White Grapes Flashcards
Moscato Bianco
Most abundant of all Muscats-progenitor from where all other Muscat’s came from
Aka Muscat di Canelli by a few producers in Piedmont
Asti DOCG
Late ripening, very adaptable, thin skinned, prone to pests
Likes clay/limestone
Most floral of all Muscat’s light straw, low to med acid, grapey
Makes all styles from spk to dessert
Moscato di Alessandria /zibibbo
Offspring of moscato Bianco
Highly associated with pantelleria
There is a red skinned mutation black muscat of Alessandria
One of the most heat and drought resistant Muscat’s
Richer than Bianco and giallo, raisin and saline notes, less floral, more jam/caramel, fig notes
Moscato giallo
Grown in northeastern regions -FVG, veneto, AA, Trentino
Veneto:
Aka goldenmuskateller
Lower in acidity than other Muscat’s
Early ripening,prefers cooler regions
Herbal and spicy, has higher geraniol and nerol than Bianco
Dry and sweet(lh or passito)
Greco
Found in campania
Greco di TuFo doc
Some plantings in puglia and Tuscany
Ripens late, low vigor and productivity sensitive site selection very important for healthy vines
Golden hue, high alcohol, rich palate, oily mouthfeel, with med/high acidity floral/peach/honey
Potential for aging
Greco Bianco
Aka Greco di gerace
Is same as Malvasia di lipari, Malvasia di sardegna
Lots of confusion in name
Malvasia Bianca di candia
Was most widely planted in Italy
Most plantings found in Lazio
Docg frascati sup, cannellino
Name comes from isle of Crete-ancient name
Closely related to red berried Malvasia di Casorzo
Productive variety not good with humidity
Not often varietal, but shows weak citrus, sharp acidity and thin palate
Mostly blended as still dry wine
Malvasia Bianca lunga
Major part of vin santo
Was included in ricasoli’s Chianti recipe
Mostly found in Tuscany : vin santo with trebb toscano
Aka Malvasia del Chianti or mal Bianca lunga toscana
Closely related to mal istriana and di Lipari
Also found in Umbria and le Marche
Large long bunches, thick skinned Susceptible to vine diseases Delicately aromatic, soft acidity, marked salinity Mostly still sweet white wine Trebbiano Toscano is blending partner
Malvasia del Lazio
Once regarded as less desirable due to low yields but now becoming recognized as variety that gives higher quality
Aka mal puntinata (means speckled)
Berries are spotted when ripe
From a natural crossing between schiava grossa and moscato d’alessandria
Can drop acidity quickly poor yielder
Sage and citrus for dry styles, creamy texture, beeswax/resin
Good for noble rot,
Lazio: docg frascati sup
Often blended with Malvasia Bianca di Candia and trebbiano toscano to make frascati
Malvasia istriana
Produces some of the best dry Malvasia wines in italy
FVG doc Carso mal, doc Collio mal
Thought to originate from Croatian peninsula istriana doc in region since 13c
Thrives on well drained soils
Genetically related to Malvasia di lipari and Bianca lunga
Mostly found in FVG: 3 regions Carso-most mineral, isonzo-full bodied, Collio-refined and perfumed
some in Puglia, veneto
Distinct from others, has high intervarietal variability, has many biotypes
Thick skin, poor soils, hillsides
Variety of styles, can macerate for fuller body purple flowers, stone fruit, petrol, ginger, white pepper
Malvasia di Candia Aromatica
From Emilia where it makes varietal wine
Doc colli piacentini colli di Parma
Also Lazio and Lombardy(blend in Oltrepo Pavese )
Mildly aromatic tropical fruit, spices
Malvasia di Lipari
Sicily, the island of Salina
Makes one of Italy’s best dessert wines -Malvasia Delle Lipari DOC-passito 80% production
Sardinia:
Doc mal di Cagliari, mal di bosa
Irregular yielder, vulnerable to disease,
Moscato Bianca
Most abundant The progenitor for all other Muscat’s Aka moscato di Canelli in Piedmont In France: blanc a petit grains or frontigan Spain: moscatel de grano menudo
Majority found in Piedmont
Late ripening, adaptable, thin skinned
Likes chalky limestone best
Most floral of all Muscat’s rose, fruit salad
Made in all styles
Moscato di Alessandria
Aka Zibibbo
Offspring of Moscato bianco
Associated with island of pantellaria
Most heat/drought resistant of the Muscat’s
Richer style of wine , saline, fig, more raisin
Trebbiano abruzzese
Often misidentified
Abruzzese is grape treb d’Abruzzo is wine
Lots of mud plantings of treb toscano, bambino bianco and passerina
Grapes remain deep straw green even when ripe
Late ripener, acidity drops fast when ripe
Lemon, peach, white flower, dense texture on palate, bright acidity, mineral savouriness
At best very similar to Chablis
Lesser examples can suffer from oxidation as grape is high in polyphenols
Trebbiano toscano
Most widely planted white variety in Italy
Known as Ugni blanc in France
Has parent/offspring with garganega
Also used to create Vidal
