Northern Italy

Question 1

What is the local synonym for Nebbiolo in Gattinara and Ghemme?

Answer 1

Spanna

Question 2

What are the current Barolo Riserva aging requirements?

Answer 2

62 months from November 1 of the harvest year, including 18 months in wood

Question 3

What types of soils are more common in Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga d’Alba?

Answer 3

Serravallian (Helvetian) sandstone soils, which create wines with more structure.

Question 4

IGT wines are considered what by the European Union?

Answer 4

PGI (Protected Geographical Indication)

Question 5

What is Piedmont’s most planted white grape?

Answer 5

Moscato Bianco

Question 6

Name three “modern” producers of Barolo?

Answer 6

Paolo Scavino, Luciano Sandrone, Elio Altare

Question 7

What is the soil and style of wine of Roero Nebbiolo?

Answer 7

The sandy soils north of the commune of Alba, provide a lighter style of Nebbiolo than Barolo or Barbaresco, and many producers are experimenting with modern approaches.

Question 8

What is the red grape of Roero DOCG and what is allowable minimum?

Answer 8

Nebbiolo, minimum of 95%

Question 9

What are Barbaresco aging requirements?

Answer 9

Minimum 26 months from November 1 of the harvest year (including minimum 9 months in wood), may be released after January 1 of the third year following the harvest

Question 10

What is Piedmont’s most planted red grape?

Answer 10

Barbera

Question 11

How long must a DOC be recognized before it is able to apply for DOCG?

Answer 11

5 years

Question 12

What are the 11 communes of production of Barolo?

Answer 12

Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Cherasco, Diano d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba, Monforte d’Alba, La Morra, Novello, Verduno, Grinzane Cavour, and Roddi.

Question 13

What are considered the trio of major Piedmontese red grapes?

Answer 13

Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, and Barbera

Question 14

What type of soil characterizes the vineyards of La Morra and Barolo?

Answer 14

Tortonian soils, which contain a higher proportion of calcareous marl provide a softer style of wine

Question 15

Other than the big three, name six other indigenous red grapes of Piedmont?

Answer 15

Brachetto, Grignolino, Ruche, Croatina, Vespolina, Freisa

Question 16

Name three “traditionalist” Barolo producers?

Answer 16

Giacomo Conterno, Bartolo Mascarello, Giuseppe Rinaldi

Question 17

What are the current Barolo aging requirements?

Answer 17

38 months from November 1 of the harvest year, including 18 months in wood

Question 18

When did the first IGT’s appear?

Answer 18

1994

Question 19

What are the aging requirements for Barbera d’Asti Superiore?

Answer 19

14 months from November 1 of the harvest year, including at least 6 months in oak

Question 20

DOC and DOCG wines are considered what by the European Union?

Answer 20

PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), on par with France’s AOC/AOP

Question 21

Barolo and Barbaresco are located along the ________ River in the __________ Province, an area encapsulated by the larger ________DOC

Answer 21

Tanaro, Cuneo, Langhe

Question 22

Prior to 2010 what were the aging requirements for Barolo?

Answer 22

Minimum three years of aging, two of which were in oak

Question 23

Other than Roero, what are two Nebbiolo based DOCG reds that are produced in the hills north of the Po River?

Answer 23

Gattinara DOCG and Ghemme DOCG

Question 24

When was the first DOCG awarded? What were the three DOC’s that were first elevated to DOCG?

Answer 24

First DOC awarded in 1980 (Category introduced in 1963)

Brunello di Montalcino
Barolo
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Question 25

What do most DOCG's and many DOC's stipulate that is a notable departure from the legal requirements set by most french appellations?

Answer 25

Minimum aging requirements for the wines.

Question 26

What are the regulations on varieties for Gattinara DOCG?

Answer 26

Minimum 90% Spanna (Nebbiolo), maximum 10% in total of Bonarda di Gattinara and Vespolina (Vespolina can not exceed 4%)

Question 27

What kind of climate does Piedmont experience?

