Topography, soils,climate Flashcards
What main features characterise the topography of Italy?
Mountains, Hills, Rivers, Lakes, Seas, Plains
What are the most significant topographical features in Italy?
Mountains and hills cover over 3/4s of Italy.
Which mountains influence the Italian wine regions?
Alps and the Appenines.
Where are the hills mainly found in Italy?
Mostly on the sides of the Alps and the Appenines.
Where are the vast majority of Italy’s vineyards found?
The vast majority are found on the hills at elevation.
Which is Italy’s largest plain? Which major river transverses it?
The Padan Plain which is crossed by the longest river the River Po.
What are the four major basins of the Mediterranean Sea?
Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian, Ligurian.
What influence do the four basins/seas have on the vineyards?
They are significant on the climate of the regions they border.
What influence do the rivers of Italy have on the vineyards?
Because they are not volumetrically big they have limited influence.
What influence do the lakes of Italy have on the vineyards?
The larger lakes such as Garda, Como, Iseos and Maggiore all influence the vineyards they are close to. They moderate the cooling influence of the Alps.
What is the key factor in determining the climate of Italy’s vineyards?
Elevation is the key factor.
What does elevation provide to vineyards and grapegrowing?
It means that the growing season is extended, resulting in later harvests. Grapes can ripen slowly and acidity is maintained.
What is the unifying feature of Italys climate?
The interplay between mountains and seas is the fundamental and unifying feature.
What are the three general categories of soils found in Italy?
Sedimentary, Metamorphic and volcanic.
What is sedimentary soil derived from?
Bedrock of alluvial or marine origin, or deposited from Glaciers, eg glacial moraines.
What is metamorphic soil derived from?
It is derived from foliated matamorphic rocks such as gneiss, schist and slate. They occurred during the formation of Italy’s mountain ranges.
What is volcanic soil derived from?
Volcanic activity which created soils which because of the presence of ash, are rich in nutrient and water retentive.
