Veneto videos Flashcards
1
Q
Veneto Stats
A
- Makes the largest volume of wine by a lot (because of prosecco)
- 80% white and 20% red
- Oldest evidence of vines in Italy (wild vines)
- Key founder varieties: Vulpea, Risfosco Nostrano, and Heinisch
2
Q
Veneto ancient history
A
- Before the romans there were the Reti, hill dwelling folk who traded with the Etruscans or they were descendants from the Etruscans
700-550 BC the Etruscans were here
* They definitely brought viticulture and fermentation technologies
* Training high and on poles is likely what led to pergola techniques
- Rizia was a large territory in that area and the the Rician wines became famous in Roman times and the favorites of Augustus
- The wine around Verona at this time was likely sweetened with honey and flavored with herbs and pine resin
o Mulsum (wine and honey)
o Passum (wine made from dried grapes—came from Carthage)
o Wine might also have been flavored with pepper, seawater, and other additivrs - Verona was located right in the middle so a trading hub
- The first literary reference to vine growing along the rhine itself in the mid 300s AD
- The 92 AD edict of Domitian was an attempt to halt vine growing in favor of wheat through cutting down vineyards in the provinces by half but it never actually went through
- The actual reason for a decline in viticulture in the area was probably the disintegration of the western roman empire
3
Q
Veneto Early middle ages
A
- Acinatico – the drying of grapes – a practice that predated romans but was fully implemented by them
- By the end of the western roman empire, the wines of verona were famously produced using what we now call appassimento and were known as Acinatico, from “acino” meaning berry or grape
- The first written examples of this process comes after the fall of the western roman empire
- In the 6th century AD first written account of suspending bunches from poles, eventually the grape bunches would burst from the cold and the flowing must would be collected – this was later replaced by horizontal wooden racks
4
Q
Veneto high middle ages
A
- “Terra cum veneis”- indicated area where vines are cultivated
- Viticulture was concentrated among aristocracy and clergy – focused on hills and quality wines
- “Rasiles” – the most suitable lands. The term “Rasoli” still is used today
- Communes form because of ineffectiveness of imperial power and constant struggles with the church
- This time is when we start having the geographical or topographical names that we still use today
- In the 12th century, the name Valpolicella appears in a decree
—– Not “valley of many cellars” but actually “Valis Pulicelli” – valley of river deposits - 1145 “Suavium”- land of the Svevi or Suavi people which is where Suave comes from. Nothing to do with “softness”
5
Q
Veneto Renaissance
A
- Verona, Padova, and Vicenza become part of Republic of Venice in 1405
- This united a major wine producer (Verona) with a major wine trader (Venice)
- Venice was involved in the marketing of Malvasia and RIbolla
- Small ice age in 1300-1800 means wine cant be grown locally as well around Europe so the church has the need to import stable sweet Venetian or oxidative Genovese wines
—– These wines were different than the wines drank by ordinary people which were acquired locally. This split remained up to and beyond the unification - Venice lost power in the 1600s and could no longer import these sweet wines from Greece, so they had to produce wine of a similar quality locally
6
Q
Veneto Post renaissance
A
- Plague decimated population
- 1709 frost killed many vines forcing farmers to start from scratch
- They focused on productive varieties rather than quality which is something that happens again in the later 20th century with Phylloxera
- During the Enlightenment, international trade intensifies
- War of Spanish succession which takes place close to verona, at the same time the republic of venice is in agriculture crisis resulting in poor quality wine
- Not a good period
- But increased academic interest in wine
- Start of the 1800s with the occupation by the Austrians sees the growing importance of viticulture to the local economy because other crops start to become less profitable
- Wine is mainly sold through local osteria
7
Q
Veneto post unification
A
- We see the selection of the best grape varieties like Corvina, and improved cultivation selecting the better hillside sites, encouraging lower yields, using lower training
- We also see improvement in vinification techniques like closed fermentation vats and better use of sulfur
- 1880 – School of Viticulture and Enology in Conigliano
- End of 1800s – formation of cooperative sellers and many merchant houses
— Masi, Quintarelli - 1900- WWII – Phylloxera comes to the area and Pergola is officially recognized as the preferred training system
- After WWI – the Consorzi start to form and more regulation is introduced
- 1950s-1960s – New rush of planting to satisfy new international market demand and the first Amarone wines are made
- 1970s – Soave becomes biggest selling Italian wine in the US even outpacing Chianti – but domestic consumption falls 25%
- Late 1990s – Amarone boom begins almost doubling the area under vine in Valpolicella and increasing the quantity of grapes by 500%
8
Q
veneto geography
A
Divided into 2 large areas,
- The northern mountain hilly area bordering Trentino
- La Pianura, the flatlands of the south, the Ajago Plateau and the Po Valley
—- The ground here originates from the transport of alluvial material from the numerous waterways that deposit alluvium over marine sedimentary bedrock. Characterized largely by flatness
9
Q
Veneto waterways
A
- Other key waterways include the Piave river basin which is more relevant for Prosecco and lake garda basin
- The lake garda basin which moderates climate through thermic stability as a large body of water and provides cooling breezes as well as light reflection for the slopes facing toward it.