Answer 27

A continental climate in which the Alps provide a "rain shadow" effect, although autumn hail can be a worry in the Langhe hills

Question 28

What is the white grape of Roero DOCG and what is the allowable minimum?

Answer 28

Minimum 95% Arneis

Question 29

Name four non-international white grapes grown in Piedmont?

Answer 29

Cortese, Arneis, Favorita (Vermentino), and Erbaluce

Question 30

What are Barbaresco Riserva aging requirements?

Answer 30

Minimum 50 months from November 1 of the harvest year (minimum 9 months in wood), may be released after January 1 of the fifth year following the harvest

Question 31

What are the two DOCG's that focus on Barbera and when did they become DOCG's

Answer 31

Barbera d'Asti DOCG and Barbera del Monferrato Superiore DOCG. They beceame DOCG's in 2008

Question 32

What are the regulations on varieties for Ghemme DOCG?

Answer 32

Minimum 85% Spanna (Nebbiolo), combined maximum 15% Vespolina and Uva Rara (Bonarda Novarese)

Question 33

What river cuts through the heart of Piedmont as it flows eastward from its headwaters in the Western Alps?

Answer 33

The Po River

Question 34

What is Barolo Chinato?

Answer 34

A DOCG aromatized wine that is flavored with quinine

Question 35

Where is Carema DOC?

Answer 35

In Piedmont, near the border of the Valle d'Aosta. It produces fragrant Nebbiolo wines, especially in warmer vintages

Question 36

When did the crus of Barbaresco and Barolo finally become enshrined as legal menzioni geografiche aggiuntive (geographic areas) of the DOCG's?

Answer 36

2007 and 2010 respectively

Question 37

What two grapes are often blended with Nebbiolo in Gattinara and Ghemme ?

Answer 37

Vespolina and Bonarda

Question 38

Which five communes represent almost 90% of the DOCG's demarcated land?

Answer 38

Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba, Monforte d'Alba, and La Morra

Question 39

Define the Piedmontese term "sori".

Answer 39

Piemontese dialect for the part of the hillside where the snow melts first, indicating full southern exposure and therefore the best places for vines.

Question 40

Where is Roero?

Answer 40

On the northwestern bank of the Tanaro River, opposite Barolo and Barbaresco

Question 41

When was Goria's Law instituted and what did it do?

Answer 41

It established the category of Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) in 1992, with more relaxed regulations that offered winemakers more freedom.

Question 42

Barbaresco productions is concentrated in which three towns?

Answer 42

Barbaresco, Neive, and Treiso. A portion of Alba is also permitted to make the wine

Question 43

What mountain range serves as the spine of Italy and what other mountain range brackets the northern regions?

Answer 43

The Apennine Mountains are the spine and the Alps bracket the northern regions

Question 44

What does Piedmont mean?

Answer 44

"the foot of the mountain"

Question 45

Where does most of the grape-growing occur in Piedmont? In what provinces?

Answer 45

In the foothills south of the Po Valley, in the provinces of Asti, Alessandria, and Cuneo

Question 46

What river to the DOCG's of Gattinara and Ghemme straddle?

Answer 46

The Sesia River

Question 47

What are the two regions near Ghemme that produce similar Nebbiolo-based red blends?

Answer 47

Lessona DOC and Sizzano DOC

Question 48

When was modern Italy unified? When was the provinde of Trentino-Alto Adige added?

Answer 48

Modern Italy was unified as recently as 1861 and Trentino-Alto Adige was not added until the end of World War I

Question 49

What are the aging requirements for Barbera d'Asti normale?

Answer 49

4 months from November 1 of the harvest year

Question 50

# Translate the following Italian terms: 1. Uva 2. Vite 3. Vigna / Vigneto 4. Vendemmia

Answer 50

1. Grape 2. Vine 3. Vineyard 4. Harvest