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
Q

Etna DOC
Total number of Contrade

A

142

26
Q

Etna DOC
Top three Commune with the most Contrade

A
  • **Castiglione Di Sicilia: 41 Contrade
  • Randazzo: 25 Contrade
  • Zafferana Etnea: 20 Contrade**
  • Total 142 Contrade (2024)
27
Q

Besides Etna, another DOC based on Nerello Mascalese

A

Faro DOC

  • Rosso only
  • 45-60% Nerello Mascalese, 15-30% Nerello Mantellato, 5-10% Nocera
28
Q

Faro DOC

  • Location
  • Style
  • Grapes
A
  • 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
Q

Sicily

DOC that covers the island

A

Sicilia DOC
* est 2011 (modified 2019)

30
Q

Marsala DOC

Styles

A

All liquoroso (fortified)
* Marsala Oro
* Marsala Ambra
* Marsala Rubino

31
Q

Marsala DOC
Grapes

A
  • Oro/Ambra: Grillo, Ansonica (Inzolia), Catarratto, Damaschino
  • Rubino: Perricone, Calabrese (Nero d’Avola), and Nerello Mascalese; plus max. 30% white grapes
32
Q

Marsala

Sweetness levels

A
  • Secco: max 40 g/l rs
  • Semisecco: 40-100 g/l rs
  • Dolce: min 100 g/l rs
33
Q

Marsala DOC
Aging requirements

A
  • **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
Q

Marsala DOC
Vergine

A
  • Wine that has no additions other than grape spirit**
  • Aged min 5 years
  • ‘Vergine Riserva’ and ‘Vergine Stravecchio’: aged min 10 years**
35
Q

Marsala
‘Solera’
Aging requirement

A
  • min 5 years
  • Does not carry a vintage date, ‘Solera’ (perpetuum system):
  • Same aging requirement as ‘Vergine’
36
Q

Marsala DOC
Authorized Historic Label Indications

A
  • **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
Q
A
38
Q

Malvasia delle Liparia DOC
* Location
* Styles

A

Malvasia delle Lipari DOC

  • Small group of islands off the northern coast of Sicily
  • Bianco, Passito, Liquoroso
39
Q

Malvasia delle Lipari DOC
Grapes

A
  • **92-95% Malvasia di Lipari
  • 5-8% Corinto Nero**
40
Q

Eloro DOC
* Location
* Styles

A
  • **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
Q

Eloro DOC
Offical subzone

A

Pachino
* considered grand cru for Nero d’Avola
* At the southernmost tip of the island, one of the hottest parts of Sicily

42
Q

Eloro DOC
“Pachino”
Grape requirements

A
  • min 80% Nero d’Avola (most monovarietal)
  • max 20% Frappato and/or Pignatello
43
Q

Eloro
Climate

A
  • 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
Q

Eloro DOC
“Pachino” contrade

A

* Baroni
* Bufaleffi
* Maccari
* San Lorenzo

45
Q

Moscato di Noto and Moscato di Siracusa
Size in ha

A
  • **Moscato di Noto: 88 ha
  • Moscato di Siracusa: 37 ha**
  • SE Sicily
46
Q

mezzadria

A

Sharecropping

  • More prevalent in the NORTH than the south of ITALY
47
Q

latifondo

A
  • System of land ownership in Italy
  • Overturned by the Agrarian reforms of the 1950’s
48
Q

Sicily
Number of IGPs

A

7 IGPs

49
Q

Hottest, driest region of Italy

A

Sicily

50
Q

Sicily’s other major grape-derived product

A

Concentrated grape musts, made by vacuum-evaporating or cooking down unfermented juice

51
Q

Pantelleria
Location

A
  • **100 km (60 miles) SW of Sicily
  • 60 km (35 miles) from Tunisi**