Vocabulary Flashcards
1
Q
Abboccato
A
A medium-dry wine
2
Q
Alberello
A
A vine that is allowed to grow as a free-standing low bush; also called head or bush training. It is often used in windy areas.
3
Q
Amabile
A
A medium-sweet wine
4
Q
Annata
A
Vintage
5
Q
Appassimento
A
The process of drying grapes before vinification
6
Q
Baroleggia
A
A term used in Piemonte to describe an aged Barbera that has taken on characteristics traditionally associated with Barolo
7
Q
Bâtonnage
A
The process of stirring the lees back into the resting wine
8
Q
Bianco
A
White wine
9
Q
Biotype
A
A vine, although genetically identical to another one, shows a certain level of diversity (morphologic, physiological, and behavioral) that is the result of centuries of adaptation to different environmental conditions
10
Q
Bora
A
A cold winter wind from eastern Europe
11
Q
Bordeaux Mixture
A
A copper-sulfate mix applied to veinyards to prevent funal attack
12
Q
Botti
A
Large, neutral old Slavonian oak or chestnut casks
13
Q
Bricco
A
A term used in parts of Piemonte to indicate a superior site on the higher part of the hill
14
Q
Byzantines
A
The Eastern Roman Empire
15
Q
Cabernet
A
In most NE Italian regions, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are bottles together and labeled as ‘Cabernet’
16
Q
Calanchi
A
Bare and arid clay-based rock formations resulting from serious water corrosion
17
Q
Caranto
A
A thin, calcareous-clay layer under a clay-based topsoil
18
Q
Chiaretto
A
A term used to indicate a rosé made in specific DOC’s
19
Q
Chiarifica
A
A process that lets chilled grape juice settle for a short time before fermentation
20
Q
Classico
A
A wine produced from the original historical winegrowing area of a DOCG or DOC
21
Q
Cold Soak
A
A pre-fermentation maceration of juice and skins for up to six days to extract fruit aromas without tannin
22
Q
Cold Stabilized
A
Chilling wine so that tartrate crystals can be removed before bottling
23
Q
Colli
A
Hills
24
Q
Collio
A
Hillside
25
Conca de Bolzano
A geological basin at the foot of the Alps surrounding the city of Bolzano in Alto Adige/Südtirol
26
Consorzio
A voluntary association of producers, merchants, and cooperatives tasked with protecting and promoting the DOC(s) or DOCG(s) it represents
27
Cordone Speronato
A low vine training system characterized by a permanent cordon of old wood (or two) trained horizontally
28
Coulure
Poor fruit set caused by lack of carbohydrates usually brought on by cloudy and/or wet conditions during flowering
29
Cru
Superior site
30
Cruasé
A brand of sparkling rosés in the Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG that are made according to specific rules
31
Diciplinare
The official rules and guidelines for appellations mandated by Italian law
32
Dolce
A sweet wine
33
Dolomite
A mineral containing calcium and magnesium
34
Dosaggio Zero
Sparkling with made without dosage
35
Downy Mildew (Peronospora)
A North American fungal disease that attacks plants in warm and humid weather
36
Dunkel
Dark. Refers to very dark wines made with Lagrein in Alto Adige/Sudtirol
37
Fermo
A still wine
38
Flysch of Cormons
Soils comprising alternating layers of sandstone and calcareous marls
39
Frizzante
A semi-sparkling wine
40
Fruttai
Protected, well-ventilated lofts on the hillsides
41
Galls
Abnormal swelling or outgrowth of plant tissue
42
Geneva Double Curtain (GDC)
A high-training system
43
Geraniol
An important aromatic compound of the Moscato grape that contributes to Asti's aromas
44
Glacial Moraine
A cumulation of rocks and sediment carried and deposited by a glacier
45
Grape Shatter
Condition usually caused by poor weather at flowering whereby grapes fail to develop properly AKA coulure
46
Graticci
Wooden racks used for air-drying grapes
47
Guyot
A low-training system in which one or two canes are kept every year to be trained horizontally
48
Heat Stabilize
Removing suspended proteins (by fining) in order to enable a wine to withstand high temps without becoming hazy
49
Helvetian
A geological age in the middle Miocene period. Also referred to as Serravallian; its soils are mainly sandstone and sand
50
Igneous
Rock formed by cooling magma or lava
51
Imbottigliato All'origine
Estate-bottled
52
Infernotti
Carved niches used for wine storage in the cellars of Monferrato
53
Kretzer
Rosato
54
Leaf Fall
The period in which leaves died and fall from the vine in autumn
55
Maturazione Sui Lieviti or Sulle Fecce (Lees Aging)
Letting a wine rest on the dead yeast cells (lees) after the alcoholic fermentation has finished
56
Light Sulfides
The sulfur released when yeast scavenges nitrogen from amino acids in nitrogen-deficient musts
57
Liquoroso
A fortified wine
58
Magredi
Flat grasslands
59
Mano-proteins
Proteins found in the cell walls of yeasts
60
Marogne
Term used in Veneto for the dry stone walls of vineyard terraces
61
Maso
Word used in Trentino and Alto Adige to indicate an estate winery or rural homestead
62
Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive (MGA)
A list of delimited vineyard areas to appear on labels in certain appellations
63
Metamorphic Rock
Rocks that have been changed over a long period of time by intense pressure and heat
64
Metodo Classico
"Classic method" of sparkling
65
Mezzadria
A share-cropping system whereby the landowner allows a farmer to cultivate his land in exchange for a portion of the crops
66
Millesimato
Vintage
67
Mosto
Must. Unfermented grape juice
68
Mosto Concentrato Rettificato (MCR)
Rectified concentrated grape must
69
Mousseux
Sparkling
70
Novello
A wine released shortly after it is made; similar concept to Beaujolais Nouveau. By law, a wine labeled novello must include at least 40% of the wine made by carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration methods. Some appellations require a higher standard.