10
Q
Veneto climate
A
- The climate changes from west to east and also north to south
- In the dolomites we have cool summers and harsh winters with abundant snowfall
- Moderatley continental in the hilly areas in the plains
- The southern portion overlooking the Adriatic is milder in climate
11
Q
Different soil types of the veneto
A
- Calcareous or Calcareous dolomitic plateaus
- Truly Volcanic areas
- Moraines
12
Q
veneto calcareous or calcareous dolomitic plateaus
A
- Dolomite contains magnesium carbonate as well as calcium carbonate
- Karstification is also important here which is the erosion of the bedrock by the dissolution of the calcium carbonate
There are different formations based on the specific minerals and where the rocks were formed
* The pelagic facies just means fine grained sedimentary rocks formed in the open ocean, whether that’s from living organisms, the erosion of other rocks, or even meteoric dust or volcanic ash
13
Q
Veneto truly volcanic areas
A
- Exclusively basalt or other extrusive igneous rocks (volcanic rocks rather than intrusive rocks like granite)
- The extrusive igneous rocks are formed by submarine volcanoes that give you rapid cooling: so you have very fine grained rocks rather than these coarser grained intrusive rocks
- We see these in the Lessini Mountains, Coliberici, and Eugane where the soils are lighter and more acidic
- We also have these soils in Soave where they tend to be darker colored and more basic/alkaline
14
Q
Veneto Moraines
A
- Area around lake garda with various particle sizes which is common with Moraines (mixed grain sizes) (till)
- Lugana only has finer particles because the transport materials came from the inner circles of the glacial amphitheater
- Meanwhile the larger pieces would have been left behind when the glaciers retreated so further on the outsides of the glacial ampitheater
15
Q
Veneto grape varieties
A
- Garganega
- Trebbiano di Soave (verdicchio)
- Corvina
- Corvinone
- Rondinella
- Molinara
- Oseleta
- Vespaiola
- Durella
- Riboso
16
Q
Garganega history and stats
A
- Most important light skinned grape variety for the production of still wine
- Key grape in Soave, Gamberella and others
- Used to produce still dry white wines but also reciotos in both of those areas above
- Very long history in Veneto and Suave area, 1309 first record
Name origins not clear but it does have some synonyms
* Grecanico Dorato (sicily), Meaning golden berries not Greek origin
- Catalan Malvasia
17
Q
Garganega relatives
A
- First degree relationship with Trebbiano Toscano, Albana, Malvasia Bianco di Candia, Marzemina Bianca, and Frappato, Cataratto, Greco di Pollino, susumaniello, and Dorona
- All of these characterized by long, white grape bunches and high yields
- In many cases, the other parent is Mantonico Bianco which is in a love triangle with Gargenega and Sangiovese
- We don’t know if it traveled from south to North or North to South
18
Q
Garganega vine traits
A
- Hates the cold and has issues with frost
- Early budding, mid-late ripening
- Very long growing season for a white grape (160 days)
- It is drought resistant and holds its acidity
- High tartaric vs malic acid = high acidity even with malo although malo isn’t super common
Very vigorous and productive which can lead to dilution
* Why quality focused producers moved from Pergola to Guyot to reduce yields
- Sparse bunches with thick skins which make it great for passimento and able to resist botrytis
Very terroir responsive and environmentally sensitive giving different results on:
* basalt hills (common in suave) vs limestone hills
* Calcareous plains vs alluvial plains
19
Q
Garganega aromas
A
- Has distinct aromas and is semi -aromatic
- Ample supply of terpenes that give it floral traits, fresh fruit aromas, as well as norisopinoids the give more ripe fruit, hay, and hydrocarbons like TDN. It also has benzenoids that give more balsamic, spicy, and resinous character
- Very climate responsive as well so UV exposure leads to the development of carotenoids (sunscreen) that leads to high levels of noRisoprenoids
20
Q
Explain rorisoprenoinds in detail
A
- Norisoprinoids originate in large molecules like beta-carotene and lutine which accumulate during ripening but then break down into smaller compounds as the grapes reach maturity
- At the beginning of the winemaking process, these compounds are all bound to sugars, rendering them aromatically inactive, but during fermentation and as the wine ages, they are relseaed from the sugars via hydrolysis, the splitting of molecules by water and eventually develop into the aromatic norisopinoids like beta- demascenone which forms primarily during fermentation and gives rose like aromas, fruity characters, as well as TDN (kerosene aroma) and vitispirane (woody character) that develop after extended aging.
