Veneto

Question 1

Growing Environment

Answer 1

Warm and moderately continental
Moderate rainfall
Cooling may come from altitude, large diurnal ranges in the foothills, and breezes from Lake Garda.

Flat plain is affected by moist air from and fog from the River Adige and Po River Valley. This increases risk of fungal disease.

Esca has become an increasing threat.

Soils are fertile and contribute to high yields. Especially true on fertile plains. Hillsides are better suited to quality production with better draining and less fertile soils.

Question 2

Veneto Grapes

Answer 2

Glera: 24% - Prosecco
Gargarnega: 14%
Merlot: 12%
Corvina: 10%
Pinot Grigio: 9%
Cab Sauv: 4%

Question 3

DOC’s

Answer 3

Soave 
Soave Classico
Valpolicella
Valpolicella Classico
Bardolina
Lugana
Bianco di Custoza

Question 4

Soave Viticulture

Answer 4

Two distinct parts: foothills to the north and flat plain to the south near River Adige

Hillsides are limestone and clay and/or volcanic rocks (basalt). These soils are naturally cool and this with altitude slows down ripening for full flavor ripeness yet high acidity.

Question 5

Soave Grape Variety

Answer 5

Vigorous, very productive, late ripening (October)
Traditionally Pergola trained, but now trellised.
Sensitive to winter cold, mildew and botrytis.
Hand picked on hillsides, machine on plains.

High acidity, med body, med intensity lemon, pear, apple, white pepper, stone fruit. Typ no oak, but some with high end. Best can age and develop honey and almonds. Good to very good, inexpensive to mid. Top can be outstanding and super

Wines on the plain are fertile sandy alluvial soil. Fruity with med acid and to be drunk young. Acceptable to good and mid price.

Question 6

Soave Winemaking

Answer 6

Quality have short cold maceration, cool fermentation (16 - 18) and few mo’s aging on the lees. A few ferment and/or age in oak.

Question 7

Soave Laws and Regulations

Answer 7

Three main DOC’s for dry with rising abv

Soave DOC: grapes from entire Soave region (3x vs 1931), min 70% Gargarnega; and up to 30% Trebbiano di Soave (Verdicchio) or Chard. Of this 30%, max 5% can be any other authorized variety. Max yield 105hl/ha. Sold Dec 1 of the year of harvest. 80% of all of Soave.

Soave Classico DOC: Grapes from the hilly Classico region, same rules about varieties as Soave. 98hl/ha. Can release Feb 1 following harvest. 20% of all Soave.

Soave Superiore DOCG: Same hilly area as Recioto di Soave, same rules about varieties as Soave. 70 hl/ha. released Sept 1 year after harvest. Tiny production.

Recioto di Soave DOCG: Grapes from a delimited hilly zone. Same blend as Soave but semi-dried grapes. 38hl/ha. Rich floral, honeyed, sweet wines with high acid.

Question 8

Soave Business

Answer 8

Small growers with avg holding <2ha and large bottlers. Less than 10% bottled by small wineries.

Cantina di Soave (coop) bottles just under half of all wine.

Demand has declined as Pinot Grigio taken over. So Gargarnega is being replanted with PG.

80% exported. Germany, UK, value flat vol down.

Pieropan and Inama

Trying to increase quality by identifying single vineyard crus. mostly on hillsides.

Question 9

Valpolicella Viticulture

Answer 9

Foothills in the north have limestone and clay or volcanic soils which are cooler than in the south,

Slows down ripening for more acidity and slower ripening for greater concentration.

Soils in flatter south are gravel and sand, which are warmer. Hence grapes are fruitier with less acid and lower concentrations.

Question 10

Valpolicella Grape Varieties

Answer 10

Corvina Veronese
Corvinone
Rondinella
Molinara

Question 11

Corvina Veronese

Answer 11

Vigorous and dependable, producing high yields
Thick skins making suitable for drying. Prone to downy mildew, botrytis, and esca. Drought sensitive. mid to late ripening.

Well suited to Pergola training as does not fruit on the first few buds of a cane and shade prevents sunburn (to which it is prone). Pergola height also helps with air circulation to reduce disease. Temps can be lower in Pergolas but they also lose more water through evaporation. Can be grown on trellis if careful.

Mostly blended in Valpolicella. Contributes violet, red cherry, red plum with herbal. Low to med tannin and high acid.

There are a few single variety Corvinas after the success of Allegrini’s La Poja. Concentrated barrel aged red.

Question 12

Corvinone

Answer 12

Not related to Corvina despite the name of Big Corvina.

Prone to downy mildew. Berries do not ripen uniformly so fruit must be picked over bunch by bunch at harvest.

Good complement to Corvina in blends adding tannin and red cherry.

Dries well

Question 13

Rondinella

Answer 13

Very reliable and productive and can grow in a range of soils.

Good disease resistance (good for drying) but prone to esca.

Gives rather neutral wines with light cherry. Accumulates sugar very fast and so useful in Recioto.

Question 14

Molinara

Answer 14

High yielding variety now in decline due to pale color

Acidity, red berry, lightness.

Important part of the Bardolino blend, which can be up to 40% Molinara.

Question 15

Valpolicella Winemaking

Answer 15

Inexpensive Valpolicella are fresh, fruity, made for early consumption.

Fermentation at 20 - 25C to retain primary aromas. Short maceration of 5 - 7 days for light to medium tannin.

Aged in stainless or large neutral oak for 6 - 8 mo.

Question 16

Appassimento

Answer 16

Both Soave and Valpolicella
Resulting wine style is called Passito

Grapes are picked and allowed to reach a semi-dried state before crush. Grapes are stored 3 - 4 mo in well aerated drying lofts. Historic method for concentrating flavor, raising alcohol levels and making sweet (and today) dry wines.

