Unit
4 is divided into 4 sections:
Day 1 - Overview and Piedmont
Day 2 - Northern Italy
Day 3 – Tuscany
Day 4 - Central Italy, Southern Italy and Islands.
However,
I think a more logical approach would be to divide these classes a little
differently into the following:
Day 1 - North Western Italy
Day 2 - North Eastern
Italy
Day 3 - Central Italy
Day 4 - South Italy
So,
my notes may follow this format utilizing the text-books and other sources rather
than strictly going according to what was actually discussed in class.
Introduction to Italian
Wine
Italy
is one of the most important wine-producing countries in the world. Italy is
the second-leading wine-producing nation (1.3 billon gallons per year) just
behind France and it is THE biggest exporting nation to the United States. While
the average American might drink wine on weekends, holidays and special
occasions in Italy it is part of every-day life. In fact, Italians are some of
the biggest consumers as they average person drink more than 20 gallons per
person per year. Most of the grapes grown are indigenous species and it has
been estimated that there are over 2,000 different kinds, most of which have
never been cataloged. Not only does Italy produce, consume and export a large
amount of wine it also has a long history of wine making (over 4,000 years) as
the early Etruscans were already producing wine when the Greeks arrived who
came to call the country Enotria –
“the land of wine.”
Italy
can be divided into 4 large regions: Northwestern Italy, Northeastern Italy,
Central Italy and Southern Italy and the Islands. The 3 Classic Regions are Piemonte (Piedmont), Toscano (Tuscany) and Veneto.
Italian Wine Laws and
Labels
The
Italian wine laws were first introduced in 1963 and referred to as the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)
laws are loosely based on the French AOC laws. They established maximum yields, approved varieties and viticultural
practices, set geographical boundaries, and authorized vinification techniques,
styles, and minimum (or maximum) alcohol levels for each DOC wine.
They
can be rather confusing at times, especially for someone like myself who is
more acquainted with the AVA system. These laws also changed a couple times
since they were first initiated which only adds to the confusion. In 1992 there
was an attempt to reform the laws. Then with the EU Common
Market Organization reforms were initiated from 2008 through 2011, jurisdiction
over the final approval of new appellations transferred from Rome to Brussels,
the political center of the EU. From 2009 to late 2011 the number of DOCs
multiplied and DOCGs increased from under 50 to 73, as officials rushed to
fulfill over 300 requests to approve or change the status of appellations
across the country.
The
DOC laws divide Italian wines into 4 quality classifications, from strictest to
loosest in requirements they are as follows:
(1) Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)
To date there are only 37
DOCGs and this category represents an attempt to guarantee quality.
(2)
Donominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)
The term loosely translates to “area of controlled origin.” These
wines are often labeled by region (e.g., Soave DOC) or a grape and a region
(e.g., Barbera d’Alba DOC).
(3)
Indicazione Geografica Tipica
(IGT)
Better quality wines made with very few restricitons.
(4) Vino da Tavola
Lower-Quality Wines
made with very few restrictions, “Table Wine”. Similar to French vin de pays.
Goria Laws
In
1992 new laws were initiated which have been in the process of being
implemented. The new law was initiated by Giovanni Goria, and it seeks to
clarify Italian wine laws by restructuring a pyramid of quality.
At
the lowest level is simple Vino Da Tavola,
basic wine that may be labelled red (rosso), white (bianco) or pink (rosato);
but the grape or locality cannot be stated.
The
next grade is Indicazione Geograflca Tipica
(IGT), which is similar to the French Vin De Pays: this is wine from a locality
(not a DOC zone), with the grape name shown on the label.
The
final levels are DOC and DOCG which previously existed.
The
Goria law makes it possible for less-than-successful DOCs to be eliminated, and
for successful ones to be promoted to DOCG. This is in line with the French
system in which AOCs are constantly monitored and adapted when and where
necessary.