21
Q
Garganega wine traits
A
- Color depends on ripeness
- Aromas of yellow fruit with relatively subtle florals at most semi-aromatic(not high terpene, ample)
- A lot of the fruit is coming from beta-demascenone. Mineral traits coming from TDN
- Structurally chalky to a lightly oily texture depending on ripeness
- Acidity tends to be high unless super ripe and even then you can late harvest without losing too much acid
- Light to medium body depending on ripeness
22
Q
Garganega blending partners
A
Trebbiano di Soave (verdicchio)
* Historically it was planted more than Garganega but was more susceptible to botrytis so Garganega began to be planted more
* Genetically identical to Verdicchio
Trebbiano di Lugana (turbiana) and Trebbiano di Soave are biotypes (97% similar)
* Turbiana is floral, fresh, with green herb characters, unripe apricot characters
* Fuller bodied because of warmer climate and again can retain acidity
23
Q
Soave history, classico & valleys
A
- 1375 – soave first mentioned
- Suave classico zone just to the east of town and roughly in the center of the DOC
- The Colli Scaligeri DOC is up in the hills and overlaps with Valpolicella - Not historical but has high potential with very few wines using this DOC
Primary distinction in Suave is between the hills and the plains with 3 key north to south valleys that are basically parallel from west to east
** * Illasi valley** – shared with Valpolicella
* Tramigna Valley – here even the plains have high quality because of Calcareous material
* Alpone Valley – mainly non calcareous
24
Q
Soave climate
A
- topography really impacts the sun exposure
- cool air accumulations that gather in valleys that impact bud break timing
- Generally long periods of stable, sunny weather and relatively little wind
- Pre-alpine climate so there is adequate summer rainfall although less than Valpolicella overall
25
Soave geology
Two key substrates:
Calcareous limestone or marls in western portion
Basaltic and tuffacious parts in the eastern portion
* Tuff being the porous volcanic rock and NOT TUFFA
* Everything in the east is Volcanic
* This area is derived from deep submarine volcanic activity in the late Paleogene period (20-25 million years ago) which left behind basic/alkaline basalt columns and cushions that formed in contact with water and some Tufts (porous rock that formed on the surface)
26
Soave how the geology impacts topography
* In the limestone areas : deeply incised valleys and stepped slopes
* In the basalt areas: We have harsh topography
* Tuff section: Softer with rolling hills
27
Soave zoning findings
* Zoning work in the 2000s highlights the aromatic impact of different zones based on soil and climate (carta aromatic del Soave)
* Determines which genes are activated during the ripening process and in turn the aromatic precursors that are produced
* It also affects the lipid and polyphenol metabolism and even ion transport – results in completely different wine expressions
* Generally, the limestone areas are more impacted by vintage weather conditions
* The plains can also be cooler than the hillsides on average
28
Soave 4 zones
* Calcareous & Alluvial Plains & alluvial fans sit in the western plains around Soave itself and illasi stream
* Non-calcareous Alluvial Plains
* Limestone hills
* Basaltic Hills
29
Soave: Calcareous & Alluvial Plains & alluvial fans sit in the western plains around Soave itself and illasi stream
* With alluvial fans you find coarser material near the apex where the river is just coming out and finer material further away
* Overall this is quite loose material
* The whole rooting zones is calcareous which is relevant because the PH of the soil will determine which ions the roots will take up
* The wine style is quite intense in Color (gold) and Aromas (white and yellow fruit not very ripe)
* You can also get very fine delicate wines with notes of white florals, violet, more refined
30
Soave: Non-calcareous Alluvial Plains
* Along the Alpone in the eastern part of the region
* Tend to have volcanic sediments and reddish clay, deep rich soils which can be too rich and retain too much water = too much vigor but better drought resistent
* Pale straw in color with simple yellow fruit and sometimes riper fruit like banana
31
Soave:
Limestone hills
32
Soave: Basaltic hills
* Most characteristic of Soave
* North-eastern classico zone
* Varied altitudes – 50m up to 550m asl with up to 70% gradients which is super steep
* Soil is loamy clay with thin layer of topsoil before volcanic bedrock
* Where we find the oldest vines
