Regions, Laws, Grapes

Question 1

MASTERS QUESTION – WHAT IS THE MOST WIDELY PLANTED VARIETAL OF ITALY?

Answer 1

Sangiovese is the most widely planted grape varietal in Italy

Question 2

MASTERS QUESTION – WHAT IS THE SWEETER BETWEEN ABBACCATO AND AMABILE?

Answer 2

Amabile – Sweeter than abbocato

Question 3

MASTERS QUESTION – WHAT % MUST COMPOSE A WINE IF THE ANNATA IS LISTED?

Answer 3

Annata – Year. 85% of wine must be from that year

Question 4

MASTERS QUESTION – WHAT IS APPASSIMENTO?

Answer 4

Appassimento – Process for drying grapes in Amarone

Question 5

MASTERS QUESTION – WHAT IS AN AUTOCLAVE?

Answer 5

Autoclave – Cuve close method used for sparkling

Question 6

MASTERS QUESTION – WHAT IS AVVINARE?

Answer 6

Avvinare – To prime the glasses with wine.

Question 7

MASTERS QUESTION – WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RECIOTO AND RIPASSO? ASKED TWICE SINCE 2004

Answer 7

AS
Recioto – (a specialty of the Veneto) is produced from grapes that have been raisined in special drying rooms. Steps are taken during fermentation to prevent the conversion of residual sugar into alcohol resulting in a sweet wine.

Ripasso – Traditional ripasso calls for the wine to undergo a second fermentation on the skins that are leftover from the vinification of Amarone. “Modern ripasso” (as employed by Allegrini) involves drying a portion of the grapes, fermenting them separately (as in the same style as Amarone), then adding that to the larger portion of wine fermented in the conventional manner.

a specialty of the Veneto.

Question 8

MASTERS QUESTION – WHAT WAS THE ITALIAN UNIFICATION OF THE 19TH CENTURY CALLED?

Answer 8

Risorgimento – Italian Unification of the 19th century, many Piemontese winemakers and the landowners played a pivotal role.

Question 9

MASTERS QUESTION – WHAT IS A FATTORIA?

Answer 9

Fattoria – Farm, from the Latin Factore, literally maker, from facere meaning “to do”. Found commonly in Tuscany where it can denote a winery. However, keep in mind, that most wine producing estates in Tuscany also grow olives and other crops.

Question 10

MASTERS QUESTION - WHAT IS FRIZANTE?

Answer 10

Frizante - A term meaning semi-sparkling wine (as opposed to spumante which is used for fully sparkling wines). Frizzante wines usually owe their bubbles to a partial second fermentation in tank.

Question 11

MASTERS QUESTION - WHAT IS FRUTTAI?

Answer 11

CS

Fruttai- Appassimento lofts

Question 12

MASTERS QUESTION – WHAT WAS THE ITALIAN UNIFICATION OF THE 19TH CENTURY CALLED?

Answer 12

Risorgimento – Italian Unification of the 19th century, many Piemontese winemakers and the landowners played a pivotal role.

Question 13

WHAT IS A SORI?

Answer 13

Sorì – Piedmontese dialect for an (ideal) south-facing slope

Question 14

WHAT IS A TENUTA?

Answer 14

Tenuta – holding or estate property. Applied across Northern and Central Italy.

Question 15

MASTERS QUESTION – WHAT IS A PERGOLA?

Answer 15

Tendone (PERGOLA) – overhead vine training system widely used in Southern Italy.

Question 16

MASTERS QUESTION - WHAT IS THE ITALIAN TERM FOR NOBLE ROT?

Answer 16

Muffa/Muffata- Noble Rot

Question 17

MASTERS QUESTION – WHAT DOES THE TERM VENDEMMIA MEAN?

Answer 17

Vendemmia – “harvest” OR can refer to “vintage”

Question 18

MASTERS QUESTION- WHAT IS THE 2ND MOST PLANTED GRAPE IN ITALY?

Answer 18

Montepulciano, its home is in Abruzzo

Question 19

MASTERS QUESTION- WHAT IS THE MOST PLANTED RED GRAPE OF PIEDMONT?

Answer 19

Barbera

Question 20

MASTERS QUESTION- WHAT IS THE MOST PLANTED WHITE GRAPE OF PIEDMONT?

Answer 20

Moscato Bianco

Question 21

MASTERS QUESTION- WHAT DOES ACSIUTTO MEAN?

Answer 21

DRY- Used in Italy

Question 22

MASTERS QUESTION- WHAT WERE THE 1ST THREE DOCG’S IN ITALY WHEN DID THEY BECOME DOCG’S?

Answer 22

1980- 1st 3 DOCG's WENT LIVE:
Barolo- Piedmont
Barbaresco
Chianti
Brunello di Montalcino- Tuscany
Vino Noble di Montepulciano- Tuscany

Question 23

MASTERS QUESTION- WHEN WAS GORIA’S LAW INITIATED? WHAT DID IT DO?

Answer 23

1992 was when this was activated.

It essentially created the IGT classification in which regional wines could use this classification as a holding zone before they could apply to be DOC’s. The waiting time was 5 years.

Question 24

MASTERS QUESTION- WHEN WERE THE 1ST IGT’S RELEASED ON THE MARKET?

Answer 24

1994

Question 25

MASTERS QUESTION- HOW LONG MUST A DOC BE RECOGNIZED BEFORE IT IS ALLOWED TO APPLY FOR DOCG STATUS?

Answer 25

CS

Minimum of 5 years

Question 26

MASTERS QUESTION- WHAT IS THE NEWEST DOCG IN ITALY?

Answer 26

MS

Nizza in 2014 (Barbera)

Question 27

MASTERS QUESTION- WHEN DID ITALY GO THROUGH A MAJOR ADDITION OF DOC AND DOCG WINES?

Answer 27

2009-2011. DOCG’s went from under 50 to over 70. DOC’s increased as well.