Soils Flashcards
Liguria soils in general
Poor and stony
2 types
Ponente (Western Riviera)
Liguria
Reddish calcareous marl-based soils
Levante (Eastern Riviera)
Liguria
Clay, sand, and limestone mix
Tortonian
Western half of Barolo
Calcareous marls that are more fertile and compact
Produced more elegant wines
Serravallian (Helvetian)
Sandstone, silty marls and sand, overall are poorer soils in Eastern Barolo
Longer lived and require more ageing.
Magredi
Found in Graves DOC - flat expanses with low grass grown on arid beds of gravel and pebbles
Glacial Moraine
An accumulation of rocks and sediment carried and deposited by glaciers
Helvetian or Serravallian
Soils of sandstone and sand
Igneous
Rock from cooled lava
Metamorphic
Rocks changed over long periods of time by intense pressure and heat
Orogenesis
Formation of mountains
Ponca
Fruili name for Flysch of Cormons
Alternating layers of sandstone and calcarious marl
Flysch of Cormons
Alternating layers of sandstone and calcarious marl
Fruili name - Ponca
Calanchi
Bare, arid clay-based rock from water erosion
Caranto
Thin, Calcareous-clay layer under clay-based top soil
Conca di Bolzano
Geographical Basin
Alps foothills
Surrounds Bolzano
Dolomite
Mineral containing calcium, magnesium
Porphyry
Red/Purple Igneous Rock
Embedded feldspar or quartz
A volcanic soil
Sabbie Astiane
Sandy soils on banks of Tanaro River
Piemonte
Terre Bianche
White soils, compact calcareous marls
Piemonte
Terre Rosse
Red soils
Toari
Local Veneto word for soils of decomposed basalt
Tortonian
Fertile and compact calcareous marls
Soils of Valle d’Aosta
Slopes: limestone or schist
Valley: Alluvial with high proportion of gravel
Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC
Red calcareous soils
What are the soils of Riviera di Ponente
Reddish calcareous marl-based soils
What are the soils of Riviera di Levante
Clay, sand and limestone mix
What type of soils are found in Bardolino?
Glacial moraines with high gravel
What are the soils of Valpolicella
Hills of low/medium elevation - sandy-gravelly-clay
Higher elevations - limestone and marl-based
Hills around Marano are volcanic, decomposed basalt
What is toari?
Decomposed basalt around Valpolicella
Soils in Eastern Soave
Low volcanic hills of decomposed basalt
Structured wines with almond notes
Soils of Western Soave
Steep limestone-based hills
Wines of finesse with delicate aromas
Soils of Gambellara
Similar to E Soave
Volcanic basalt dominate
What are the soils of Colli Euganei
Originally volcanic
Decomposed volcanic rock (basalt, tuff, rhyolite)
Limestone, Marl
Well drained, mineral rich
Bagnoli
gravely alluvial plains
created from Adige & Brenta Rivers
What are the soils of Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG?
Diverse
Mostly sandstone, marl, clay
with alluvial and glacial moraine
Soils of Piave DOC
An alluvial plain Created by Piave, Livenza and Tagliamento Rivers Each run parallel into Adriatic North - higher plain, Alluvial South - flatter more sand, clay and loam
What are the soils of Valtellin?
Granitic sands
Broken schist
Alluvial material
Shallow and Poor
Describe the soils of Franciacorta / Brescia Hills?
Glacial Moraine
Amphitheater-gentle slopes
Mineral-rich, Sand, Silt, Gravel, Limestone
Well Drained
What are the soils of Oltrepò Pavese?
Cool limestone-based hills
What are the soils of Garda Lombardo?
North - Calcareous clay
South - Glacial Moraine
Both shallow and well drained
What soil type characterizes the Carso plateau?
Limestone
What are the soil types of FVG?
- Plains (High / L Coastal) - sand, clay, gravel
- E Hills - Flysch of Cormons alternating layers sandstone, calcareous marl, well drained, quality
- Carso - Limestone Plateau
What are the soils in FVG Low Coastal Plain
More fertile
Sand, Clay, Gravel
Less well-drained due to high clay
What are the soils in FVG High Central Plain
Sand, clay, gravel
Extremely permeable high gravel
What are the soils in FVG Eastern Hills
Alternating Sandstone, calcareous marl Poor Well-drained Friable (crumbly) Flysch of Cormons (Ponca)
What are the soils of Carso in FVG?
Iron rich sand and clay topsoil
Limestone Plateau
What are the soils of Friuli Grave DOC?
Sand and Gravel Excessively well drained Irrigation is necessary More gravel in north Finer soils in south most sand, silt, clay in south
What are the soils of Ramandolo DOCG?
Marl
Poor nutrient they can only grow grapes here
What is soil difference between Rive Alte and Rive di Giare?
