Piemonte / Monferrato Astigniano Appellations Flashcards
What are the 7 main appellations of Monferrato Astigiano?
1 Barbera d'Asti DOCG 2 Nizza DOCG 3 Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG 4 Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG 5 Freisa d'Asti DOC 6 Grignolino d'Asti DOC 7 Asti DOCG
Which is the largest red producing DOC/G in Piemonte?
Barbera d’Asti DOCG; more than 20 million bottles/year
What is the largest producing Piemontese appellation?
Asti DOCG
What is the second largest producing Piemontese appellation?
Barbera D’Asti DOCG
Which city is in the center of Monferrato?
Asti
What soils are in Barbera d’Asti?
calcareous marls and sabbie astiane - north of Asti
terre bianche - south of Asti
What training system is used for Barbera in Barbera d’Asti?
Guyot or cordon
Where are Barbera d’Asti vineyards?
planted on hillsides at maximum 650m
What is Barbera d’Asti DOCG made from?
minimum 90% Barbera
What is the ageing requirement for Barbera d’Asti DOCG?
minimum 4 months
What are the requirements for Superiore Barbera d’Asti DOCG?
- special grape selection
- 14 months ageing (including minimum 6 months in oak)
Why are there several different styles of Barbera d’Asti?
large production area and large number of producers
What are the 2 main styles of Barbera d’Asti DOCG?
- early consumption; stainless steel fermentation (keep acidity and primary grape aromas)
- more complex wines; matured in large, neutral oak casks
How is the most modern style of Barbera d’Asti DOCG made?
- new, small oak barrels that add tannin, texture and integrated oak flavors
What is a typical Barbera d’Asti DOCG profile?
- deep ruby-purple color
- sour red berry fruit
- high acidity and medium tannins
What is the profile of Superiore Barbera d’Asti DOCG?
- ripe red fruit with oak
- full-bodied
- structured and complex
- richer version
How does Barbera d’Asti differ from Barbera d’Alba?
- fruitier, more mineral
- more refreshing due to slightly higher acidity
Who helped transform the image of Barbera d’Asti in the early 1980s?
Braida, Bersano, Scarpa, Coppo and Chiarlo
What new practices were used in the 1980s to transform Barbera in Barbera d’Asti?
riper fruit, lower yields and oak vessels
What are the 2 sub zones Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG?
Tinella and Colli Astiani (or Astiano)
Nizza DOCG used to be a sub zone of which DOCG?
Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG