Certified Sommelier - Italy.txt

• Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)
• Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)
• Indicazioni Geografiche Tipica (IGT)
• Vino da Tavola (VdT)

• Enacted in 1992 to address the shortcomings of the DOC System
• 1. IGT introduced
• 2. Riserva terminology tightened
• 3. Vineyard zones shrunk

Nebbiolo (Spanna, Chiavennasca, Picotendro)

• Asti DOCG is made from moscato (muscat)
• Roero DOCG also makes spumanti (sparkling wine) from Arneis

Dry white from Cortese grape

Barbera is the most widely planted (but Nebbiolo is king)

• 3 years in barrel/bottle for "normal" and 5 years for Riserva
• Note: Barbaresco (the "queen" to Barolo's "king") aged 2 years for normal and 4 years for Riserva

• Barolo wine that has been aromatized with quinine
• (1 of the biggest jokes of the DOCG system)

• Franciacorta (made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Bianco)
• This DOCG zone in Lombardy
• Oltrepo Pavese Metodo Classico was the second mandatory Metodo Tradizionale DOCG (2007), also in Lombardy

• Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG
• Asolo Prosecco DOCG
• Veneto

• White: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Trebbiano (locally called Lugano)
• Red: Nebbiolo (locally called Chavennasca),Pinto Noir (locally called Pinot Nero)

• Valpolicella DOC (light and fruity)
• Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG (dry, 14%-16% alcohol, great with blue cheese)
• Valpolicella Ripasso DOC (rustic, between Valpolicella and Amarone styles)
• Reciota della Valpolicella DOC (sweet)
• Note: all 4 can have classico and superiore added to the name

• Grapes are harvested and dried for several weeks in special rooms
• It is used to produce passito, recioto, and Amarone wines

• Young Valpolicella wine fermented on the lees of Amarone
• Ripasso means "re-passed"

• Recioto is a sweet
• Amarone is dry (or off-dry)
• Amarone is a derivative of recioto

• Valpolicella: min 80% Corvina Veronese with lesser amounts of Rondinella, Molinara, and Negrara
• Bardolino: light, fruity reds from the same CRM grapes as Valpolicella

• Min 70% Garganega, plus Trebbiano di Soave, Chardonnay, and Pinot Bianco
• Soave DOC is the principal and most important white wine zone in Veneto

• White: Pinot Grigio, Trebbiano, Garganega, Prosecco
• Black: CRM (Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara), Cabernet Franc, Merlot

• Nebbiolo-based reds with up to 10% Pinot Nero and others
• Valtellina is Lombardy�s most important zone for red wines
• Nebbiolo grape is known as Chiavennasca
• Valtellina Superiore is aged 2 years (1 year in cask), and Riserva wines are aged 3 years prior to release.
• Vatellina Superiore wines are labeled as "Stagafassli" if bottled in the neighboring territory of Switzerland.

Inferno, Grumello, Sassella, Valgella, Maroggia

Trentiono-Alto Adige

• Bardonlino Superiore
• Soave Superiore
• Recioto di Soave
• Recioto di Gambellara
• Amarone della Valpolicella
• Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene
• Prosecco di Montello e Colli Asolani

• Normale: 2 years in oak, 4 years total
• Riserva: 2.5 years in oak, 5 years total

• Chianti Rufina
• Chianti Colli Fiorentini
• Chianti Colli Senesi
• Chianti Colline Pisane
• Chianti Colli Aretini
• Montalbano
• Montespertoli

• Bolgheri Sassicaia (created in 1994 to cover Sassicaia)
• Sant'Antimo (created in 1995 to cover Montalcino Super Tuscans)

Vernaccia di San Gimignano: San Gimignano (sandy, rock-strewn soils )

• Sweet wine from Passito Trebbiano and Malvasia
• Traditional in Tuscany.

• Holy Wine: high alcohol, almond- and honey-toned dried grape wine produced from Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes.
• Vin santo may be dry or sweet, depending on the length of the appassimento process.
• Production: The grapes are hung from rafters to dry (raisinated) follwed by a period of slow fermentation and aging in caratelli barrels from 3 to 8 years.
• Chestnut wood is traditionally used, allowing rapid oxidation, although many modern producers have switched to oak.
• The barrels are never topped�alcohol is concentrated through evaporation and the wine gains its characteristic amber hue.
• Vin Santo or Vino Santo (holy wine) is a style of Italian dessert wine.
• Traditional in Tuscany, these wines are often made from white grape varieties such as Trebbiano and Malvasia, though Sangiovese may be used to produce a ros� style known as Occhio di Pernice or eye of the partridge.

Cabernet Sauvignon

• Brunello di Montalchino
• Sangiovese

Elba Aleatico Passito

• Tuscany (Toscana)
• 2nd to Piedmont in number of DOCGs

• Chianti
• 2nd in the world after Rioja

Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano were the first DOCG, awarded in 1980.

Trebbiano and Malvasia, carafe white wine from Latium

• Trebbiano and Malvasia, carafe white wine from Latium
• one of the worst wines of Italy but with an intriguing story

Lambrusco, red and rose semi-sparkling wine from Emilia Romagna

• Albana di Romagna DOCG
• can't find in U.S.

• Montepulciano and up to 15% Sangiovese (Chianti-like) from Abruzzi
• Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane DOCG is similar but up to 10% Sangiovese

• Dry reds from Montepulciano and Sangiovese grapes
• Rosso Piceno ("little") DOC is similar wine from Conero but allows Trebbiano and Passerina

• Cantine Lungarotti
• Umbrian red wine from Sangiovese and Montepulciano grapes

Dray passito and sweet passito red wines from Sagrantino grape

Fiano, dry white, Campania

Aglianico, dry red, Campania

Primitivo

Aglianico

Fortified wine from Sicily

• Vermentino, white
• Aromatic and rich wines and may see oak influence, although fresher styles are more common.
• Normale: min 12%
• Superiore: min 13%

Cerasuolo di Vittoria

Greco, dry white, Campania

Fiano, dry white, Campania

Grenache

Veneto

Trebbiano

• 70% to 90% Sangiovese plus 5%-10% Canaiolo Nero, 5%-10% Trebbiano or Malvasia, max 10% Cabernet
• Classico allows up to 100% Sangiovese

Re-fermentation with the juice of dried grapes, to strengthen the wine and initiate malolactic fermentation

• galestro: a soft, friable, marl-like soil (Sangiovese thrives)
• alberese: or sandstone

• Normale: 11.5% ABV
• Classico: 1 year and 12% ABV
• Riserva: 2 years and 12.5% ABV
• Note: Barrique often used for Riserva Chianti Classico.

• First Super-Tuscans: Sassicaia 1968, Tignanello 1971
• 100% Sangiovese: Montevertine�s Le Pergole Torte, Isole e Olena�s Cepparello

Elba Aleatico Passito

• Piemonte (15)
• Veneto (11)
• Toscana (8)
• Lombardia (5)
• Marche (4)
• Campania (3)
• Friuli-Venezia Giulia (3)
• Umbria (2)
• Abruzzo (1)
• Emila Romagna (1)
• Lazio (1)
• Basilicata (1)
• Sardegna (1)
• Sicila (1)