A
new departure is the use of vineyard, estate and commune names within DOCs and
DOCGs. Previously, one DOCG covered the whole of Chianti which produced as wine
as the Medoc and Graves combined. There was no official provision for indicating
the vineyard or commune, or the name of the producer. The new law allows the labeling
(in diminishing order of size) of sub-zones, communes, localities, micro-zones,
estates and even specific vineyards. This restores the importance of location
(or terroir) to the legal quality system.
(or terroir) to the legal quality system.
Finally,
the law allows wines to be assessed at harvest time. If they fail to meet
certain standards they will be downgraded and a high quality Vino Da Tavola may
qualify as an individual estate or vineyard DOC or DOCG wine.
Piedmont (Piemonte)
The name Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) means
“foot of the mountain” as the region is surrounded on three sides by large
mountains, the Apennines to the south and the Alps to the west and north. It
has a purely continental climate as it is completely landlocked and is cut off
from any Mediterranean influence by the “rain shadow” effect of the tall
coastal mountains. The Po River flows through the region eastward from its
headwaters in the Western Alps, creating a fertile alluvial plain well-suited
for standard agriculture but too fertile for viticulture. So, while Turin
is the capital and most important city, most of Piedmont’s vineyards are
planted in the foothills south of the Po Valley, in the provinces of Asti,
Alessandria, and Cuneo. Within these three provinces, vineyards are found
on the Monferrato and Langhe hills. Thinner, calcareous marl and
sandstone soils with varying percentages of clay and sand, coupled with the
sub-mountainous landscape, create a number of distinct mesoclimates throughout
the region. Very few blends are produced in Piedmont; instead winemakers focus
on single-varietal wines that translate the unique terroir of small, classified
regions.
The Important Grapes of Piedmont
Nebbiolo
 |
| Nebbiolo |
The top red grape is Nebbiolo which is named for the morning fog (la nebbia). It
produces extremely tannic, acidic, full-bodied wines that are high in alcohol. The
two most important appellations are Barolo
DOCG and Barbesco DOCG found in
the hills surrounding Alba, both are made from 100% Nebbiolo. Barolo must be
aged a minimum of 3 years before release, 2 of which must be in barrel. Barbesco
has a warmer climate and the wines tend to be softer with less tannin and more
fruit. The wines must be aged for a minimum of 2 years (including at least 9
months in cask) prior to release, or for a minimum of 4 years if labeled riserva.
Both Barolo and Barbesco have aromas of tar, truffle, rose petals, and dried
fruits and their color is characteristically moderate in concentration and
orange-tinged even in youth.
Barbera and Dolcetto
Another important grape is Barbera, it is the most widely planted
grape and it produces light, medium-bodied wines with dark fruits, earthiness
and often a slight smoky character. Another is Dolcetto, meaning “little sweet one” it produces high-quality, light
red wines. Although Piedmont does not rank among the largest producing regions, more than 80% of its production is at the DOC level or higher – more than
any other region in Italy. The most notable are Asti DOCG, Barbera d’Alba DOC, and Dolcetto
D’Alba DOC. Two new DOCG appellations established for Dolcelto wines are
Dolcelto di Doglini DOCG and Dolcelto di Ovada DOC.
Moscato
 |
| Moscato |
The top white wine in the region is Moscato which produces sweet, soft,
sparkling wines (spumante) of the Asti DOCG. The wines are made from
Moscato Bianco and blended from vineyards across the southern provinces of
Piedmont before undergoing secondary fermentation, usually using the Charmat Method. Riper grapes are
used to produce Moscato d’Asti which has a maximum pressure of 2 atmospheres and
it is only slightly sparkling (frizzante) rather than spumante,
with an alcohol level between 4.5% and 6.5%. Both wines are sweet, but
Moscato d’Asti tends to have more of a floral bouquet.
Cortese
 |
| Cortese |
Another important white grape is Cortese which produces light-bodied,
mineral-tinged, acidic wines that are citrus fruit driven. The most important
wines come from the Gavi DOCG in the
southwest corner of Piedmont produced from Cortese
grapes. Cortese di Gavi, or Gavi di Gavi, was the first still white wine in
Piedmont to be promoted to the DOCG level. The appellation is located in
the extreme southern portion of Alessandria province and shares its western
border with Ovada. Although most of the production is focused on still
wines (tranquillo), spumante or frizzante versions
are also produced.
