22. Italian Reds Part 1

Question 1

What level of acidity does Nebbiolo have?

Answer 1

High acidity

Question 2

What level of acidity does Barbera have?

Answer 2

High acidity

Question 3

What level of acidity does Corvina have?

Answer 3

High acidity

Question 4

What level of tannins does Nebbiolo have?

Answer 4

High tannins

Question 5

What level of tannins does Barbera have?

Answer 5

Medium to low tannins

Question 6

What level of tannins does Corvina have?

Answer 6

Medium to low tannins

Question 7

What flavours does Nebbiolo exhibit?

Answer 7

Red fruit - red cherry, red plum
Floral - rose, violet
Herbal - dried herbs

Question 8

What flavours does Barbera exhibit?

Answer 8

Red fruit - red cherry, red plum

Spice - black pepper

Question 9

What flavours does Corvina exhibit?

Answer 9

Red fruit - red cherry, red plum

Question 10

Which Italian red grape variety can produce recioto wines?

Answer 10

Corvina

Question 11

What level of body is a typical Nebbiolo wine?

Answer 11

Full bodied

Question 12

What flavours does bottle ageing impart to a Nebbiolo?

Answer 12

Mushroom
Tobacco
Leather

Question 13

Where is Nebbiolo commonly planted?

Answer 13

Piemonte: Barolo and Barbaresco

Question 14

What grapes is Barolo made from?

Answer 14

Nebbiolo

Question 15

What grapes if Barbaresco made from?

Answer 15

Nebbiolo

Question 16

Which two red grapes are commonly planted in Piemonte?

Answer 16

Nebbiolo - Barolo and Barbaresco

Barbera

Question 17

What grape has the following characteristics:
High acidity
High tannins
Flavour of red cherry, red plum, rose, violet, herbal
Often aged to produce flavours of mushroom and leather
Oak is commonly used?

Answer 17

Nebbiolo

Question 18

Why is oak commonly used with Nebbiolo based wines?

Answer 18

To soften the high levels of tannins

Question 19

What grape has the following characteristics:
High acidity
Low to medium tannins
Flavour of red cherry, red plum, black pepper
Most enjoyed young and unoaked?

Answer 19

Barbera - Barbera d’Asti

Question 20

What grapes are commonly grown in Barbera d’Asti?

Answer 20

Barbera

Question 21

Where is Barbera commonly grown?

Answer 21

Barbera d’Asti in Piemonte

Question 22

Where is Barbera d’Asti?

Answer 22

Piemonte, Northern Italy

Question 23

What grape has the following characteristics:
High acidity
Low to medium tannins
Flavour of red cherry, red plum
Light to full bodied
Can produce dry or sweet wines?

Answer 23

Corvina

Valpolicella wines

Question 24

What is the key grape variety used in Valpolicella?

Answer 24

Corvina (blended with local varietals)

Question 25

Where is Valpolicella?

Answer 25

Veneto

Question 26

Where is Corvina commonly grown?

Answer 26

Valpolicella in Veneto

Question 27

What are the four key wines made from Corvina?

Answer 27

Valpolicella
Valpolicella Classico
Amarone della Valpolicella
Recioto della Valpolicella

Question 28

What is the Amarone della Valpolicella

Answer 28

Dry - Off dry red wine made from Corvina blended with local varietals
Grapes are partially dried using the apassimento method
Full bodied, high alcohol, flavours of red cherries, prunes, raisins and figs

Question 29

What is the difference between Amarone della Valpolicella and Recioto della Valpolicella?

Answer 29

Amarone - partially dried grapes, dry - off dry wine

Recioto - more dried grapes, sweet wine

Question 30

What is appassimento?

Answer 30

Picking grapes and drying them indoors to concentrate their flavours, sugars, tannins and acidity
Commonly used in Veneto with Corvina and Garganega grapes
Produces Recioto wines - Soave and Valpolicella