Sicily General Flashcards

1
Q

Who is credited with the discovery of Marsala?

A

John Woodhouse

  • Englishman
  • Discovered on Sicily’s western edge
  • 1773, first to fortify to ensure safe shipment to his home country
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2
Q

Political event that created the original demand for Marsala

A

The War of the Spanish Succession

(England v. France)

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3
Q

Two biggest wine producers in the latter part of the 20th century (accounting for nearly all production other than Marsala)

A
  • Corvo-Duca di Salaparuta
  • Conte Tasca d’Almerita / Regaleali
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4
Q

Sicily

Producers that have led the resurgence of higher quality / lower yields in the 70s, 80s, and 90s

A
  • Marco de Bartoli (Marsala)
  • Planeta
  • Palari
  • COS
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5
Q

Narrow waterway that separates Sicily from Calabria

A

Straight of Messina

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6
Q

Sicily
Vineyard area

A

appx 120,000 ha (2022)
* most vineyard area in Italy

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7
Q

Sicily
Italy rank in production

A

4th largest in Italy
* 5.9 million hl (65 million cases)
* Although the most vineyard area planted in Italy (appx 120,000 ha), lower yields, lower planting density, and the prevalence of old bush vines, only ranked #4

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8
Q

Sicily

Most planted grape

A

Catarratto

  • 7th most cultivated grape in Italy, despite only vineyards in Western Sicily (2024)
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9
Q

Sicily

Most planted red grape

A

Nero d’Avola

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10
Q

Sicily

Major white grapes

A
  • Cattaratto
  • Carricante
  • Inzolia
  • Grillo
  • Grecanico
  • Zibbibo
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11
Q

Nero d’Avola synonym

A

Calabrese

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12
Q

Zibbibo synonym

A

Muscat of Alexandria

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13
Q

Sicily

Sole DOCG

A

Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG
* Est 2005

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14
Q

Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG

Grapes

A
  • 50-70% Nero d’Avola
  • 30-50% Frappato
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15
Q

Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG
Styles

A

Rosso only
* Cerasuolo di Vittoria
* Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico

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16
Q

Cerasuolo di Vittoria

Soils

A

Iron-rich clay over limestone

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17
Q

DOC contiguous with Cerasuolo di Vittoria

A

Vittoria DOC

  • Rosso: 50-70% Nero d’Avola, 30-50% Frappato
  • Novello: 80% Nero d’Avola and Frappato
  • Varietal: Calabrese (Nero d’Avola), Frappato, Ansonica (Inzolia)
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18
Q

Sicily
Number of DOCs

A

23 DOCs (2024)
* 38% of production at DOC/G level

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19
Q

d

Sicily
1st DOC

A

Etna DOC, 1968

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20
Q

Sicily

Sweet wine DOCs

A
  • **Marsala DOC (W)
  • Moscato di Noto DOC and Moscato di Siracusa DOC** (SE; east of Vittoria)
  • Malvasia delle Lipari DOC (N; off the coast)
  • Moscato di Pantelleria DOC & Passito di Pantelleria DOC (SW; off the coast)
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21
Q

Etna DOC

Styles

A
  • Bianco: 60% Carricante, + Catarratto Bianco Comune, Catarratto Bianco Lucido, +
  • Bianco Superiore: 80% Carricante, +
  • Rosato/Rosso/Riserva: 80% Nerello Mascalese, plus Nerello Mantellato, +
  • Spumante: rosato or bianco, 60% Nerello Mascalese, +
22
Q