Arneis
 |
| Arneis |
Another important region is Roero Arneis DOCG which was elevated
from DOC in 2005. Roero is in the southwest corner of Piedmont on the
northwestern bank of the Tanaro River, opposite Barolo and
Barbaresco. While the DOCG’s red wines are based on a minimum 95%
Nebbiolo, Roero also produces fresh and floral white wines from the Arneis grape.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Alta Langa DOCG is home to traditional method
sparkling wines made from Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero) and Chardonnay grapes. Chardonnay
and Pinot Noir have been planted in Piedmont since the early 1800s. Alta Langa spumante
wines may not be released for 30 months after the harvest, and riserva
versions may not be released for a full 3 years.
Brachetto
 |
| Brachetto |
Finally, there is the Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG
which is dedicated to producing sweet sparkling red wine from the indigenous Brachetto grape near the village of
Acqui. Both dry and still versions of Brachetto exist, although they are
increasingly rare.
Other Important Regions in Northwestern Italy
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna
is a large area just north of Tuscany and south of Lombardy and Veneto, it spans
an area from the Adriatic Sea in the east across northern Italy to Liguria. It
is a high producing region, accounting for 15% of the country’s production. But
most of the wine is IGT and vino da
tavola. Emilia-Romagna’s currently has two DOCG appellations:
Albana di Romagna DOCG is the first dedicated to
white wine made from the Albana
grape. It is made in a range of possible styles but the most promising versions
are passito - a wine made from
grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice.
Colli Bolognesi Classico
Pignoletto DOCG is Emilia-Romagna’s second DOCG (awarded in 2011). These are tart, dry varietal white wines
produced from the Pignoletto grape
in an area stretching southward from the city of Bologna. It was known to
the ancient Romans as “Pino Lieto”, is most likely identical to Umbria’s
Grechetto.
The
central provinces of Modena and Reggio are most known for dry or sweet (dolce) red sparkling wines made
from the Lambrusco grape. Several
DOCs, including Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Lambrusco di Sorbara, and
Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce, produce frizzante red wines from over
sixty sub-varieties of the Lambrusco variety. The Lambrusco Montovano DOC lies just over the regional border in
Lombardy.
Liguria
 |
| Pigato |
Liguria is a narrow region of mountainous
coastland south of Piedmont that wraps northwest around the border of Emilia-Romagna. It has a Mediterranean climate, and the top white wine is a
local indigenous variety known as Pigato.
It is a late-ripening white grape variety, does well
especially in the DOC wines of Colli di Luni and Riviera Ligure di
Ponente. Its name means “spotted” from the appearance of the ripe grapes
and it may be related to Arneis or Vermentino.
Important
red grapes include Dolcetto (known
locally as Ormeasco) especially in Ormeasco di
Pornassio
DOC, located in the Riviera di Ponente, in Italy’s north-western
region of Liguria. Ormeasco is considered a “mountain wine” in Pornassio,
as this area has a very challenging growing environment with steep slopes
reach up to 2625 feet (800 meters) above sea level. Most red varieties
struggle to grow in this kind of terrain and climate as they must contend
with early autumnal frosts. However the native Ormeasco thrives
as it ripens early. Regulations require that the wine comprise at least
95% of this variety with 5% of other red grapes permitted in Liguria.
Others important grapes in Liguria include Sangiovese, and the local red Rossese produced as Riviera
Ligure di Ponente DOC varietal wines. Rossese is particularly notable
as the sole component in wines of the Dolceacqua, or Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC.
Despite advances in quality in these
appellations, the white wines of Cinque
Terre DOC remain amongst Liguria’s most well known. The wine is produced
from a must containing at least 40% of the Bosco
grape, but may also contain up to 40% of Albarola
and/or Vermentino and up to 20% of other white-berried grapes approved
and/or recommended for the Province of La Spezia.