* Wines are straw colored, floral but more grassy florals like yellow florals, spicy ripe notes, apples, somewhat mineral and balsamic with very consistent acidity
* More marked difference in texture/structure
--- A fullness on the palate so larger than either styles made from limestone
33
Soave cru system
* There are 33 crus of Soave but many of them are too big to be meaningful which is classic for Italy but there are some goodies
Calvarino:
* Both calcareous and Basaltic
* Owned by Pieropan
Fitta
* Basalt
Salvarenza
* Calcareous
34
Veneto Gambellara DOC
* Sits to the Northeast of soave making wines from Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave, and Trebbiano Toscano
* 1970- DOC two years before Soave
* Only hilly vineyards up to 600m asl so wasn’t great for volume production when that was the norm
* Influenced by Calvarina cone volcano and has basaltic soils
* Warm continental climate, regular rainfall, and diurnal variation all of which makes for a long growing season
* Not many quality focused producers = holding it back
35
Garganega pruning options
* Prefers long pruning and expanded forms of cultivations
* The pergola Veronese dates back to the Etruscans which used trees
* In the high middle ages, pergola would mainly be used in the plains and in the hills you would have low vines to capture more heat from the sun off the ground
36
Garganega Pergoloa Veronese pros and cons
Pergola Veronese Cons:
* Expensive because of manual work
* Potential for overproduction but this can be managed
* More vulnerable to trunk disease
* Increasingly important in changing climate : protects grapes from solar radiation
* We like a little TDN but too much sun exposure is not good
* Better aeration = better grape health because the bunches are hanging down below the canopy
* Keeps temps low which is good because high temps have a negative impact on secondary metabolites
* Protects against frost
* Helps preserve acidity which is especially good for appassimento
* Easier to harvest
* Achieves good balance between foliage and fruit
* In the fertile plains, pergola does give higher levels of benzenoids and norisoprenoids and equal levels of terpenes (greater level of aromatic compounds)
*
37
Garganega pergola Veronese variations
Traditional Pergola (tendone) (1500-3000 v/ha) but up to 4 fruiting canes to make up for lower density. (horizontal)
* Continuous tent of vines
Pergola Veronese is slightly higher density but not quite continuous in the same way (3300 v/ha) (also horizontal)
Pergola Trentina
* 20-30 degree angle effects solar impact and flow of air
38
Garganega other training system
Guyot
Higher sugar accumulation, structure, and longevity but lower aromas
39
Winemaking Garganega
* Cold soak up to 24 hours which had been classic for more aroma and texture is starting to change into longer lees aging post fermentation instead to give more of a reductive character and slightly tighter structure and texture
* Fermentation vessels these days are mostly stainless steel and some cement(pieropan)
* Fermentation temp 14-16 degrees Celsius (middle of the road)
* Sometimes in wood or barrique (getting phased out)
* Maturation vessels are mostly steel or oak
* Battonage and aging on lees is common but not so much MLF
Recioto di Soave
* Made with appasimento and getting more rare which is normal with the decreased trend of sweet wine around the world
40
Corvina History
* 16th century mentioned by Antonio Gallo
* 1800s – the wines of verona were prized and exported
* 1823- Corvin grapes mentioned
* Early 1900s – reference to Corvina Veronese from the others as the best quality
* Name comes from Corvo or “Crow” or “corina” a reference to late ripening
* Related to Lagrein, Rondinella, and Teroldego
41
Corvina Traits
* Dependable but sensitive to botrytis, water stress, and sunburn
* High varietal Plasticity: Sensitive to site, weather, viticulture etc
* Prefers dryness and good exposures
* Low basal bud fertility = prefers long training systems like certain types of pergola
* Late ripening
* Thick skins but moderate tannins
* Thick skins make it good for air drying
* Relatively low sugar accumulation
42
Corvina Wines
* As a wine made as a still dry wine from fresh grapes:
o Moderate ruby color
o High acidity
o Moderate tannins
o Moderate body and alcohol
o Aromas of purple flowers, cherry, balsamic, and spice notes like cinnamon
43
Corvina blends
Valpolicella blending grapes have a huge impact on the style of wines
* Wines made with more corvinone and Orseleta and croatina will be darker and more purple