71
Orogensis
The formation of mountains
72
Passito
A wine made from semi-dried grapes
73
Pastini
The local name for terraces in Friuli's Carso DOC
74
Pergola
Traditional high-training system where the vine grows overhead on a supporting structure
75
Pergola Trentina
Traditional overhead training system of Trentino. Vines grow along an inclined arm
76
Pergola Veronese
Traditional training system of Veneto. Vines grow along a horizontal arm
77
Picai
A traditional method of air drying grapes by tying the grape clusters to twine and hanging them from the rafters
78
Ponca
Local Friuli term for Flysch of Cormons
79
Porphyry
A dark red or purple igneous rock with embedded feldspar or quartz crystals; a volcanic soil
80
Travaso
Racking
81
Recioto
Term used for the sweet wines of Veneto
82
Ripasso
Traditional winemaking technique in Valpolicella. Young wine is re-fermented on the unpressed skins and lees of Amarone and/or Recioto after they finish their fermentation
83
Riserva
A wine that went through an extended period of aging before release compared to a non-riserva version. A riserva wil usually also have stricter production requirements (such as lower maximum yields and higher minimum alcohol)
84
Risorgimento
Italy's unification movement
85
Rive
Label term used in Conegilano Valdobbbiadene to indicate one of the 43 top sites
86
Rocche
Rocky cliffs found in Roero, Piemonte
87
Ronchi
Well-exposed, terraced sites. In Friuli the word is often used in the names of estates, vineyards, or wines. Ronco if singular.
88
Rosato
Rosé wine
89
Rosso
Red wine
90
Sabbie Astiane (Asti Sands)
Sandy soils found along the bank of the Tanaro River in Piemonte
91
Satèn
Designation used in Franciacorta for Blanc de Blancs produced with a maximum of 5 atm of pressure
92
Scuro
Dark
93
Secco
Dry wine
94
Sörì
Term used in parts of Piemonte to indicate a superior site that is particularly well-exposed and sunny
95
Spumante
Fully sparkling wine
96
Stomata
Small pores on a grape leaf
97
Stuck Fermentation
A situation in which the yeast in still fermenting must die before converting enough sugar into alcohol
98
Superiore
A wine with a higher minimum actual alcohol content compared to the non-superiore version of the same wine. Ofter superiore wines also have stricter production criteria (such as lower maximum yields and longer aging requirements.)
99
Sylvoz
A high-training system
100
Talento
Label term mean to indicate a sparkling wine made in the traditional method
101
Tendone
A high-training system that forms a "tenet" with the canopy allowing the grapes to grow underneath it
102
Terre Bianche
White soils; references compact calcareous marls found in Piemonte
103
Terre Rosse
Red soils
104
Teutonic
Relating to Germanic peoples
105
Toari
Local Veneto work for soils of decomposed basalt
106
Tonnequx
A wooden vessel holding 500L
107
Tortonian
A geologic age in the late Miocene period; its soils are fertile and compact calcareous marls
108
Vendemmia
harvest or vintage
109
Vermouth
A fortified wine flavoured with herbs and spices; commonly drunk as an aperitif or used in cocktails
110
Via Emilia
A Roman road that connected the city of Piacenza in the west to Rimini on the Adriatic coast in the east
111
Vigna (Vigneto)
A single vineyard; the name of the vineyard follows the term vigna. Grapes must be from that vineyard and they have stricter criteria than non-single vineyards from the same DOC or DOCG
112
Vinacce
Leftover, unpressed skins and lees
113
Vino Fiore
Free-run wine
114
Vino Santo
A long-livered dessert wine made with dried grapes affected by noble rot
115
Vivace
A lively (slightly fizzy) wine