Grapes picked early at 11 - 11.5% potential alcohol to maintain acidity and ensure perfect bunches. Left to dry on or (more common) off the vine. Hung or in vol production laid one bunch deep in well spaced trays. Grapes are checked and rotated occasionally. Today, temps and humidity are controlled.

Grapes lose around 1/3 of their weight. The water loss leads to higher sugar, potential alcohol, acidity, anthocyanins, tannins, and concentration of flavor. Chemical changes also occur, such as more glycerin.

Question 17

Wine Laws

Answer 17

All DOC/G’s have the following reg’s
Corvina must be 45% - 95% of the blend of which Corvinone may be up to 50% of the Corvina element.

Rondinella 5 - 30%
Others including Molinara

Valpolicella DOC
Valpolicalla Classico DOC
Valpolicella Valpantena DOC
Superiore

Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG
Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG
Valpolicella Ripasso DOC

Question 18

Valpolicella DOCs

Answer 18

Valpolicella DOC: max 84hl/ha. Short maceratio on skins. Bright purple, red cherry, rose, no oak, low to med tannin, med to med+ acid. Good with some very good, inexpensive to mid.

Valpolicella Classico DOC: Grapes from the hilly, defined, historic Classico zone. Greater concentration than just Valpolicella. Good to very good and inexpensive to mid.

Valpolicella Valpantena DOC: Grapes grwon in the Valpantena Valley

Superiore: Can be added to the above. Higher min alcohol, aged for 1 year in large oak, can be sold Jan1 second year after harvest. Greater concentration.

A few make outstanding Superiores including Quintarelli and Romano dal Forno. But made from sig portion of semi-dried grapes and aged for years.

Question 19

Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG

Answer 19

Historic semi-sweet wine
Grapes from anywhere in Valpolicella (and Classico if there). DOCG is based on a style rather than place.

Grapes dried on the vine for 100 - 120 days. Final yield after drying and pressing is max 48hl/ha.

Intense red fresh and dried flavors, full body, med plus to high tannin. Production is small scale and artisan.

Min 12%abv and 50g/l RS

Despite labor and small amounts, prices do not rival Amarone. Very good to outstanding and prem.

Question 20

Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG

Answer 20

Modern dry of just off dry semi-dried gape wine.

Grapes from anywhere in Valpolicella. Yields after drying and pressing is max 48hl/ha.

Grapes are vinified after 100 - 120 days of drying. Min abv is 14% (usually 15% and above). Often 5 - 1 0 g/l RS. At 14% the max RS is 12g/l but this rises as alcohol.

Must be aged min 2 years in large casks or barriques (four years for Riserva)

Intense cherry and dried fruit with spice and wood, med to high tannin and high acid to balance richness.

May have new oak or nutty and volatile notes from mildly oxidative ageing in large casks if not topped up. Wide range of quality and price.

Question 21

Valpolicella Ripasso DOC

Answer 21

Unpressed grape skins with some residual sugar are taken from the end of the fermentation of Amarone or Recioto.

Newly made Valpolicella wine is then added to these skins for a second maceration. Yeasts, which are on the skins ferment the remaining sugar, during which time the grape skin gives more color, tannin, and flaovr to the wine. 15% of Amarone wine may also be added for further flavor, tannin, and alcohol.

Must have 12.5% alcohol (13% for Superiore). Sold from Jan 1 two years after harvest. Med to full bodied, with med plus tannin and flavors of fresh and stewed red cherries and plums.

Given the popularity of this style, producers are also making wines from a blend of dried grape wine and standard wine and selling it as IGP. Good to very good and mid to prem.

Question 22

Valpolicella Business

Answer 22

Valpolicella Consorzio represents more than 80% of producers who make DOCG wine.

Recioto has remained niche, but Amarone production has grown 6x since mid 1990s. Ripasson 4x from 2006. While basic Valpolicella has declined by 50%.

Growers get 3x the price for Amarone grapes as basic Valpolicella.

65% exported: Germany, US, Switzerland, UK

Question 23

Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC

Answer 23

Introduced in 2017 replaced the IGP of same name with stricter requirements.

Must be grown in the three areas of the Veneto; Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Trentino.

Produces 85% of all Italian Pinot Grigio and more than 40% of the worlds’.

Max yield reduced from 152hl/ha to 126.

Proving very popular as it gives a chance to bottle under a DOC. There are also smaller local DOC’s within the region giving producers options.

Light to med minus intensity apple and lemon, light to med minus body, med alcohol, med plus acid. Good and inexpensive to mid.

Question 24

Bardolino DOC

Answer 24

Bardolino DOC and Superiore DOCG (and small Classico) are next to Lake Garda which has a moderating influence.

Light bodied reds and rose from Corvina blends (35% - 80%) and up to 20% others (10% of any one other). Merlot sometimes used to boost fruit and alcohol (min 10.5% DOC / 11% Superiore DOCG)

Max 91hl/ha.

Roses are called Chiaretto, light fresh, ref fruit, salmon color

Question 25

Bianco di Custoza DOC

Answer 25

Between Verona and Lake Garda

Easy drinking, lightly aromatic, fresh white wines from Trebbiano Toscano, Gargarnega, Friulano and optionally Cortese

Mainly sold in Italy and produced by two main coops

Question 26

Lugana DOC

Answer 26

South of Lake Garda and crossing into Lomardy

Principal grape is Turbiana (aka Verdicchio)

Moderately aromatic with apple, citrus, hazelnut; lively acidity and saline finish.

Some age all or part in oak. some can age 5 years plus