* Wines with more corvina, rondinella, and molinara will be more garnet and less structured with fresher acidity
44
Corvinone grape traits
* not related at all to corvina
o It is often interplanted with Corvina and more common in eastern Valpolicella
o It can fully substitute corvina in the Amarone or Valpolicella blends whereas Bardolino blends only allow up to 20% corvinone = Bardolino wines are corvina dominant blends and are lighter in color and lower in tannin etc
o Corvinone is best from the hills
o Thick skins make it good for appassimento and can sometimes offer higher organoleptic character due to its higher solid to liquid ratio so more color, tannin, etc
o High rotundone content = black pepper
45
Corvinone wine traits
* Deep color
* High tannins
* Higher body
* Cherry flavors (a bigger version of Corvinas flavors)
46
Rondinella
* Name comes from bird grape “rondine” or swallow
* Offspring of Corvina
* Consistent, reliable, hardy, adaptable
* Adds sugar easily = favored for recioto production
* Aromatically somewhat neutral and maybe adds an herbal notes to valpolicella
* Medium body
* Medium acidity
* Low in tannin
* Mandatory blending element and something of a filler grape variety
47
Molinara
* The forgotten variety and can make up no more than 10% of the blend
* Named after the white bloom found on the grapes “molino”=flower mil
* High yields = color is rosy and light
* Anthocyanins are hard to extract and easily oxidized
* Elevated acidity, lightness, a saline character, red berries, citrus, herbs,
48
Oseleta
* Rescued in the 1970s and the polar opposite of molinara
* Small bunches and low yields
* Thick skins that are resistant to botrytis
* Very little juice so is rarely made as a monovarietal
* Adds structure, tannin, and alcohol but moderate acid
* Doesn’t develop green flavors when air dried so a great local alternative to cab sauv and merlot which were added for structure and color in the past
49
Valpolicella divisions
Divided between classico zone, Valpentena, and Valpolicella orientale:
**Classico zones (most famous)**
* 5 communes in westernmost portion of DOC
**Valpantena **
* Name from notable pantheon in the valley
* A 5th of valpolicella production
* Lower yields, good drainage, sunny conditions = high quality potential
**Orientale**
* Overlaps with Soave
* More volcanic and warmer
50
The valleys of valpolicella
The valleys stretch like fingers south from Karstic Monti Lessini which provide protection from cooler northern air masses
Western slopes face east and bend around to south
* Typically favored for Recioto
Eastern slopes face west and bend around to south
* Favored for Amarone
51
Climate of Valpolicella
* Climate is temperate sub-continental with some Mediterranean influences because of proximity to lakes
* Mild and not too rainy though more than soave, precipitation increases north into the mountains
* Garda provides a stable climate but also some overall cooler which is more relevant in the classico and western valleys
* Eastern area is warmer without the moderating influence
52
Vineyards of valpolicella
* Vineyards up to 600m asl although increasingly higher sites being explored because of climate change
* Many terraced vineyards
* Some of these have **marogne** = dry stone walls that support pergola vines
53
Marogne
dry stone walls that support pergola vines in Valpolicella
54
Valpolicella geology and soils
* The soil categories are marl, limestone, clay, sand, and tuffa (friable calcareous bedrock) these calcareous types of soil are found in the west, higher up the rocks are more exposed and karstification leads to excellent drainage (underground water channels)
* Mainly in the east we find tuff and basalt derived soils
* Morainic and fluvial deposits are mainly found near garda and
Adige river (especially in the western part)
* Adige flooding has led to many deposits in the plain areas
55
Valpolicella geologic history
* Lessinia lay at the western tip of Tethys with pockets of calcareous sediments from dead marine organisms were laid down during mezozoic area (252-66 million years) the rock was then karstified (dissolution of soluble carbonite rocks) which send most of the water underground which results in prongie which are streams that sometimes only appear after rainfall
* The area was then raised up during formation of alps, (collision of plates) and then marine volcanos = leaves extrusive rocks like basalt and tuff which is intercalated between previous sedimentary layers = this formation is found more in the east where we have more basalt driven soils
