WINES OF THE WORLD I

Week Nine

Italy &

Spain

0 100 200 Km

0 50 100 Miles

N38N

40N

42N

44N

46N46N

44N

42N

40N

38N ©WSET®2003

ITALY

EMILIA- ROMAGNA

VENETO

FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA

VALLED’AOSTA

PIEMONTE

LIGURIA

LOMBARDIA

TRENTINO-ALTO ADIGE

TOSCANA MARCHE

UMBRIA

LAZIO

ABRUZZO

MOLISE

CAMPANIA

PUGLIA

BASILICATA

CALABRIA

SICILIA

SARDEGNA

Marsala

Palermo

Cagliari

Naples

Rome

Florence

Turin Milan VeniceVerona

T Y R R H E N I A N S E A

A D R I A T I C S E A

R. Po

R. Po

R. Arno

R. Tiber

R. A

dig

e

L.Garda

ITALY Largest or one of the top wine producing

countries in the world, yet smaller in size than California

Vineyards located everywhere on the peninsula including villages, cliffs, hills, volcanos and mountains

Large, moderating bodies of water (seas)

Over 10 degrees of latitude north to south

Twenty individual regions that have vines brought from other countries/neighbors

ITALY Over 1000 documented grape

varieties; most are rarely seen planted outside Italy

Highest percentage of total wine produced is red

Most higher classified wines are located in northern to central Italy; DOCs and DOCGs

Food! Regional dishes with region’s wines

ITALYThe Big Three Regions

Veneto or Venezie

Piedmont or Piemonte

Tuscany or Toscana

VENETO OR VENEZIE

“V”s of the region Venice

Volume producing region – one of the top three in volume

Value producing region – inexpensive blends and pinot grigio

Maritime climate influences over a lot of acreage

PIEDMONT OR

PIEMONTE “Pied / mont” – “foot hills”

Location, location, location

Nebbiolo – “fog”

Main red grape of region

High tannin and high acid, powerful

Can have different, regional names

“The Killer Bs” from nebbiolo

Barolo – muscular; DOCG

Barbaresco – softer than Barolo; DOCG

Asti from moscato grape is made in this region too

TUSCANY OR

TOSCANA Renaissance region filled with history

Sangiovese is the grape – may have different, regional or clonal names

Chianti is the region

Always primarily sangiovese (similar to pinot noir or tempranillo?)

Has an approved “recipe” for blend

Classico and riserva

DOCG

Fiasco – straw covered bottle; quality?

Super Tuscans in the 1970s – lead to new classification in 1992

ITALIAN WINE TERMS AND LAWS

Classico – the heart of the zone; original vineyard area

Riserva – depending on region, could be more time in wood and bottle

Vendemmia – vintage

Vini da Tavola – less regulated table wines

IGT – Indicazione Geografica Tipica from simple to expensive Super Tuscans; some restrictions on vineyard and winemaking procedures

DOC – Denominazione di Origine Controllata; more restrictions on vineyard and winemaking procedures

DOCG – Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita; even stricter than DOC; guaranteed?; colored strips on necks

NORTH SPAIN Other D.O. Regions

Santander

Leon

Madrid

Pamplona

Tarragona

Valencia

R. Duer

oR. Ebro

R. Tajo

A T L A N T I C O C E A N

MEDITERRANEANSEA

P O R T U G A L

F R A N C E

©WSET®2003

SOMONTANO

ANDORRA

COSTERS DEL SEGRE

PRIORATO

TARRAGONA

PENEDÈSBarcelona

MALLORCAVALENCIA

UTIEL-REQUENA

LA MANCHA

CARIÑENA

NAVARRARIOJARIBERA

DEL DUEROTORO

RUEDA

RIASBAIXAS

SPAIN One of the top wine

producing countries in the world

Mostly red wine production

More acreage planted than any other country yet less wine produced due to old vines, extreme climates and poor soils

SPAIN Key grapes planted only here

and some planted in other countries that may go by different names (tempranillo)

Aging longer in oak may be a blessing or a curse

Vino de Mesa, Vinos de la Tierra, DO and DOCa

Food!

SPAINThe Big Three

Navarra

Rioja

Ribera del Duero

NAVARRA Continental climate

Located next to Rioja with similar grapes varieties planted, but fewer acres and volume

Best known for rosados; often made of garnacha grapes with limited maceration (skin contact)

Why are they making rosado? Not a white zinfandel! Why not a chillable white or more red production?

DO region

Back label strips

RIOJA Isolated region with different soils and climate

Long ties to France – Bordeaux influence, Burgundian style

Tempranillo – early ripener often blended with garnacha and other traditional red grapes; similar to sangiovese or pinot noir

Classifications tied to aging in barrels and in the bottle – Joven, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva

American and French oak barrels – too much oak?

DOCa region

Back label strips

RIBERA DEL DUERO

Extremes in temperatures and terrain

Has moved from rough tasting wine made in cooperatives for local consumption to some cutting edge, New World styled reds that are concentrated and powerful

Worldwide recognition for innovative properties

Tinto Fino – major grape; regional name for tempranillo; may see blended with local and international grapes

Aging in oak barrels and classifications

DO region

SPANISH WINE TERMS AND LAWS Bodega – generic term meaning winery

Cosecha – vintage

Crianza – depending on region, could be more time in wood and bottle

Reserva – longer aging than a crianza

Vino de Mesa – less regulated table wines

Vinos de la Tierra – more restrictions than VdM

DO – Denominación de Origen; restrictions on vineyard and winemaking procedures by government

DOCa – Denominación de Origen Calificada; even stricter than DO for approved regions