Tuscany, veneto, some in Le Marche and Umbria
Late budding, warmth loving, highly adaptable and good producer
High acidity, lends backbone to many blends
Crucial for vin santo (Malvasia Bianca Lunga)
Lemon, camomile and racy acidity
Trebbiano romagnolo
Another widely planted treb Concentrated in Emilia romagna Province of Ravenna Aka Trebbiano fiamma and forli Often mixed up in vineyard with toscana Higher quality then toscana has riper fruit and denser palate Dry and sparkling most common Varietal bottling rare Often coplanted and Vinified with toscana
Trebbiano Spoletino
Found around towns of Spolato and montefalco in Umbria
Late ripening, resistant to disease
Lack a common identity, range from SB like to heavy/boozy
Vernaccia di SAN gimignano
Takes name from hilltop town in Tuscany Vernaccia di SAN gimignano DOCG Subzones: pancole, Santa Maria Same as Ligurian Piccabon Unoaked-pale yellow, often green tinges Lemon zest, sage, hint of almonds
Still dry
Reserve wines may be oaked, hints of vanilla
Vernaccia di oristano
Both a variety and a wine
From Sardinia
Few plantings, but old vines
Styles range from dry/fortified
Most wines are aged in barrel which aren’t completely topped up to encourage sherry like flor development
Hints of bitter almond, dried apricots, hazelnuts, orange rind, herbs
DOC of same name
Albana
Descendant of garganaga, related to Catarratto Bianco, mal bianca di candia, trebb toscano and others
Most likely named due to white colour, flowers late, full bodied, tannic, pear and acacia, easy to oxidize
Bertinoro is grand cru
Emilia romagna : Italy’s first white DOCG Albana di Romagna 1987
Rare white tannic grape, thick skinned, long hang time good for dessert wines
Full bodied and structured, honey, exotic tropical fruits and ripe pears can oxidize
Sweet wines are best examples, takes well to noble rot
Ansonica
Aka Inzolia in Sicily
Related to grillo, frappato, nerello Mascalese
Tuscany, Sicily
Ripens early, quick acid drop, drought resistant, but hot temp not good
Found on Tuscan island Elba -granite acidic soils doc Elba Sicily: most docs Tuscany Doc Costa dell argentario Genetic similarities to Greek grapes Related to Grillo, Frappato, Nerello Mascalese Naturally tannic white, low in acid Usually blended Important in Marsala Passito styles from Elba
Arneis
Nearly extinct half a century ago
Ceretto Blange bottling in 80s
Name evolved from ancient name renesio di Canale where a cru sure of arneis (bric renesio) can be found
Piedmont-mostly Roero region DOCG Arneis 100%
Crus: bric renesio, castellinaldo, canale
DOC Lange doc Terre d’alfrieri
Grows erect like nebb so nicknamed Nebbiolo bianco
Poor yield, disease prone acidity can drop fast
Best on chalk and sandy soils
Low to med acidity, fresh and lively, white peach, pear, sweet almond, white flowers
Oxidizes easily
Historically used to soften high acidity of Nebbiolo and barbera
Rescued by Bruno Giacosa and Alfredo currado
Bombino bianco
Puglia -also Lazio abruzzo ER
Often misidentified
Lazio:DOcG frascati, docg frascati cannellino as blender
Late ripener, can have bad weather at harvest
Creamy and fresh, white flowers, peach, anise, almonds and bright acidity
In abruzzo blends dominate
Puglia there are some varietal
Bosco
Locals call it a red grape in white grapes clothing
Name from a villa in Genoa
Liguria doc cinque Terre, Colline di Levanto, sciacchetra (sweet)
Blends with: albarola and or vermentino
Grows best at low elevation, seaside
Full bodied, high alcohol, yellow fruit and herb
Also sweet styles
Almost always blended with albarola and vermentino
Carricante
Sicily-Etna Used to be all over Sicily, but now mostly Etna where it is 95% of white plantings Name ‘load up the donkey’ High productivity Possibly related to nerello mascalese
Often planted above 1000m where nerello masc cannot ripen
Many producers harvest late to tame acidity
Low alcohol, high acid-malic acid so Malo fermentation is needed
Lemon, anise, green apple, orange flower, chamomile, salinityand minerality
Often described as a dry Riesling esqe can get flint and diesel aromas with age
Can age
May be blende with small portions of other local whites cataratto bianco and minnella
Cataratto bianco comune
Second most common variety
Actually a group of similarly named varieties that are considered to be a set of biotypes, often interplanted so difficult to determine if are distinct
Currently 2 entries in NR, comune, and cataratto bianco lucido
Lucido considered higher quality while comune has higher sugar lower acid
DOC Etna Bianco, (Catarratto)
Offspring of garganega
Cataratto name comes from cataracts-waterfalls-high yielder sunburns, grows well on volcanic, thick skins, high malic acid
Better quality grown on hillsides
Tropical notes,
Pineapple, citrus, herbal
Usually dry, but is used in Marsala