* Later on we had glaciation which carved out the valleys and rivers which brought the alluviam in the valleys which gives all the different types of bedrock and soil
56
Valpolicella shape and areas
Valploicella is made of distinct geographical areas shaped like hand (the valleys)
* San Pietro in Cariano
* Sant’ambrogio
* Fumane (classico) (east)-
* Marano (classico)
* Negrar (classico)
* Valpantena –
* Valpolicella (est) orientale (many valleys)
57
Valpolicella San Pietro in Cariano &
Sant’ambrogio
* San Pietro in Cariano - which is mainly flatland to south of classico valleys defined really by alluvial soils and not hilly
* Sant’ambrogio - is a semi valley which is 50% hillside vineyards with sedimentary calcareous soils = structured and austere wines
58
Valpolicella classico zones
* Fumane (classico) (east)- classico zones with 60% hillside vineyards with mostly calcareous soils with tuff inclusion (porous volcanic rock) split in two by steep sides limestone colle incisa
* Marano (classico) is a longer narrower basaltic valley and has the highest average altitude which create diurnal range = perfumed full fruited wines with marked acidity
* Negrar (classico) – longest valley with chalky clays and marls that occasionally give way to basalt with highest density vineyards and famous for (size of the wine) full and structured and long lived
59
Valpolicella valpantena
* Valpantena – wider central plain and fewer vineyards especially in hillsides. Most vineyards are lower down and west facing with deeper richer clay soils and with a cooler and slightly breezy climate = elegant style
60
o
Valpolicella (est) orientale – Eastern non classico zones
61
Corvina training trends
Corvina is delicate vine that is resistant to mechanized labor so doesn’t do so well as a spur and cordon, it likes long canes with balanced load of buds per vine. Guyot can help with this but guyot does not maximize anthocyanins or stilbenes (antioxidant compounds).
There has been a move from Pergola Veronese (doppia) Tendone (continuous tent) to single pergoletta which insures bunches have adequate exposure and separation from canopy.
Guyot can be helpful at high altitudes where ripening can be a problem and you don’t want canopy covering the bunches
62
Valpolicella DOCS
* Valpolicella DOC
* Valpolicella Superiore DOC
* Valpolicella Ripasso
* Amarone
* Recioto
63
Valpolicella DOC
Fresh grapes
64
Valpolicella superiore DOC
o Higher min alcohol (12%) and one year of aging though not specific vessel
o Used combination of fresh and semi dried grapes = huge amount of variation in the category which allows producers to experiment (lots of innovation)
65
Valpolicella Ripasso
* Refermentation of valpolicella on pomace of amarone or recioto which gives more color, extract, alcohol, aroma, perfume, and softer tannin
* Pioneered by Masi in the 1960s but now they employ a technique called double fermentation as of 1980s, which uses semi dried grapes for refermentation and not the already used skins. Legally with Ripasso you have to use remaining must of Amarone or recioto so double fermentation is not allowed if you want to use Ripasso as designation
* The production can not be more than two times the amount of amarone or recioto produced with that must. Within the pomace, 10-15% of wine originally destined for amatrone will be added to make Ripasso as part of the pomace
* Ripasso contact with old skins is minimum 3 days but more like 15-20 days
* This is a category that was popular for many years and the cash cow of the region which allowed producers to make more ambitious styles of wine
* But with decline overall of large red wines, it has struggled to find place in the market to the same extent
66
Valpolicella amarone
* Only made from dried grapes and grapes must be dried at least until December first and min 14% potential alc
* First created by accident in 1936 and then made for private consumption until 1953 with the first commercial bottling
- Masi + quintatrelli
* 1968 DOC
* 2010 DOCG
67
Valpolicella Recioto
Made only from dried grapes like Amarone but the wine must have at least 2.8% potential as sugar or 50g/l of RS
68
Appasimento
* The grapes are harvested earlier by amount of month compared to fresh grapes for valpolicella
* Moving earlier and earlier as climate changes so harvest happens closer to September vs October
* Appasimento is now taking place in warmer period of year which has quality implications in terms of oxidation, risk of acedic acid production etc
* The drying process can be carried out by natural or man-made means like fans and dehumidifiers (allegrini) but cannot be artificial form of heating
