Piemonte (Piedmont)

Question 1

Piemonte Location

Answer 1

• Northwestern Italy
• “the foot of the mountain”
• cradled on three sides by the Apennines and the Alps. The Po River cuts through the heart of the region as it flows eastward from its headwaters in the Western Alps

Question 2

Piemonte Climate

Answer 2

• The mountains that surround Piemonte create a true continental climate, the Alps provide a “rain shadow” effect, although autumn hail can be a worry in the Langhe hills
• summers are warm and long, slowly fading into temperate and foggy autumn months
• cold winters with significant snow fall are followed by a mild spring

Question 3

Piemonte fact

Answer 3

-home to more DOC and DOCG appellations than any other region in Italy

Question 4

The Po River

Answer 4

-The Po River cuts through the heart of Piemonte as it flows eastward from the Western Alps, creating a fertile alluvial plain well-suited for standard agriculture but too rich for viticulture. Thus, most of Piedmont’s grape-growing occurs in the foothills south of the Po Valley

Question 5

Piemonte top grapes

Answer 5

White
-Moscato
Red
-Nebbiolo

Question 6

Piemonte other grapes

Answer 6

white
-Cortese
red
-Barbera
-Dolcetto

Question 7

Piemonte top regions/wines

Answer 7

• Asti DOCG/Moscato d’Asti DOCG
• Dolcetto d’Alba DOC
• Barbera d’Alba DOC
• Barolo DOCG
• Barbaresco DOCG

Question 8

Asti DOCG/Moscato d’Asti DOCG

Answer 8

• 100% Moscato Bianco

- sweet, soft, sparkling white wines

Question 9

Asti vs Moscato d’Asti

Answer 9

Asti
-less sweet
-higher in alcohol
-more carbonated
than Moscato d'Asti
-Both rely heavily on their extremely fruity characteristics

Question 10

Asti Method and Pressure

Answer 10

• Asti undergoes secondary fermentation in autoclaves (Charmat/Martinotti Method)
• Asti labeled “Metodo Classico” must undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle and a Min. 9 months on the lees

Question 11

Moscato d’Asti Method and Pressure

Answer 11

-maximum 2 bars of pressure using Charmat method (not subject to a secondary fermentation)

Question 12

Dolcetto d’Alba DOC

Answer 12

-100% Dolcetto
-Styles:
Dolcetto
Dolcetto Superiore

Question 13

Barbera d’Alba DOC

Answer 13

-85% - 100% Barbera
maximum 15% Nebbiolo
-Styles:  
Rosso
Rosso Superiore

Question 14

Barolo DOCG

Answer 14

• Nebbiolo
• southwest of Alba
• amzingly powerful and structured reds that can age for decades
• “Wine of Kings and King of Wines”

Question 15

Barolo DOCG: Aging Requirements

Answer 15

• Barolo: 38 months from November 1 of the harvest year, including 18 months in wood.
• Barolo Riserva: 62 months from November 1 of the harvest year, including 18 months in wood.

Question 16

Barbaresco DOCG

Answer 16

100% Nebbiolo

• Northwest of Barolo and Alba
• softer tannins, less structure, and more fruit than Barolo wines
• feminine and more approachable in their youth

Question 17

Barbaresco DOCG: Aging Requirements

Answer 17

• Barbaresco: Minimum 26 months from November 1 of the harvest year (minimum 9 months in wood), may be released after January 1 of the third year following the harvest
• Barbaresco Riserva: Minimum 50 months from November 1 of the harvest year (minimum 9 months in wood), may be released after January 1 of the fifth year following the harvest

Question 18

Piemonte: Other regions of note

Answer 18

• Gavi DOCG
• Gattinara DOCG
• Ghemme DOCG
• Roero DOCG
• Dogliani DOCG
• Dolcetto di Fogliami DOCG
• Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG

Question 19

Gavi DOCG

Answer 19

100% Cortese

-most important dry white wine produced in Piedmont

Question 20

Gattinara DOCG/Ghemme DOCG

Answer 20

• Nebbiolo based (known as Spanna in the region)

- powerfully structured but more rustic from Barbaresco and Barolo

Question 21

Dolcetto di Dogliani DOCG/Dolcetto di Fogliami DOCG

Answer 21

100% Dolcetto

Question 22

Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG

Answer 22

• Min. 97% Brachetto

- sweet sparkling red wine, soft and fruity