Sicilia** Flashcards
Compare the latitude of Vittoria, Sicilia with Tunis.
Tunis is further south by (only) 17 km.
What are the DOCG’s of Sicilia?
only Cerasuolo di Vittoria
What grapes are used in Cerasuolo di Vittoria?
Nero d’Avola [50-70%]and Frappato [30-50%] (both native)
What is the most highly regarded grape grown on Mount Etna?
Nerello Mascalese
Where is Faro DOC?
Northeastern tip (faro = lighthouse at Staits of Messina)
What is the blending formula for Faro Rosso?
Nerello Cappuccio (15-30%), Nerello Mascalese (45-60%), Nocera (5-10%) [Small amount of other native grapes are allowed.]
What is the major city in Faro DOC?
Messina
What is a typical tasting note for Cerasuolo di Vittoria’s wine?
a lightly coloured yet powerful red with cherry scents and notes of leather, prunes, chocolate and tobacco with age.
What is the dominant grape is used for wine from Bianco d’Alcamo DOC?
Made from 80% Catarratto grapes
Name two Sicilian outlying islands and their associated DOC’s.
Lipari - Malvasia delle Lipari DOC and Pantelleria - Pantelleria DOC
Name a sweet white wine from a Sicilian island.
Moscato di Pantelleria, Naturale and Passito Extra; Malvasia delle Lipari
How much of Sicily’s wine is made by co-operatives?
Around 75% of Sicily’s wine is made by co-operatives, {made-in-italy.com}
Sicilia is located in what part of the Mediterranean Sea?
center, strategic importance
Catarratto Bianco is native to where?
considered an ancient Sicilian grape
What is the white workhourse grape of Sicilia?
Catarratto Bianco
What were the main Greek contributions to viticulture in Sicilia?
alberello training, pruning techniques and wine preservation techniques
What is the capital of Sicilia?
Palermo
What city represents Sicilia Barocca?
Noto and Ragusa
Name 5 active volcanoes in Italy during the last 200 years.
Mount Etna (continuous,) Stromboli (continuous,) Mount Vesuvius (1944, the only active volcano in mainland Europe,) Pantelleria (submarine eruption 1891 and short-lived Isola Ferdinandea 1831,) Vulcano (1890)
What were the famous wines from Ancient Sicilia?
Byblinos from Siracusa and Murgentinum from central Sicilia
What was the viticultural impact of the Romans in Sicilia?
tear out vines and plant grains instead
What was the viticultural impact of the Arabs in Sicilia?
wine not permitted, but improved agricultural techniques were introduced which contributed to better raisins
Who took the lead in promoting Marsala wine?
John Woodhouse
What are the 5 autonomous regions in Italy?
Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Aosta Valley and Friuli-Venezia Giulia {FASST autos]
What is the largest island in the Mediterranean?
Sicilia
What is the largest region in Italy?
Sicilia
What is the southern most region in Italy?
Sicilia
What is the largest island off Sicilia?
Pantelleria
What is the closest Italian outpost to North Africa?
Pantelleria
What is the climate of Sicilia?
Mediterranean, warm dry summer and mild, wet winters
What is the risk of fungal disease in Sicilia? Why?
low, due to constant sea breezes.
Where is the warmest part of Sicilia?
southern and western parts are warmer due to Sirocco (Scirocco) winds
What is a Bentu de Soli wind?
an east wind on the coast of Sardinia.
What is a Bora wind?
a cold, northerly wind blowing from the Hungarian basin into the Adriatic Sea.
What is a Borasco wind?
a thunderstorm or violent squall, especially in the Mediterranean.
What is a Sirocco wind?
a warm wind of the Mediterranean area, a hot southerly wind in advance of a low pressure area moving from the Sahara or Arabian deserts. Called LEVECHE in Spain.
What is a Gregale wind?
a strong northeast wind of the central Mediterranean.
What is a Maestro wind?
a northwesterly wind with fine weather which blows, especially in summer, in the Adriatic. It is most frequent on the western shore. This wind is also found on the coasts of Corsica and Sardinia.