* Grapes are carefully selected in the vineyard and are placed in a single layer in wooden, plastic, or bamboo canes known as arelle first used for silk industry which helps better circulate air and prevents grapes from being crushed Bamboo also allows juice to run off rather than be absorbed but other producers like quintarelli use unfinished wood because it does absorb juice and keep grapes dry avoiding rot
* Traditional fruttai (traditional drying rooms) can sit above cellars or in small buildings directly in the vineyards ventilated by window
* Grapes cannot be vinified until dec 1 and they lose 30-40% of weight between 90-120 days
*
## Footnote
cornerstone of amarone and recioto
69
Metabolic process of drying grapes appassimento
* Its not simply a loss of water content
* Corvina benefits from concentration of sugars and polyphenols which is does not naturally have in a great degree
* It does have the highest concentration of resveratrol (a stilbene) which protects it from harmful fungi and bacteria
* It is a thicker skin grape variety even though low tannin and anthocyanin, these thicker skins allow for slower dehydration and undergo more see greater changes than fast dehydration
* During withering, its not just dehydration, slow drying leads to metabolic changes, there are activations and suppression of certain genes which only occur in the late stages of long drying (days 90-120)
* Physical, chemical, and molecular changes occur as different genes are activated especially those linked to stress, the genes used during the ripening of grapes are extinguished so We get stilbenes like resveratrol being formed, some anthocyanins and pectins degrade, terpenes are synthesized (formed) giving citrus, spicy, balsamic, and even peppery notes coming with drying, Glucose is broken down leading to higher ratio of fructose to glucose, tartaric and citric acid are concentrated and are not metabolized except by botrytis, malic acid declines, the gain and loss of acidity after appasimento depends on the specific composition in the original grapes
* Botrytis is a factor that many producers especially in modern phase try to eliminate however there are a number of producers for whom botrytis plays a role in the style of wine—when present in larval stage, botrytis, if maintained through cool temperatures and dry environment of appassimento in fruttai, spores don’t affect the surface of the grape to as a great of a degree. Botryis does reduce color which is why it wasn’t so popular with modern producer. It also can reduce terpenes, esters, and thiols = not helpful for aromatic intensity. But can elevate glycerol so more perceived sweetness but this can backfire with gluconic acid formed which is the product of grey rot. It does add acedic acid (volatility ) as well as acetaldehyde but this can have attractive presentation when present at low levels giving honey, caramel notes, even ethyl acetate (ester of acedic acid) can give a lift. More attractive notes you can get from botrtyis = furaneol (strawberry, dried fruit, caramel) and octenal (wet earth and mushroom).
70
Winemaking factors for amarone
* Fermentation temps are lower than you think 25-30 or 30+ degrees celsius for high quality reds made around the world; its typically 20-25 degrees for 30-50 days to prevent formation of acedic acid which is a risk
* Residual sugar – much less common in recent years, it used to be 8-10 g/l or even higher. Now it’s much drier like 5 or less g/l
* Wine is typically consumed with cheese or dessert like tiramisu, not super sweet desserts
* 2 years maturation for Normale – no oak required
* 4 years for riserva – no oak required
* Historical aging vessels are large wooden old botti for 10+ years and still used at Bertani and Quintarelli, modern prodcuers are using barrique and some going back further in tradition that are using cherry wood but only for a few months because cherry is a much more porous wood and therefore more risk of oxidation
* Rotondone degrades with air so more protective aging in larger vessels = preservation
71
Style factors to consider for Amarone
Site selection –
* distance from Garda
* Altitude and exposure
* Soil
o Viticulture
* Pergola veronese or guyot
* Varieties and blending = more red style vs purple
* Harvest date really critical = determine period of appassimento taking place and nature of grapes (acidity phenolic content, aromatic qualities,
* Drying time and conditions
* Oxidative or not
* Botrytis or not
* Humidity levels
* Oak aging/any other type of maturation vessel
72
Bardolino Doc and Bardolino Superiore