Lombardy (Lombardia)
Lombardy
is centrally located in the area of the Italian Alps. To the south is
Emilia-Romagna, to the west is Piedmont, to the east is Veneto and
Trentino-Alto Adige and to the north Switzerland and the Alps. Lombardy is small
region but it produces some of Italy’s top sparkling wines. The region can be
divided into 3 sections:
(1) Franciacorta DOCG
is the most important DOCG zone in Lombardy established in 1995. The name “Franciacorta”
is restricted to sparkling wines but still wines from the region may be
released as Curtefranca DOC or Sebino IGT. While the production
of sparking wine in the region dates back to 1570 the region’s recent success are
due to the efforts of Guido Berlucchi in the early 1960s, and Mauricio Zanella
of Ca’Del Bosco, whose prestige cuvee “Annamaria Clementi”. The
requirements are as follows:
[A] Production Method:
Franciacorta DOCG produces sparkling wines made by metodo classico (the
traditional method) so like Champagne the flavors are derived from secondary
fermentation and autolysis.
[B] Grapes Used: The
wine consists of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (known locally as Pinot Nero), and a
maximum 50% Pinot Bianco. Franciacorta Rosé requires a minimum 25% Pinot Nero
grapes and is produced by blending rather than the saignée method. Wines
labeled “Satèn” must include only
white grapes, and are bottled at less than five atmospheres, a lower pressure
than the five to six atmospheres required for standard bottlings.
[C] Non-Vintage, Vintage
and Ageing: Non-vintage Franciacorta DOCG wines must spend a minimum 18
months maturing on the lees, and may not be released until 25 months after the
harvest. Vintage, or millesimato, Franciacorta may not be
released for a minimum 37 months, although in practice many producers allow
their vintages wines to age for a much longer period. Vintage
Franciacorta requires only 85% of the grapes to be harvested in the stated year
and it may be labeled riserva if it ages a minimum 5 years on its lees,
with release after a minimum 67 months.
[D] Sweetness Levels:
With the exception of the exclusively brut “Satèn” style, non-vintage
Franciacorta may be released in wide range of final sweetness levels, determined
by the dosato (dosage). The residual sugar scale in
Franciacorta is the same as Champagne.
(2) Oltrepò Pavese Metodo
Classico DOCG is another important region for producing traditional method
sparkling wines in the southern area of Lombardy. The wine must consist
of a minimum 70% Pinot Nero. If the wine has at least 85% it may be
labeled “Pinot Nero” and “Pinot Nero Rosé”. The aging reqirements for
Oltrepò Pavese is shorter than Franciacorta, non-vintage wines must spend 15
months on the lees and vintage wines must spend 2 years on the lees.
Still wines from the region may be released as Oltrepò Pavese DOC.
(3) Valtellina DOC is north
of Franciacorta and it is Lombardy’s most important zone for red wines.
The Nebbiolo grape, known as Chiavennasca in Valtellina, provides a lighter and
more angular style here than in neighboring Piedmont. Valtellina’s
vineyards represent the Nebbiolo grape’s northernmost outpost in Italy; despite
the region’s Alpine location and high altitude, an abundance of sunshine makes
the slow ripening process of the grape possible. Within the region there
are three DOCG zones:
[A] Valtellina Superiore
DOCG which has five subzones: Valgella, Inferno, Grumello, Sassella, and
Maroggia. Vatellina Superiore wines are labeled as “Stagafassli” if
bottled in the neighboring territory of Switzerland. Valtellina Superiore
is aged for a compulsory 24 months (12 in cask), and riserva wines are
aged 3 years prior to release.
[B] The second is the Sforzato
di Valtellina DOCG (also known as Valtellina Sfursat). Sforzato is a
style similar to recioto, produced from Nebbiolo grapes that are
dried to release no more than half the equivalent juice content of a freshly
harvested grape. The resulting wine is aged for at least two years, is
dry in character, and has a minimum 14% alcohol content.