Etna Rosso Riserva aging

A
  • 4 yrs, 1 yr wood
23
Q

Etna Spumante
Aging requirement

A
  • Metodo Classico
  • 18 months on lees
24
Q

albarello

A

Bush vines
* Vine training common in Etna

25
Etna DOC Total number of Contrade
**142**
26
Etna DOC Top three Commune with the most Contrade
* **Castiglione Di Sicilia: 41 Contrade * Randazzo: 25 Contrade * Zafferana Etnea: 20 Contrade** * Total 142 Contrade (2024)
27
Besides Etna, another DOC based on Nerello Mascalese
**Faro DOC** * **Rosso only** * **45-60% Nerello Mascalese, 15-30% Nerello Mantellato, 5-10% Nocera**
28
Faro DOC * Location * Style * Grapes
* **Sicily's extreme NE coast** * **Rosso only** * **45-60 Nerello Mascalese** * **15-30 Nerello Cappuccio** * **5-10 Nocera** * **max 15,** alone or comb**, Calabrese** (Nero d'Avola)**, Gaglioppo** (Montonico Nero)**, Sangiovese**
29
Sicily DOC that covers the island
**Sicilia DOC** * est 2011 (modified 2019)
30
Marsala DOC Styles
All liquoroso (fortified) * Marsala **Oro** * Marsala **Ambra** * Marsala **Rubino**
31
Marsala DOC Grapes
* Oro/Ambra: **Grillo, Ansonica (Inzolia), Catarratto, Damaschino** * Rubino: **Perricone, Calabrese (Nero d'Avola), and Nerello Mascalese; plus max. 30% white grapes**
32
Marsala Sweetness levels
* **Secco: max 40 g/l rs** * **Semisecco: 40-100 g/l rs** * **Dolce: min 100 g/l rs**
33
Marsala DOC Aging requirements
* **Fine: min 1 year * Superiore: min 2 years * Superiore Riserva: min 4 years * Vergine/Solera: min 5 years * Vergine Riserva/Solera Riserva/Vergine and Solera Stravecchio: min 10 years** * Must be aged in oak or cherrywood, although 1st 4 months may be in alternative types of vessels
34
Marsala DOC Vergine
* Wine that has no additions other than grape spirit** * Aged min 5 years * 'Vergine Riserva' and 'Vergine Stravecchio': aged min 10 years**
35
Marsala 'Solera' Aging requirement
* **min 5 years** * Does not carry a vintage date, 'Solera' (perpetuum system): * Same aging requirement as 'Vergine'
36
Marsala DOC Authorized Historic Label Indications
* **Marsala "Vecchio": min requirements for Marsala Superiore (2 years) * Marsala Fine IP: "Italy Particular" * Marsala Superiore SOM: "Superior Old Marsala" * Marsala Superiore GD: "Garibaldi Dolce", reference to 19th-century general * Marsala Superiore LP: "London Particular"** * All additional labeling terms developed to identify recipes that appealed to specific markets * Nearly all Marsala are Fine (appz 80%) and Superiore (18%) (2010)
37
38
Malvasia delle Liparia DOC * Location * Styles
Malvasia delle Lipari DOC * **Small group of islands off the northern coast of Sicily** * **Bianco, Passito, Liquoroso**
39
Malvasia delle Lipari DOC Grapes
* **92-95% Malvasia di Lipari * 5-8% Corinto Nero**
40
Eloro DOC * Location * Styles
* **Straddles two provinces of Siracusa and Ragusa, SE Sicily * Rosso and Rosato * Blends and varietal wines made of Nero d'Avola, Frappato, Pignatello (Perricone) * Eloro "Pachino"**
41
Eloro DOC Offical subzone
**Pachino** * considered grand cru for Nero d’Avola * At the southernmost tip of the island, one of the hottest parts of Sicily
42
Eloro DOC "Pachino" Grape requirements
* **min 80% Nero d’Avola** (most monovarietal) * max 20% Frappato and/or Pignatello
43
Eloro Climate
* Harvest in 'Pachino' occurs about 2 weeks earlier than in Noto to the north * Land is flatter near the coast, appx 50 m (165 ft) * 'Pachino' surrounded by the sea, diurnal temperature variations are minimal * Minimal rainfall during the growing season
44
Eloro DOC "Pachino" contrade
*** Baroni * Bufaleffi * Maccari * San Lorenzo**
45
Moscato di Noto and Moscato di Siracusa Size in ha
* **Moscato di Noto: 88 ha * Moscato di Siracusa: 37 ha** * SE Sicily
46
*mezzadria*
**Sharecropping** * **More prevalent in the NORTH than the south of ITALY**
47
*latifondo*
* **System of land ownership in Italy** * **Overturned by the Agrarian reforms of the 1950's**
48
Sicily Number of IGPs
7 IGPs
49
Hottest, driest region of Italy
**Sicily**
50
Sicily's other major grape-derived product
**Concentrated grape musts, made by vacuum-evaporating or cooking down unfermented juice**
51
Pantelleria Location
* **100 km (60 miles) SW of Sicily * 60 km (35 miles) from Tunisi**