* Known for production of corvina based wines
* Much more Mediterranean climate tempered by lake garda
* Soils here are more morainic of various particle size (glacial till) (not calcareous or basaltic)
* Much lighter style of corvina as red wine as well as chiaretto (rose wine), novello and chiaretto spumate (range of wine styles)
* Only up to 20% can be corvinone and up to 15% can be molinara – overall bright ruby red style with fruity cherry and wild berry notes
* Wines lack structure expected for maturation so best enjoyed young and fruity although DOCG requires 1 year of maturation so you expect slightly more age ability
* The prevalence of fish consumption and olive oil driven cuisine demand lighter reds but in middle ages wines were supposed to be stronger than for meat (doesn’t make sense) and back then they saw pairings as opposites
* Bardolino overlaps with Custoza DOC which is a region for white wine made from gargaeaga, friulano, Trebbiano Toscano, Cortese (locally bianca Fernanda)
* Attention: Chairetto is also made on the Lombardy side of Lake garda from Groppello from local groppello gentile or gropello mocasina in valtenesi
73
Veneto Vespaiola
Breganze DOC Torcolato
* Sweet wine style made from grapes referred to as vespaiola while the dry wine is referred to as vespaiolo
* The grapes are called this because the wasps are attracted to these extra sweet grapes
* Vespaiola not really mentioned before 19th century except for 1754
* Grape is high in tartaric acid and has subtle floral character with sometimes vegetal, artichoke, and olive oil character and noticeable tannin when wine is dry
* Grapes are dried on or off vine until 14% potential abv,
* Torcolare (name origin for torcolato) is a reference to process by which clusters are bound by 2 pieces of twine, twisted together, and then suspended over rafters to dry… most people use more typical appasimento
* Wine has minimum 35g/l RS
Breganze DOC produces other varietal wines
* Bianco mainly made from Friulano
* Rosso mainly made from Merlot
74
Veneto Durella Grape
* Most likely native to monti lessini dating to middle ages or roman times
* Durella named for tough skin
* Also high in acidity making it good for sparkling wine
Monti lessini Doc
* Still white
Lessini Durello DOC
* White or sparkling
* It can be a spumate riserva made metodo classico aged for minimum 36 months
75
Veneto Riboso grape types
Riboso Piave (also named friularo because transported from friuli)
* Late ripening, high acidity, dark and tannic = good blending grapes
* Monovarietal wines are more readily available
Riboso Veronese (Also known as Riboso Friularo (different from above)
* Child of Ribosa Piave
* Local to Treviso
* Earlier ripening and lower in acid and tannin
* More delicate, floral, graceful, and typically blended with riboso piave
76
Veneto Riboso DOCs, wine characteristics, and quality factors
* Five DOC and one DOCG Piave Malanotte
* Riboso As a wine it is intensely perfumed with red fruit, strawberry, black cherry, floral tones of violet, tobacco, black pepper
* Air dried wines are smooth and opulent and more like a lighter red fruited Amarone
Quality factors (better quality)
* Clonal selection
* De-leafing
* Later harvest
* Air drying
* Long elevage for smoother rounder product
77
Veneto regions known for international grapes
Colli Euganei and Colli Barici
78
Colli Euganei (veneto)
* Southwest of Padova
* Formed from string of marine volcanoes and known for light colored, acidic, extrusive igneous rock (formed on surface vs dark basic basalt of soave)
* Mediterranean climate which helps rosso and bianco production
* Rosso made from Bordeaux blends including carmenere and riboso
* Bianco made from gargenaga, manzoni bianco, international varieties
* Spumante also made
* Bordeaux blends are traditional here dating back to first half of 1800s
* Moscato is grown for sweet or spumante but mostly known for Muscato Giallo called (fiorgarancho or orange blossom) the passito style is made from dried grapes
79
Colli Barici (veneto)
* East of soave made from marine volcanoes but more abundant in marine fossils so more calcareous
* Rosso blends (Merlot) and Tai rosso (Garnacha)
* Bianco- Garganega and sauvignon blanc – with some friulano and manzoni bianco, and tai
* Red Sparkling from Tai rosso
* White Sparkling Gargenaga
* Metodo classico: Champagne Grapes
* Passito: blend like bianco
* No Moscato made here
* Commonly match Tai rosso with Bacala (a cod fish)
80
Other notable areas of Veneto
* Lugana (verdicchio)
* Lison
* Colli de conegliano
* Montello (rosso from Bordeaux)