[C] The Moscato di Scanzo
DOCG surrounds the town of Bergamo to the west of Franciacorta, and
produces sweet, passito red wines from a red Moscato grape. The
wines must be aged for a minimum 2 years, but may not be aged in wood.
Moscato di Scanzo is often bottled in the sleek and slender futura.
Valle d’Aosta
Valle d’Aosta is landlocked in the mountainous
western Alps, which gives the region a continental climate with long, cold
winters and short, hot summers. Its vineyards are concentrated in a
narrow band of land carved out by the Dora Baltea River. The Valle d’Aosta has
the lowest production amongst Italy’s 20 regions in volume of production. Within
the Valle d’Aosta DOC there are 7 sub-appellations:
(1) Arnad-Montjovet
(2) Blanc de Morgex et
de la Salle
(3) Chambave
(4) Donnas
(5) Enfer d’Arvier
(6) Nus
(7) Torrette.
Both local and international grapes are grown
in the region to produce red, white, and rosé blends and varietal wines including
Petit Arvine, Gamay, Petit Rouge, Fumin, and Premetta. The Petit Rouge grape dominates wines from
Torrette, Chambave, and Enfer d’Arvier, whereas Picotendro (Nebbiolo) provides a high proportion of the blend for
Donnas and Arnad-Montjovet reds. Blanc
de Morgex (Prié Blanc), is the white grape that goes into still and
sparkling wines of La Salle, grown at one of Europe’s highest vineyard
elevations on the slopes of Mont Blanc. In addition, Valle d’Aosta DOC
wines may be labeled as varietal wines.
Learning Objectives of Unit 4 – Day 1: Northwestern Italy
At
the beginning of class lectures a list of learning objectives is provided to
the students. By the end of the class, the students should have a certain
degree of understanding from their own reading and the lectures and be able to
provide the answers to list of questions. The Learning Objectives for Unit 4 -
Day 1 along with the answers are as follows.
By
the end of class, students should be able to:
(1) What are the Quality Levels for Italian wines?
Answer: Vino Da Tavola, IGT, DOC,
DOCG
(2)
Describe the Goria laws
Answer: The Goria laws reorganize
the pyramid of quality and allow for the reassessment of DOCs and Vino Da Tavola
which may be reclassified if the quality lessons or improves and allows for the
indication of producer and vineyard designations.
(3)
What are the principle grapes of Piedmont?
Answer: Nebbiolo, Barbera and
Dolcetto
(4)
What is the production method of Moscato d’ Asti?
Answer: Tank or Charmat Method
(5) What is the synonym for Nebbiolo in the DOCGs of Gattinara and Gheme?
Answer: Spanna
(6)
What are the important white wine producing appellations in
Piedmont?
Answer: Gavi DOCG, Roero Arneis DOCG
(7) What are the aging requirements for Barolo Normale and Riserva and
Barbaresco Normale and Riserva?
Answer: Barolo Normale must be aged a minimum of 3 years before release, 2 of which
must be in barrel, or for a minimum of 5 years if labeled riserva.
Barbesco Normale
must be aged for a minimum of 2 years (including at least 9 months in cask)
prior to release, or for a minimum of 4 years if labeled riserva.
(8)
Describe the attributes of any wines tasted today
Answer: See below
The Wines
On
the first day of Unit 4 we tasted the following wines:
1. 2012 Marco Porello 'Camestri', Roero Arneis DOCG, Italy
This
is a clear white wine, yellow in color, star-bright with minimal rim variation
and medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean with subtle aromas of golden
apples, lime, lemongrass, tangerine, with a hint of blanched almonds and
pistachios. On the palate it has flavors of lemonade, under ripe oranges and
stale beer on the finish. It has medium++ to high acidity, medium body and a
very long finish. This wine sells for $13 - $15 per bottle. I have tasted very
few Arneis so I don’t have a broad and deep enough base to evaluate this wine,
and the one that is most prominent in my memory is one that I tasted (and
bought) from August Ridge Winery
which you can read about in my other blog, the California Winery Review in Paso Robles in May 2012.
