Central Italy

Question 1

Tuscany Climate

___ help provide coolness.

Answer 1

Near the coast = Warm Mediterranean

Inland = Continental

Hilly terrain = Mesoclimates

Altitude and sea breezes

Question 2

Chianti is situated between which cities?

Answer 2

Pisa, Florence and Siena

Question 3

What are the permissible grapes in Chianti Classico DOCG?

Answer 3

☆Sangiovese

Colorino

Canaiolo

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

​White grapes are no longer permitted in Chianti Classico DOCG as of 2006.

Question 4

What are the permissible grapes for Chianti DOCG?

Answer 4

☆Sangiovese

Trebbiano and Malvasia (white grapes)

Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc (black grapes)

Canaiolo and Colorino

Question 5

Which two subzones have reputations for producing higher-quality Chianti (Out of 7) ?

Answer 5

Chianti Rùfina DOCG

Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG

Question 6

What is the aging requirement for Chianti Classico DOCG?

Answer 6

12 months prior to release

Question 7

What are the aging requirements for Brunello di Montalcino DOCG?

Answer 7

Brunello di Montalcino must be aged at least 5 years prior to release, 2 years of which must be spent in wood.

Question 8

Rosso di Montalcino must be ___% Sangiovese.

Answer 8

100% Sangiovese

Question 9

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG must be ___% ___.

Answer 9

100% Sangiovese

Question 10

Under what designation (IGT, DOC, DOCG) are most Super Tuscans released?

Answer 10

IGT Toscana or IGT Rosso Toscana

Most are released with the name of the producer and a fantasy name.

Question 11

What does IGT stand for?

Answer 11

Indicazione Geografica Tipica

Question 12

Which 2 important DOCs can Tuscan producers use that allow for non-Italian grapes, such as Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon?

Answer 12

Bolgheri DOC and Maremma Toscana DOC

Some Super Tuscans are bottled under these DOCs.

Question 13

Tuscany is on which sea?

Answer 13

Tyrrhenian Sea

Question 14

What do DOC and DOCG stand for?

Answer 14

Denominazione di Origine Controllata

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita

Question 15

What is the hierarchy of Italian wine classifications?

Answer 15

From highest classification to lowest:

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)

Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)

Indicazione di Geografica Tipica (IGT)

Vino da Tavola (VdT)

Question 16

What mountain range is the northern boundary of Tuscany?

Answer 16

The Apennines

Question 17

What is the hierarchy of Chianti Classico and what is each level’s aging requirement?

Answer 17

From lowest to highest:

Chianti Classico

must be aged at least 12 months

Chianti Classico Riserva

must be aged at least 24 months

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione

must be aged at least 30 months

Question 18

Tuscany can generally be split into 3 areas. Describe each.

The northern part of Tuscany is ___ and quite ___; this is where ___ is.

The southern part has ___ and ___, and is generally ___ than the northern part; this is where ___ is.

The coast is mostly ___ terrain that’s cooled by ___; this is where ___ is.

Answer 18

mountainous

hilly

Chianti

lower altitude hills

valleys

warmer

Brunello di Montalcino

flat

sea breezes

Bolgheri

Question 19

Is the Chianti Classico DOCG a subzone of Chianti DOCG?

Answer 19

No, Chianti Classico is not a subzone of Chianti. It is its own DOCG with vineyards that are higher in altitude than Chianti DOCG.

Question 20

In order to use the Gran Selezione designation, where do the grapes have to come from?

Answer 20

Gran Selezione grapes must come from a single estate.

Question 21

If a producer wants/needs to declassify their Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, what is the classification they can use?

Answer 21

Rosso di Montepulciano DOC

Question 22

What is the dominant grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG?

Answer 22

Sangiovese is the dominant grape, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano can have up to 30% other local grapes (red and white) in the blend.

Question 23

Umbria is ___. It has no ___ influence.

Answer 23

landlocked

Mediterranean

Question 24

What is the most important red DOCG of Umbria?

Answer 24

Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG

Question 25

What is the most important DOC in Umbria that makes white wine?

Answer 25

Orvieto DOC

Question 26

What is the capital of Lazio?

Answer 26

Rome

Question 27

What are the main white grapes of Lazio?

Answer 27

Trebbiano

Malvasia

Question 28

They are the base white grapes for ~.

Answer 28

Frascati

Fresh and unoaked, Frascati is a lightly floral and citrusy, medium-bodied wine.

Question 29

Which region is to the north of Abruzzo?

Answer 29

Le Marche

Question 30

Le Marche is on which sea?

Le Marche is roughly at the ___ of Italy’s boot, on the ___ side of the ___.

Answer 30

The Adriatic

calf

eastern

Apennines

Question 31

What is the most important white grape in Le Marche?

Answer 31

Verdicchio

Question 32

What is the well known DOC for Verdicchio in Le Marche?

Answer 32

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC

Question 33

What is the best known DOCG red from Le Marche?

Answer 33

Conero DOCG

Based on the Montepulciano grape and typically has Sangiovese in the blend.

Question 34

What is the climate of Abruzzo?

Answer 34

Mediterranean

Question 35

What is the main red grape in Abruzzo?

Answer 35

Montepulciano

Question 36

What is Abruzzo’s best known DOC?

Answer 36

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC

Question 37

Montepulciano in Tuscany and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – what’s the difference?

Montepulciano is a ___ in ___. The main grape in the village of Montepulciano is ___.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is a DOC in the ___ of Abruzzo whose main grape is___.

Answer 37

village

Tuscany

Sangiovese

region

Montepulciano