The New York Chapter, AFLSE 11 March 2005 Table of Contents
Executive Summary...... 1
All About Italian Wines...... 2 Factoids...... 2 Quality Classifications...... 2 Tricks To Buying Italian Wines...... 2 The Wine Regions of Italy...... 3 How To Read An Italian Wine Label...... 4
Tasting Notes...... 5 Executive Summary
As the popularity of wine consumption worldwide has increased during the past thirty years, wine producers have stepped up production levels, increasing plantings in established wine growing regions and developing new wine growing regions. Although thousands of smaller producers worldwide create extraordinary, handcrafted “artistic” wines (at equally extraordinary price points), the overwhelming majority of wine worldwide is made by a small cabal of global producers. These global producers have applied science, efficient manufacturing techniques, and more often than not, some amount of artistry to the craft of wine making.
During this same 30year time period, the production of wine has come under increasing industry and government scrutiny and regulation. The goals have been both to protect consumers (remember the antifreeze scandal?) and to establish baselines of quality to make it easier for consumers to purchase wine.
For example, by 1992 Italy had created three tiers of wine classifications, to designate wines of “good/better/best” quality. So, if you knew that an Italian wine with “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Guarantita” or “D.O.C.G.” on the label indicated a wine of the highest classification, you could shop much more confidently─without having to be a socalled wine expert.
The result of all of this is that it is now: • Much, much easier to select a pretty good wine, at a very reasonable price, if only you know a few tricks about how to read a label and have some sense about what kinds of wine you like. • Hard to buy a truly bad bottle of wine when you are paying $15/bottle or more. • A challenge to buy those “artistic” wines at reasonable prices. ($75/bottle at retail I am sorry is not “reasonable” in my mind, but hey, I live in Maine now so what do I know...)
Tonight's tasting will cover a sampling of interesting wines from several Italian wine making regions (although pretty much every region in Italy is a winemaking region); a few tricks to help you be a smarter wine shopper; and a few techniques to help you enjoy wine perhaps just a little more than you do now.
Please feel free to ask questions during the tasting, or you can email me questions afterwards if you prefer. Life is short! Don't waste it drinking wine you don't like!
L. Mark Stone 8 March 2005
The Wines of Italy 11 March 2005 Page 1 All About Italian Wines
Factoids
• Italy features more than 300 grape varietals, the majority of which are native. • Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc are also grown there. • Italian wine consumption averages 59 litres per capita per year. • Annual exports of Italian wine to the United States approximate $500 million and exceed the value of Australian wine exported to the United States. • The mostplanted varietals are Sangiovese, Barbera and Trebbiano. • Some of Italy's most expensive wines, the “Super Tuscans”, do not carry a DOC or DOCG classification.
Quality Classifications
In order of increasing quality, Italian wines are classified as follows: • Indicazione Geographica Typica or “IGT” (Table wines): These are essentially unrated wines, unlikely to be exceptional. • Denominazione di Origine Controllata or “DOC” wines: These are produced in denominated areas and the label bears the official geographic designated name. The label also will have the name of the vineyard name after the DOC region. These wines undergo chemical and tasting analyses to earn the DOC designation. • Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Guarantita or “DOCG” wines: These wines undergo more stringent chemical and tasting analyses than their DOC siblings, in order to earn this higher quality rating. (Note to the attorneys: I have never been able to find the actual “guarantee”!)
Tricks To Buying Italian Wines
• Unless you know what you are buying, be careful buying a “Super Tuscan” as the quality varies greatly from producer to producer and from year to year. • When faced with a DOC and a DOCG wine at the same price, buy the DOC wine (especially if the DOC wine is a “Riserva” and the DOCG wine is not). • The greater the alcohol percentage, the “bigger” (though not necessarily the better) the wine will be. • Proseccos cost onethird the price of an entry level Champagne, have a lot less alcohol, and therefore make a great palate cleanser at the end of a day and before a meal. Terrific poured over sliced fresh fruit as well!
The Wines of Italy 11 March 2005 Page 2 The Wine Regions of Italy Working generally north to south, here are Italy's winemaking regions.
