sign in sign up
<<
Home , Italian wine, Soave (wine)

Consumption & production

• great over achiever-60% size of , 75% size of California, yet is the from Italy world’s largest producer, exporter and consumer • Italy produces very little fine wine; small percentage is classified by law • Regional and provincial wine identity mirrors history & politics • Biggest exporter to US

Introduction Introduction

• Consumption 24 gallons – 14.5 gallons • 900, 000 registered . • Part of the meal, the life • Do not know exactly how many wines; are 1,000 documented grape varieties • Hundreds of native vinifera grapes; varied • Wine classification: DOC soils and climates • DOC created in 1963 by San Paolo Desana • Last 15 years prices and quality have • Based on French increased • Much needed structure • 350 DOCs and country

1 Denominazione di Origine Laws Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) • Since the early Romans, Italy has had its wine laws • Established in 1980 • In 1716, Grand Duke of Toscana proposed delimited • Only 24 wines have been awarded DOCG status wine zones • Rules and Regulations • In 1963 the adopted the Demonazione – Must be sold in bottles smaller than 1.25 gallon/5 di Origine law liters – Official numbered tag must be placed on bottles – Lower ; reduction in output – Required in-depth chemical analyses

Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) • Established in 1963 – Total gallons/hectoliter if wine produced • 204 DOC Zones – Vinification method for some wines – Aging methods and lengths for aging for some • Each DOC controls the following aspects of wine reserve or old wines production within its boundaries: – Each Doc is supposed to meet certain minimum – Grape types permitted and in what percentages standards – Yield of hectare of grapes and pruning methods to be • Color used •Aroma •Flavor

2 Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) Vino da tavola

• Established in 1992 • Literally means • By the end of 2002, the National DOC Wine Committee • In reality, it refers to wines without appellations or had recognized about 200 IGT classifications ordinary wines • Each IGT is typical of the large growing area in which the • No regulations grapes are grown and the wine is made

Wine producing regions Wine labels • Has 20 wine producing regions – produced everywhere in Italy • See page 411 • 4 ways to name an : – By name of place where grapes are grown (e.g. ) – By the name of the grape from which the wine is made (e.g. ) – By a combination of name of the grape and the place -may indicate better quality-(e.g d’Alba); – By a proproetory or fantasy name (e.g. Tignanello or Summus)

3 Descriptive terms Background

– classico (traditional heartland of the region) • Most of the finest wines come from the – riserva (reserve, minimum aging peer DOC) – vecchio (old, alternative to riserva; no minimum aging north- region in the northwest, – novello ( style) in north-central, and the three – amabile semidry to semisweet regions (Tre venezie) of Northeastern Italy – dolce- sweet Names of significant single vineyards increasingly found • Also (spumante), (white on DOC and DOCG labels, but no single rankings or classifications under law. wines & fish), Emilia-Romagna Have to comply with EU regulations- alcohol content, (Lumbrusco): Unbria (Orvietos) Abruzzi bottle size If estate bottled- imbottigliato dal produttore all’origine (reds-montepulcino d’) (bottled by the producer at source)

Regions Piedmont • Piedmont DOCG • Southern regions: , , • Borolo, - is king Basiicat and Calabria along with & Sardinia Whites • Note-wine is food. Not long ago wine cost • less than daily supply of bread • • Chardonnay • Moscato

4 Piedmont Piedmont

Red • 3 year /bottle, 5 years for • Nebbiolo reserva • Barbera • Barbaresco- 2 year barrel/bottle, 4 year •Dolceto reserva • • Asti, Mascato di asti are both DOCG • Secco is dry Barolo • dolce is sweet Barolo

Tuscany Tuscany

• Italy’s best known wine region 5 DOCG zones (page 426) • Uneven quality DOCG status has improved the wines • is most important grape in region • “Super Tuscans (p.430) • Sangiovese and are sometimes blended

5 Tuscany The Tre Venezie

White • Trentino-Alto Adige Friuli-Venezia Giulia • The Red • Sangiovese (800 clones) • Brunello • • • Chianti- DOC (1966) – DOCG (1984) large wine zone through much of Tuscany • Chianti Rufina is always a blend • (in past 30 years)

The Tre Venezie The Tre Venezie

• Italy’s largest producer of DOC wines- Veneto & (449) • 90% co-ops • Soave, Valpolicella and Bardolino are • Passito Process popular in US • Valpolicella, Repaso, Soave Classsico is best; Valpolicella light • Soave- Dry white from grape bodies crossover wine like white burgundy • Produces most technologically advanced wines

6 Tre Venezie Others

Friuli- Venzia Giulia • Lombardy • Stainless shell fermentation, adjacent to • Milano is the wealth of Italy Austria • Nebbiolo’s are great out of North • Valle d’Aosta – Wines stay there • Many German grape varietials • Liguria- one of smallest wine producers in Italy • Emilla Romagna- only flat land in Italy • • Trento- Alto Adige- from Chardonnay

Others

White Wine driven • - Vernaccia di Serrapetrano • Umbria- Orvieto- Most well know white • Lation- Fragcati • Abruzzi – d’ Abruzzo • Campanion di Avellino (di = where it is from) • Taurasi DOCG- Rich hard wines • Apulia- 250 miles of Coastline, Fertile; flat lands •Primitivo • • Calabria • Sicily- ideal climate for agriculture • Sardinia- Island as well

7