Northern Italy - Piedmont Flashcards

1
Q

Which region alongside tuscany is known as one of the two most famous wine regions in Italy?

A

Piedmont

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2
Q

What are the main red grape varieties in Piedmont?

A
  • Nebbiolo
  • Barbera
  • Dolcetto ‘little sweet one”
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3
Q

What are the main white grape varieties in piedmont?

A

Muscat a Petits Grains
(Moscato Bianco)

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4
Q

What are the less important red grape varieties in Piedmont?

A
  • Brachetto
  • Grignolino
  • Ruche
  • Croatina
  • Vespolina
  • Freisa
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5
Q

What are the less important white grape varieties in Piedmont?

A
  • Cortese
  • Arneis
  • Erbaluce
  • Vermentino (favorita)
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6
Q

Which grape is piedmont’s most noble and ageworthy red grape?

A

Nebbiolo

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7
Q

What are the characteristics of the nebbiolo grape?

A
  • named after the morning fog (la nebbia)
  • thin skinned
  • high acid, high alcohol, extreme tannins

The best examples of Nebbiolo offer haunting aromatic complexity and great longevity.

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8
Q

What does Piedmont’s morning fog “la nebbia” do for nebbiolo?

A

It prolongs the ripening process

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9
Q

What does Piedmont translate to?

A

The foot of the mountain

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10
Q

What mountains are the piedmont region cradled by on three sides?

A

The Alps and Apennines

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11
Q

Which river cuts through the heart of the piedmont region?

A

The Po River

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12
Q

Where does most of Piedmont’s grape growing occur?

A

In the foothills, south of the Po River Valley.

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13
Q

What is the soil like in the vineyards of Piedmont?

A

thinner, calcareous marl and sandstone soils with varying percentages of clay and sand

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14
Q

What is the climate like in the piedmont region?

A

cold continental climate with a rain shadow effect from the alps

autumn hail is a worry in the Langhe hills

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15
Q

Where are most high quality vineyards located in Piedmont?

A

At the foothills of mountains, usually facing south

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16
Q

Which grape is Piedmont’s most planted red grape?

A

Barbera

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17
Q

Which is Piedmont’s most famous grape?

A

Nebbiolo

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18
Q

Which region in Italy is home to more DOC zones than any other region in Italy?

A

Piedmont

19 DOCGs
41 DOCs

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19
Q

What are the most prestigious DOCGs in Italy?

A

Barolo and Barbaresco

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20
Q

What are the styles of wine like in Barolo and Barbaresco?

A

Barolo - more powerful and long lived wines

Barbaresco - slightly softer and more feminine counterpart

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21
Q

What grape is Barolo and Barbaresco made from?

A

100% Nebbiolo

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22
Q

What are some typical aromas/colors that Barolo and Barbaresco have?

A
  • tar
  • truffle
  • rose
  • dried fruits
  • moderate concentration & orange tinted
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23
Q

How many communes may Barolo be produced out of?

A

11

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24
Q

What are two major soil types in the Barolo DOCG?

A
  • Tortonian (calcareous marl)
  • Helvetian (sandstone)
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25
Q

What 5 communes produce over 90% of the total Barolo wines?

A
  • La Morra
  • Barolo
    Tortonian soils, softer wine
  • Monforte d’ Alba
  • Serralunga d’Alba
  • Castiglione Falletto
    Helvetian soils, more structured wine
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26
Q

T/F:
Barolo has extremely soft tannins

A

FALSE

Barolo is extremely tannic by nature

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27
Q

What are the aging requirements for Barolo?

A
  • at least 38 months from November 1st of the harvest year
  • only 18 of those months have to be in wood
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28
Q

How long must Barolo Riserva be aged?

A
  • a total of 62 months prior to release
  • 18 months must be in wood
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29
Q

What are the uses of wood like for red wines in Piedmont?

A

They are usually aged in some form of oak, either in

  • large oak foudre
  • new french barriques
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30
Q

What are the stylistic differences between the traditionalist and modernist winemakers for Barolo and Barbaresco?

A

traditionalists
- favor longer maceration
- use larger old oak barrels

modernists
- shorter macerations
- new oak aging
- rounder style of wine

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31
Q

What are some examples of traditional and modern winemakers of Barolo and Barbaresco?

A

traditionalists
- Giacomo Conterno
- Bartolo Mascarello
- Giuseppe Rinaldi

modernists
- Paolo Scavino
- Luciano Sandrone
- Elio Altare

32
Q

Which is the earliest red grape to ripen in Piedmont?

A

Dolcetto

33
Q

What is Dolcetto wine like?

A
  • tannic
  • lower acid
  • fruity
  • youthful
  • best enjoyed young
34
Q

What grape is barbaresco made from?

A

Nebbiolo

35
Q

What is Barbaresco wine like?