Region White Varitals Red Varietals Abruzzo Bombino, Malvasia Bianca, Trebbiano Montepulciano, Sangiovese Basilicata Bombino, Malvasia Bianca, Trebbiano Aglianico, Malvasia Nera, Montepulciano, Sangiovese Calabria Greco Bianco, Malvasia Bianca, Trebbiano Gaglioppo, Greco Nero, Nocera Campania Asprinio, Biancolella, Coda di Volpe, Aglianico, Piedirosso, Sciascinoso Falanghina, Fiano, Forastera, Greco Bianco Emilia Albana, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lambrusco, Merlot, Pinot Romagna Trebbiano Noir, Sangiovese Friuli Malvasia Istriana, Picolit, Pinot Bianco, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Venezia Giulia Ribolla Gialla, Riesling, Sauvignon, Tocai, Pinot Noir, Refosco Verduzzo Lazio Bellone, Malvasia Bianca, Trebbiano Barbera, Canaiolo, Cesanese, Merlot, Montepulciano, Sangiovese Liguria Albarola, Bosco, Pigato, Vermentino Dolcetto, Rossese, Sangiovese Lombardy Pinot Bianco, Riesling, Trebbiano Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Croatina, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir Marche Bianchello, Malvasia Bianca, Trebbiano, Barbera, Ciliegiolo, Montepulciano, Pinot Noir, Verdicchio Sangiovese Molise Bombino, Falanghina, Malvasia Bianca, Aglianico, Montepulciano, Sangiovese Trebbiano Piedmont Cortese, Erbaluce, Moscato Bianco, Pinot Barbera, Bonarda, Dolcetto, Freisa, Nebbiolo Bianco Puglia Bombino, Chardonnay, Fiano, Malvasia Bianca, Malvasia Nera, Montepulciano, Negro Amaro, Verdeca Primitivo, Sangiovese, Uva di Troia Sardinia Malvasia Bianca, Malvasia di Sardegna, Bovale, Cannonau, Carignano, Girò, Monica Moscato Bianco, Nuragus, Trebbiano, Vermentino, Vernaccia Sicily Ansonica, Catarratto, Moscato Bianco, Calabrese, Frappato, Nerello, Sangiovese Trebbiano
The Wines of Italy 11 March 2005 Page 3 How To Read An Italian Wine Label
GLOSSARY
Abboccato lightly sweet Amabile semisweet Annata vintage year Bianco white Botte cask or barrel Bottiglia bottle Brut dry Cantina Sociale cooperative winery Cantine cellars Casa Vinicola winery Cascina farmhouse, often used for estate Cerasuolo cherry-hued rose Chiaretto deep rose Classico a geographic term applied to DOC or DOCG wine; refers to the central area of a production zone Consorzio consortium of producers Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) a wine type recognized and regulated by Italy's federal government Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita(DOCG) is an even more stringent regulation guaranteeing that the wine meets standards of taste and quality.
No two wine labels are alike, but they have elements in common. These Dolce sweet elements are required by laws of various governments. Enoteca wine library, public or commercial Recioto a special wine made from semi-dried grapes. Etichetta label Unless accompanied by "Amarone" it will be sweet. Fattoria farm or estate Riserva a DOC wine with extra cask aging at the winery Fermentazione naturale natural CO2 in Rosato rose bubly wine Rosso red Frizzante or Frizzantino fizzy or faintly Secco dry fizzy Semisecco medium sweet, usualy in sparkling wine Imbottigliato all'origine estate bottled Spumante sparkling wine Imbottigliato nella zona di Productione Superiore a higher alcohol style of DOC wine bottled in the production area Tenuta farm or estate INE seal on all bottlesexported to North Uva grape America Vecchio old, to describe aged DOC wines Invecchiato aged Vendemmia vintage year Liquoroso strong wine Vigna or Vigneto vineyard Masseria farm or estate Vignaiolo/Viticoltore terms for grape power Metodo charmat, classico or Vino da tavola table wine. In itself this term does not imply tradizionale terms for sparkling wine any particular quality level made by the sealed tank or by the bottle Vino novello new wine, usually red, that must be bottled fermentation method within the year of the harvest Passito or Passita wine made from semi- Vino typico or IGT, a category of wines one step below the dried grapes DOC level Podere small farm or estate Vitigno vine or grape variety Vivace lively, as in lightly bubbly wines VQPRD Common Market symbol for DOC wine VSQPRD Common Market symbol for sparkling DOC wine
The Wines of Italy 11 March 2005 Page 4 Tasting Notes
Name Varietal(s) Vintage Your Notes Price
The Wines of Italy 11 March 2005 Page 5