Flashcards
Piemonte
Cards in this deck (24)
- 1What is the climate of Piemonte?Moderate Continental.
- 2Why are the winters in Piemonte colder than other areas of Northern Italy?It is partially cut off from the moderating influence of the Mediterranean by the mountains of Liguria to the south. Winters here can be long and cold with abundant snowfall.
- 3What are three moderating influences on Piemonte's climate?Mountains (the Alps and Apennines), Lake Maggiore in the north, and the Po River in the south of the region.
- 4Piemonte is noted for its foothills. What is the range of height for viticulture in the area?150-600 meters.
- 5There are many designated wine regions within Piemonte. However, the more famous areas are located southeast of Turin around which two towns?Asti and Alba.
- 6What are the three main red grape varieties grown in Piemonte?Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto.
- 7What are the three main white grape varieties grown in Piemonte?Cortese, Moscato (Muscat) and Arneis.
- 8What is the region's general stance on growing international varieties?Piemonte has not rushed to plant international varieties, but because it has physical and historical connections to France, some French varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have been present here for over a century.
- 9What is one common feature of the red wines made in Piemonte?Notable acidity.
It helps to give the big wines their longevity and makes the lighter styles particularly refreshing. - 10True of False: There are no IGT wines for this region.True. All wines in Piemonte achieve either DOC or DOCG status. Although its total production volume is well behind that of Veneto, it has the highest proportion of PDO wine in Italy.
- 11What is the most general appellation in Piemonte?Piemonte DOC.
A large area is also covered by the Langhe DOC, which surrounds and includes the vineyards of Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, and the areas surrounding the towns of Alba and Ovada. - 12Describe the typical aromas of wines from Barolo.Grown from Nebbiolo which ripens slowly at the higher altitude, Barolo can express aromas of sour cherries, herbs and sometimes dried flowers. When further aged in bottle, the wine can develop aromas of truffles, tar and leather.
- 13What is the minimum ageing requirement for Barolo before it can be released?38 months, of which 18 months must be in oak. (Riserva 62 months.)
Traditionally Barolo was aged in large oak barrels, but with improvements in vineyard management and winemaking techniques, producers can now choose a variety of barrel sizes and often shorter maturation times. - 14When can a village name appear on the label of a Barolo bottle?If the grapes are purely sourced from that area. However, the best wines come from smaller named vineyards or crus, which may also appear on the label instead (e.g. Barolo Cannubi DOCG).
- 15Barbaresco is also made from the Nebbiolo grape, but grown at somewhat lower altitudes. As a result, Barbaresco is __________ in comparison to Barolo.Fruitier and less perfumed.
It does however have similar acidity and tannin which give the wines the ability to age in bottle. Some enthusiasts claim it is more elegant of the two, as it is less powerful. - 16By law, Barbaresco must be aged for how many years before release?26 months, with nine months in oak. (Riserva 50 months.)
- 17What are three well known appellations from the wider area around Asti and Alba that are famous for red wines not made from Nebbiolo?Barbara d'Alba DOC, Barbara d'Asti DOCG, and Dolcetto d'Alba DOC.
- 18Which red grape variety can be grown on the coolest sites?Dolcetto, as it is ripens earlier than the other red varieties in the region.
- 19What appellation is highly regarded for its fragrant white wines made from Arneis?Roero DOCG.
It also produces less concentrated, earlier-drinking Nebbiolo. - 20Gavi DOCG is made from what grape variety?Cortese.
Its naturally high acidity and floral character is emphasised by the area's hilly altitude and sea breezes. Can also be labelled as Cortese di Gavi or Gavi di Gavi (if grapes are sourced from the town of Gavi). - 21What grape variety is Asti made from, and what flavours does it have?Moscato Bianco (Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains). It is intensely aromatic and full of peach and apricot flavours.
- 22Although Asti is a sparkling wine, it nonetheless is produced in different styles. What are four appellations for some of these distinct versions of Asti?Asti DOCG - Spumente (Charmat). Semi-sweet to sweet.
Asti Secco DOCG - Spumente (Charmat). Dry.
Asti Metodo Classico DOCG - Spumente (Traditional Method). Nine months lees, must have some RS.
Moscato d'Asti DOCG - Frizzante (Asti Method). - 23What is Brachetto d'Acqui?A unique sweet sparkling red wine made from the Barchetto grape. Known for its floral and berry aromas, it is produced using the Asti Method (partial fermentation).
- 24What type of fortified wine is an important economic product of Piemonte?Vermouth.
Italian vermouth is typically red and sweet.
Information
- Description
- Piemonte is located in the north-west corner of Italy. It is known among wine connoisseurs as the home of the great red wines Barolo and Barbaresco, and also, among a wider audience, for its sparkling wines.
- Created by
- Michelle Ames
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