What is a Tramontana wind?
a northeasterly or northerly winter wind off the west coast of Italy. It is a fresh wind of the fine weather mistral type.
What is a Mistral wind?
A cold, dry wind blowing from the north over the northwest coast of the Mediterranean Sea, particularly over the Gulf of Lions. Also called CIERZO.
Where is the lowest rainfall in Sicilia?
west and south, 20-25 inches per year, subject to summer drought (Pantelleria is also very dry, 19 inches/year)
What are the soils in the western area and southeastern corner of Sicilia?
limestone and calcareous-clay
What are the soils in the northeastern corner of Sicilia?
mix of metamorphic and igneous rock
What are the soils in the upper Belice river valley and the Caltanisetta province of Sicilia?
marine-clay sedimentary
What are the soils in the northwestern area of Sicilia?
clay, sandstone and marl
What are the soils in the Mount Etna area of Sicilia?
volcanic
Where are the Aeolian Islands?
north of Mount Etna
Where is the Mounti Iblei plateau?
inland from Syracuse
What is the red/white mix of planted grapes in Sicilia?
60+% white, red grape plantings are increasing, almost doubled in the last 30 years
How does the red/white mix of planted grapes vary by location across Sicilia?
White grapes predominate in the west and red grapes predominate in the east.
What is the contribution of native varieties for vineyards in Sicilia?
almost 80% native grapes, but most of this production is bulk wine
What is the most widely planted grape in Sicilia?
Catarratto Bianco (“white workhorse grape,” 1/3 of total vineyards, but decreasing)
What are the 5 major white grapes planted in Sicilia?
Catarratto Bianco, Grillo, Zibbibo, Malvasia di Lipari, Carricante
What are the major native red grapes planted in Sicilia for quality wine?
Nero d’Avola and Nerello Macalese
What important grapes are genetically related to Catarratto Bianco (CB)?
Grillo is a cross between CB and Muscat di Alexandria (Zibibbo); CB is parent/off-spring of Garganega; CB is half-sibling/grandparent to Trebbiano Toscano (Robinson) [GGTT]
What are the biotypes of Catarratto Bianco? What are the differences?
CB Comune and CB Lucido. Lucido is considered higher quality with smaller berries, lower sugar level and higher acid
Where is most of the Catarratto Bianco grown?
western Sicilia
What is the etymology of Grillo?
not cricket (from Italian,) but pips (from Sicilian dialect)
Reductive wine making techniques has what effect on Grillo wine?
creates aromas of fresh cut grass, grapefruit and passion fruit similar to Sauvignon Blanc
What factors have influenced plantings of Grillo?
replantings after phylloxera led to increased planting in search of quality; planting in the second half of 20th century led to decreased plantings due to lower productivity of Grillo
Grillo is native to where?
considered a traditional Sicilian grape (strong genetic evidence)
Where is most of the Grillo grown?
northwestern Sicilia, province of Trapani
Inzolia is native to where?
Sicilia
What is the most important synonym for Insolia?
Ansonica in Tuscany
What is a foehn wind?
a type of dry, warm, down-slope wind that occurs in the lee of a mountain range. It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of its moisture on windward slopes.
Zibibbo is the Sicilian synonym for what grape?
Moscato di Alessandria; however, the name Zibibbo pre-dates the current common name
Zibibbo is native to where?
unlikely Egypt, ancient grape most likely from Southern Italy or Greece
What is the etymology of Zibibbo?
from Arabic word zabib, meaning raisin
What are the likely parents of Zibibbo?
Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains (from Greece or Italy, not France!) and Axina de Tres Bias (from Sardegna)
[muscAT Blanc + ATB]
Where is the largest concentration of Zibibbo plantings?
Pantelleria
Carricante is native to where?
Catania Province, Sicilia
Describe the acid structure of Carricante.
high in malic acid
What is the main grape in Etna Bianco DOC wines?
Carricante
Carricante’s main association is with what DOC?
Etna Bianco DOC
Lipari belongs to what geological group?
the volcanic Aeolian Islands