Rive Alte (Right Bank) - red gravel and clay, left fertile Rive di Giare (Left Bank) - white gravel, limestone, sandy
Toari
Veneto word for decomposed basalt
What are the soils of the Hills in Emilia-Romagna?
Shallow soils
Clay, Sandstone and Marl
More challenging soils = quality viticulture
What are Po River Plains soils?
Alluvial
Deep and Fertile
Clay, Silt and Sand
Where are the Northern Apennines?
Southern part of Emilia-Romagna
No vines
What type of soils are found in Piacenza?
Clay & marl with pockets of gravel/peppbles
Steep inclines
Hand worked vines
What are the soils of Trentino?
Dolomite
Limestone
Granite
Porphyritic
What is Dolomite?
Dolomite + Cacite Contains calcium (21%) and magnesium (11%)
What are the soils of Campo Rotaliano (Rotaliano Plain)
Large, gravelly, sandy plain protected by mountain ranges
What are the soils of Caluso DOCG?
Acidic, sandy gravel soils
What are the soils of Alba?
Padano Sea left alternating layers of clay, calcareous marl, sandstone, sand and chalk that eroded to form the Roero and Naghe hills
Few pebbles or stones which leads to erosion
Soils of Langhe Hills?
Terre bianche = compact calcareous marls
15m years old
Soils of Roero Hills?
Formed only 5m years ago
Softer, sandier and rich in marine fossils
Describe Soil differences Tortonian and Serravallian in Barolo?
Tortonian - covers West Barolo, Calcareous marl, more fertile and compact (Morra and Barolo)
Serravalian sandstone, silt marls, sand poorer, less compact (Monforte, Serralunga and part of Castiglione Falleto)
What are the soils of Dogliani DOCG?
Sandstone interspersed with marl
What are the soils of Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba?
Whitish sandstone
What are the soils of Dolcetto d’Alba?
Layers of calcareous marl, sandstone, sand
Soils of Barbera d’Alba DOC
Calcareous marls, sandstone and sand
What is Rocche?
Precipitous rocky cliffs running SW to NE in Roero Hills.
Topographical slash in the landscape.
Separates alluvial soils of western plain from sandier soils in the East-central hills (vines planted here)
What are the soil types in Roero Hills?
Marine origin composed of sand, sandstone, and marl
High sand content - light, loose, soft and permeable
Poor in organic material but rich in minerals
What is Terre Rosse?
“Red Lands”
Clay, iron, magnesium
Deep high in clay content
Specific areas of Monferrato
What is Sabbie Astiane?
“Asti Sands”
High sand content
Poor water retention
Found on both side of Tanaro River in Monferrato
What is Terre Bianche?
"White Lands" Alternating layers Sand, sandstone, whitish calcareous marl Shallow, rich in marine fossils High in Calcium Carbonate Found in S of Asti in Monferrato
What are the 3 soil types found in Monferrato?
- Terre Rosse
- Sabbie Astiane
- Terre Bianche
What are the soils of Barbera d’Asti DOCG?
North - Calcareous marl and Sabbie Astiane (Asti Sand)
South - Terre Bianche
What are the soils of Asti DOCG & Moscato d’Asti DOCG?
Terre Bianche
Moscato Bianco performs well in calcareous clay.
Soils of Gavi DOCG
Terre Bianche - sand, sandstone and calcareous marl Terre Rosse - iron, clay, magnesium
Novara and Vercelli Hills
Moraine Acidic Sand, clay, gravel Red, iron rich clay Volcanic sub soils with porphyry and granite
Gattinara
Decomposed soils
Volcanic porphyritic sub-soils
Steep hillsides
Optimal exposure
Ghemme
Alluvial
Glacial deposits
Lessona DOC (Piemonte) p69
Mineral rich, acidic soils
Sub-soils marine origin
Porphyritic rocks present
Branaterra DOC (Alto Piemonte) p70
Volcanic material and marine sand
Carema DOC (Alto Piemonte)
Glacial deposits topsoils
Metamorphic schist subsoils
Precipitous carved slopes
Difference between Langhe and Roero soils?
Langhe 15m years compact marls and sandstone terre bianche
Roero 5m years - softer, sandier, rich marine fossils
Dogliano DOCG
Sandstone with marl
Dolcetto d’Alba DOC
Calcareous marl, sandstone and sand
Barbera d’Alba
Calcareous marl, sandstone and sand
Roero Hills
Sand. Sandstone and marl
Rich in minerals
La Rocche
Barbera d’Asti DOCG
N-Calcareous marl and Sabbie Asti (sand)
S- Terre Bianche
Brachetto d’Acqui DOcG
Compact white calcareous marl
Some areas with sand and sandstone
Asti DOCG
Terre Bianche
Calcareous marl performs well
Barbera del Monferrato
Calcareous marl, sandstone, sand and clay
Gavi DOCG
Terre Bianche and Terre Rosse
What do soils with higher basalt content produce?
More structured wines
What do soils with higher limestone content produce?
More finesse