards (crus)
Name one of the best crus in Barolo and Barbaresco.
Cannubi in Barolo and Rabajà in Barbaresco
What legal change occurred in 2007 regarding the crus of Barbaresco?
They were enshrined as legal menzioni geografiche aggiuntive (geographic areas) of the DOCG
When did Barolo follow Barbaresco in enshrining its crus as legal geographic areas?
Early 2010
What is Barolo Chinato, and what is it flavored with?
A DOCG aromatized wine flavored with quinine
Which producer is considered the standard bearer for Barolo Chinato?
Cappellano
When was the Roero DOCG elevated from DOC status?
2004
Where is the Roero DOCG located in relation to Barolo and Barbaresco?
On the northwestern bank of the Tanaro River, opposite Barolo and Barbaresco
What is the primary red grape used in Roero DOCG wines, and what percentage is required?
Nebbiolo, minimum 95%
What white grape is used in Roero DOCG to produce fresh and floral wines?
Arneis
How do the Nebbiolo wines of Roero compare to those of Barolo and Barbaresco?
They are lighter in style due to the sandy soils of Roero
Name two other Nebbiolo-based DOCG reds produced in the hills north of the Po River.
Gattinara DOCG and Ghemme DOCG
What grapes are often blended with Nebbiolo (Spanna) in Gattinara and Ghemme?
Vespolina and Bonarda
What is Uva Rara, and where is it used?
Also known as Bonarda Novarese, it is used for blending in Ghemme
What is Bonarda di Gattinara, and how does it differ from the Bonarda of Argentina?
A clone used in Gattinara, unrelated to the Bonarda of Argentina
What are the Lessona and Sizzano DOC zones near Ghemme known for producing?
Similiar to Nebbiolo based red-blends
Where is the Carema DOC located, and what type of wines does it produce?
Near the border of the Valle d’Aosta, producing fragrant Nebbiolo wines, especially in warmer vintages.
When did the Barbera grape come into the DOCG fold, and which two appellations were included?
In 2008, with the appellations Barbera d’Asti and Barbera del Monferrato Superiore
How do Barbera d’Asti and Barbera del Monferrato Superiore differ in aging requirements?
Barbera d’Asti may be released as normale after four months of aging, while Barbera del Monferrato must be superiore and aged for 14 months, including six months in cask
What is a common characteristic of modern Barbera production?
It often sees new wood during aging
What third DOCG was granted to the Monferrato hills in late 2010?
Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato
What is Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato, and what is unique about the Ruchè grape?
It is an aromatic red wine produced from the local Ruchè grape, which may be named for its resistance to the viral disease roncet or its introduction to Piedmont by French monks
What is the fourth DOCG of the Monferrato hills, and when was it approved?
Nizza, approved at the end of 2014 for 100% Barbera varietal wines
What significance does the approval of Nizza DOCG have in the context of Italian wine classification?
It marked the end of a three-year silence in DOCG elevations, showing that Italy’s top wine category was still active in the post-EU reform era
What are the three DOCG wines produced from 100% Dolcetto?
Dogliani, Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore (Ovada), and Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba (Diano d’Alba)
Which Dolcetto DOCG wine must be superiore to qualify for DOCG status?
Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore (Ovada)
Can Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba and Dogliani be released as both normale and superiore versions?
Yes, both can be released in normale and superiore versions, with superiore requiring a heightened level of alcohol
What is the minimum aging requirement for all three superiore styles of Dolcetto DOCG wines?
10 months
Which DOCG wine may include menzioni geografiche aggiuntive on the label, similar to Barolo and Barbaresco?
Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba (Diano d’Alba)
What is a sori?
A named superior exposure, which may appear on the label.
How many sorì are classified as superior exposures for Diano d’Alba DOCG wines?
75 sori
What is significant about Dogliani’s fame, and who is associated with it?
Dogliani’s fame partly rests on the wines of Luigi Einaudi, the second President of the Italian Republic elected in 1948
What are the typical characteristics of Dolcetto wines?
Sweet black fruit in a typically rustic frame, though denser and more polished interpretations are available
What was the first still white wine in Piedmont to be promoted to DOCG level?
Gavi (Cortese di Gavi)
Where is the Gavi appellation located, and what grape is used to produce its wines?
Located in the extreme southern portion of Alessandria province, Gavi wines are produced from the Cortese grape
What styles of wine are produced in Gavi, besides the still (tranquillo) version?
Spumante or frizzante versions are sometimes encountered
Which appellation transitioned from DOC to DOCG in late 2010, producing wines from the Erbaluce grape?
Erbaluce di Caluso
What styles of wine are produced in Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG, and which style generally provokes the most praise?
Still, spumante, or passito styles are produced, with passito generally provoking the most praise
What is the most important DOCG for sparkling wine production in Italy, and how much is produced annually?
Asti/Moscato d’Asti DOCG, producing nearly 650,000 hl (or more) each year
What change occurred when Asti moved from DOC to DOCG status?
It shed the pejorative “Asti Spumante” label, but the wines remain fully sparkling (spumante)
What grape is used in Asti DOCG wines, and how is the wine produced?
Moscato Bianco, with the must reserved and chilled for batch fermentation throughout the year using the Charmat (or Martinotti) method
How does the Charmat method benefit Asti DOCG wines?
It avoids any autolytic character, preserving the wine’s delicate primary fruit and floral aromas
What distinguishes Moscato d’Asti from Asti DOCG wines?
Moscato d’Asti is slightly sparkling (frizzante) with a maximum pressure of 2.5 atmospheres and an alcohol level between 4.5% and 6.5%
What happened in 2023 regarding a subzone of Asti DOCG?
A former subzone was promoted to its own separate Canelli DOCG
What is Alta Langa DOCG known for, and which grapes are used?
Alta Langa DOCG is known for serious traditional method sparkling wines made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes
How long do Alta Langa spumante wines spend en tirage, and how long do riserva versions age?
Spumante wines spend 30 months en tirage, and riserva versions age for a full three years
When was Alta Langa DOCG awarded, and what is significant about its history?
Awarded in early 2011, it represents rapid success for an appellation that earned its DOC in 2002 and had only 20 hectares of experimental plantings in 1994
Which notable producers in Piedmont craft Alta Langa sparkling wines?
Fontanafredda and Enrico Serafino
What is unique about the sparkling reds of Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG?
They retain local rustic charm, are usually sweet, and are suitable as a dessert accompaniment
What versions of Brachetto exist, and how common are they?
Both dry and still versions exist, although they are increasingly rare