A

similar to Barolo, it is:
- perfumed
- tannic
- age worthy

this wine is slightly lighter bodied and more elegant than Barolo

36
Q

Which 3 towns is Barbaresco primarily made in?

A
  • Barbaresco
  • Neive
  • Treiso
37
Q

How long must Barbaresco be aged?

A
  • at least 26 months from November 1st of the harvest year
  • at least 9 of those months must be in wood cask
38
Q

How long must barbaresco riserva be aged?

A
  • at least 50 months
  • at least 9 months in wood cask
39
Q

Between barolo and barbaresco, which has a longer history?

A

Barolo

40
Q

Which modernist winemaker helped Barbaresco become famous in the 20th century?

A

Angelo Gaja

41
Q

Which traditionalist winemaker is famous for Barbaresco?

A

Bruno Giacosa

42
Q

Which local co-operative in Piedmont exemplifies the region’s terroir in their Barbaresco?

A

Produttori del Barbaresco

43
Q

Which French wine is Barolo and Barbaresco frequently compared to?

A

Burgundy

44
Q

How is Barolo/Barbaresco similar to Burgundy?

A
  • similar aromatic richness
  • similar climate
  • similar emphasis on domaine bottling and single vineyards
45
Q

What are single vineyards called in piedmont?

A

Crus

46
Q

What are important crus of barolo and barbaresco?

A

Barolo
- Cannubi
Barbaresco
- Rabaja

these high quality wines fetch high prices

47
Q

In what year were barbaresco crus voted to be legal geographic areas of the DOCG?

A

2007

48
Q

In what year were barolo crus voted to be legal geographic areas of the DOCG?

A

2010

49
Q

What is Barolo Chianto?

A

a DOCG wine that is aromatized and flavored with quinine
(this wine was once ridiculed)

50
Q

What is the most famous producer of Barolo Chianto?

A

Cappellano

51
Q

What kind of wine does the Roero DOCG produce?

A
  • reds from a minimum of 95% barolo
  • whites from Arneis
52
Q

What is the white wine from Roero like?

A

fresh and floral

53
Q

How does Roero’s nebbiolo compare to Barolo and Barbaresco?

A

the nebbiolo is planted in sandier soils and it makes for a lighter style

54
Q

What are wines are made in Gattinara and Ghemme DOCGs?

A

exclusively nebbiolo based red blends

55
Q

What are the nebbiolo based blends like from Gattinara and Ghemme?

A

lighter, more acidity focused reds

56
Q

when did Barbara come into the DOCG fold?

A

2014

57
Q

Describe the wines from the Barbera d’Asti DOCG

A
  • red wines from Barbera
  • may be released as a ‘normale’ after 4 months of aging
  • may be released as a superior with indication of subzone
58
Q

Describe the wines from the Barbera di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG

A
  • must be released as a superiore
  • 14 months aged
  • at least 6 of the months must be in wood cask
  • can be single vineyard (vigna)
59
Q

What are wines from Ruche di Castagnole DOCG wines?

A
  • aromatic red wines made from Ruche
  • can be riserva
60
Q

What are wines like from the Nizza DOCG?

A
  • 100% Barbera varietal wines
61
Q

What is the local name for Nebbiolo in Ghemma and Gattinara?

A

Spanna

62
Q

What are some top Barolo vineyards?

A
  • cannubi
  • brunate
  • monprivato
63
Q

What are some top barbaresco vineyards?

A
  • Ovello
  • Montestefano
  • Pora
  • Asili
64
Q

What are 3 DOCG wines produced from 100% dolcetto?

A
  • Dogliani
  • Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore (Ovada)
  • Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba (Diano d’Alba)
65
Q

What kind of wine is Gavi DOCG?

A

AKA cortese di Gavi
- dry white wine made from the cortese grape
- can be still, frizzante or spumante

66
Q

What kind of wine is Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG?

A
  • whites produced from the erbaluce grape
  • can be still, spumante, or passito (sweet)
  • passito versions take the highest praise
67
Q

Define ‘spumante’

A

fully sparkling

68
Q

Define ‘frizzante’

A

slightly sparkling

69
Q

Define ‘passito’

A

sweet

70
Q

What kind of wines are from the Asti DOCG?

A
  • spumante wines made using the charmat method
  • moscato bianco
71
Q

What kind of wines are made in the Moscato d’Asti DOCG?

A
  • frizzante wine made from moscato bianco
  • more fragrant than Asti DOCG
72
Q

What kind of wines are made in the Alta Langa DOCG

A
  • fully sparkling white and rose wines
  • pinot noir and chardonnay
  • traditional method
73
Q

What kind of wines are made in the Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG

A
  • red sparkling wines
  • frizzante
  • brachetto grape
  • usually sweet
74
Q

What are the main communes of the Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG?

A
  • Alba
  • Asti
  • Turin
75
Q

Which is the largest DOCG producer in Italy?

A

Asti