2. 2011 Bruno Giacosa
Dolcetto d’Alba DOC
This
wine is clear ruby at the core to pink with minimal rim variation, day-bright,
with medium concentration and medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean with
moderate intense aromas of cranberry, pomegranate, cherry and dusty
blackberries with a hint of violet. On the palate it has flavors of dried
cherries, raspberries and a hint of dried green herbs. It has medium+ acidity,
medium+ tannins, medium body and a medium+ length finish. This wine sells for $26
- $30 per bottle.
3. 2011 Vietti “Scarrone” Barbera d’Alba DOC
This
is a clear red wine, dark ruby at the core to garnet with minimal rim variation
and medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean with fresh aromas of cranberry,
blackberry, smoke, dried meat, and sweet pipe tobacco. On the palate it has
flavors of black cherries and savory notes. It is dry with perhaps a touch of
residual sugar or alcohol sweetness, medium tannins, medium+ acidity and a long
finish. This wine sells for about $23 per bottle.
4. 2009 Produttori del
Barbesco, Barbesco DOCG
This
is a clear red wine, day-bright, low concentration of garnet at the core with
minor hints of orange at the rim and medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean,
with moderate intense aromas of dried cherry, black licorice, black tar and a
hint of dried rose. On the palate it has flavors of dried cherries, mushrooms
and dried tobacco. This wine is dry with medium++ to high tannin, medium+
acidity, medium body and medium+ alcohol and a medium length finish. A very
fine wine that could use some more ageing. This wine sells for about $30 per
bottle.
5. 2009 Marchesi di Gresy
Martinenga, Barbesco DOCG
This
is a clear red wine, day-bright, low concentration of garnet at the core with
minor hints of orange at the rim and medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean,
with moderate intense aromas of tart cherries, a hint of leather, dried herbs,
dried mushrooms and sweet tobacco. On the palate it has flavors of dried
cherries, mushrooms and cloves. This wine is dry with medium++ to high tannin,
medium+ acidity, medium body and medium+ alcohol and a medium length finish. Another
great wine but it too could use some more ageing. This wine sells for about $46
per bottle.
6. 2005 Castello di Verduno
Barolo, Massara DOCG
This
is a clear red wine, ruby at the core to garnet at the rim with a tint of
orange, day-bright with low concentration and medium viscosity. On the nose it
has moderate intense aromas of dried cherries, dried tobacco, mushrooms, black
tea, cedar, and dried roses. The fruit in this wine is quite faded so the
earthy aromas dominate. On the palate it is dry with flavors of dried
cranberries and tobacco with medium+ tannins, medium+ acidity, medium body and
medium+ alcohol and a medium length finish. Whereas the previous wines seemed
like they needed a little more age I think this wine may have turned to corner
as it is losing its fruit. Yet, I found it quite intriguing. This wine sells
for about $61 per bottle.
7. 2008 Paolo Scavino
Barolo, Carobric DOCG
This
is a clear red wine, dark ruby at the core to garnet at the rim, day-bright
with low concentration and medium viscosity. On the nose it has moderate
intense aromas of macerated cherries, raspberry preserves, mushrooms and a hint
of menthol. On the palate it has flavors of black cherries, mushrooms, dried
meat and a hint of black walnuts on the finish. It is dry with medium++ to high
tannins, medium+ acidity, and medium body with a long finish. This wine sells
for about $50 - $60 per bottle.
8. 2011 DeGeoris Moscato d’
Asti DOCG
A
clean white wine that is white-peach in color, low concentration with obvious
bubbles. It has pronounced aromas of canned pears, yellow golden delicious
apples, ripe peaches, strawberry hard candy, and floral rose soap. On the
palate it has flavors of canned pears, sweet canned peaches and orange sorbet. It
is off-dry, has medium+ acidity, low alcohol, low body with a medium+ length
finish. On the palate this wine is very light, airy and refreshing which was
quite a stark contrast with the previous wines. This wine sells for about $19
per bottle.
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