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Italian Wine Region - Piedmont

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PIEDMONT
PIEDMONT
Piedmont is one of the most famous wine regions in the world and a “must do” for true wine lovers and collectors. With 46 different DOC and four DOCG areas, Piedmont is the region that produces the largest number of best known, noble, and world-appreciated prize-winning wines, such as Barbera, Barolo, Barbaresco, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Grignolino, Malvasia and Asti Spumante among others.

Another distinguished characteristic of Piedmont is that most of its wines are produced on family estates made up of relatively small parcels of land. The main grape grown here is the distinguished Nebbiolo, which is the base for the famed Barolo, Barbaresco and Gattinara among others. 
Barolo is regarded as THE premium Italian wine. It is named after the village at the centre of the sub region.
Barbaresco is the other noted Nebbiolo based wine in Piedmont. It is grown around the village of that name in a zone to the north and east of the city of Alba.
The most widely grown red wine grape is Barbera, known for its role in producing everyday drinking wines, but also for making Barbera d'Alba and Barbera d'Asti.
A third red variety, Dolcetto, makes up the card for the major local varieties. It is used in blends and in its own DOCs of Dolcetto d'Alba, Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba, Dolcetto di Dogliani and Dolcetto della Langhe Monregalesi.
Other wines include many more red wines, from everyday drinking to richer wines which reward long aging. As well as the traditional local grapes some wineries are now using international varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.
The Arneis white wine variety, grown on the slopes of Roera is catching up popularity in Australia and many other countries. The rich dry white wines of Gavi made from the Cortese variety have already made a mark for themselves.

PIEDMONT APELLATIONS:
Like all other Italian wine regions, DOC and DOCG are the appellations used and respected.

DOCG:
Ø  Asti
Ø  Barbaresco
Ø  Barolo
Ø  Brachetto d’Acqui
Ø  Gavi
Ø  Gattinara
Ø  Ghemme

DOC:
Ø  Albugnano
Ø  Barbera d’Alba
Ø  Barbera d’Asti
Ø  Barbera del Monferrato
Ø  Boca
Ø  Bramaterra
Ø  Canavese
Ø  Carema
Ø  Cisterna d’Asti
Ø  Colli Tortonesi
Ø  Collina Torinese
Ø  Colline Novaresi
Ø  Colline Saluzzesi
Ø  Cortese dell Alto Monferrato
Ø  Coste del Sesia
Ø  Dolcetto d’Acqui
Ø  Dolcetto d’Alba
Ø  Dolcetto d’Asti
Ø  Dolcetto delle Langhe Monregalesi
Ø  Dolcetto di Diano d’Alba
Ø  Dolcetto di Dogliani
Ø  Dolcetto di Ovada
Ø  Erbaluce di Caluso
Ø  Fara
Ø  Freisa d’Asti
Ø  Freisa di Chieri
Ø  Gabiano
Ø  Grignolino d’Asti
Ø  Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese
Ø  Langhe
Ø  Lessona
Ø  Loazzolo
Ø  Malvasia di Casorzo d’Asti
Ø  Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco
Ø  Monferrato
Ø  Nebbiolo d’Alba
Ø  Piemonte
Ø  Pinerolese
Ø  Roera
Ø  Bubino di Cantavenna
Ø  Ruche di Castagnole
Ø  Sizzano
Ø  Valusa
Ø  Verduno


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Italian Wine Region - Tuscany

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TUSCANY

Tuscany is the most important Italian Wine Region and among the most important in the world. It is widely known for the great Reds and few others.
Tuscany is extremely varied in landscapes and wine styles and boasts some of the most well-known and superb wines made in Italy today. The hilly soil and the weather conditions of Tuscany are ideal for grape growing and, with the passing centuries, the numerous types of grapes grown gave rise to some rare and much loved varieties.
Tuscany produces the third highest volume of DOCG quality wines. Tuscany is Italy's third most planted region (behind Sicily and Apulia) but it is eighth in production volume. This is partly because the soil of Tuscany is very poor, and producers emphasize low yields and higher quality levels in their wine. More than 80% of the regions' production is in red wine.
Apart from the world renowned Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, Tuscany produces another variety of wines called “Super Tuscan” that has found admirers all around the globe. These wines haven’t obtained DOCG as they blend French Varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with Sangiovese. These high quality wines are often IGT recognized generally try and produce Bordeaux style wines with Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Lupicaia among the top ones.
Other wines of note in Tuscany include Vernaccia di San Gimignano, made in the outskirts of the gorgeous town of San Gimignano and Vin Santo, or “Holy Wine”, a dessert delicacy usually made from Trebbiano grapes that have been left to dry in an airy place until the start of Holy Week before being made into wine.
Nowadays, the most grown variety is the noble Sangiovese, which is often combined with small amounts of locally grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo and other grapes into wonderful blends such as the Brunello di Montalcino, Morellino di Scansano, Carmignano and, of course, the signature Tuscan wines, the Chianti and Chianti Classico, which probably are the best known Italian wines in the world. Other grapes grown here are the Mammolo, Malvasia, Colorino, Raspirosso, Gamay, Grand Noir, Barbera, Moscatello, Aleatico and Vernaccia, among others

TUSCAN WINE APELLATIONS:
The appellation system applies to all the wines in all of the regions in Italy, including Tuscany.
DOC and DOCG stand for Denominazione di Origine Controllata (e Garantita) which translates to Designation of Controlled Origin (and Guaranteed).
An area can be granted a DOC by a government commission, and the DOC normally has to do with an area's tradition or if it is particularly suitable for a specific wine. When the DOC is given, it is usually given a trial of 10-20 yrs after which it might be given the extra classy "Garantita".
Once a wine is DOCG it practically cannot be declassified. The DOCGs are therefore the types of wine that have been around for a longer time, are well known and give that extra "Quality" guarantee to us wine drinkers. Sometimes the classification system is a little misleading as it is different from the French.
It is to be noted that a wine with a DOCG status has to be made according to a restrictive recipe, it must pass the chemical exam and a tasting by an expert panel, and what is guaranteed is that the wine meets the minimal expectations. In fact, a DOCG wine is not necessarily better than a DOC or IGT wine. The real quality or should we say greatness of the wine is really up to each individual producer.
Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) - Denotes wine from a more specific region within Italy. This appellation was created in 1992 for wines that were considered to be of higher quality than simple table wines, but which did not conform to the strict wine laws for their region. Before the IGT was created, "Super Tuscan" wines such as Tignanello were labeled Vino da Tavola.

DOCG:
Aleatico passito dell’Elba DOCG
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 
Carmignano DOCG 
Chianti DOCG 
Chianti Classico DOCG 
 Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG 
Morellino di Scansano DOCG 
Suvereto DOCG 
Val di Cornia Rosso DOCG 
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 
Suvereto DOCG 
  

DOC:
Ansonica Costa dell’Argentario DOC
Barco Reale di Carmignano 
Bianco dell’Empolese DOC
Bianco di Pitigliano DOC
Bolgheri DOC
Candia dei Colli Apuani DOC 
Capalbio DOC 
Colli dell’Etruria Centrale DOC 
Colli di Luni DOC 
Colline Lucchesi DOC 
Cortona DOC 
Elba DOC 
Grance Senesi DOC 
Maremma Toscana DOC 
Montecarlo DOC 
Montecucco DOC 
Monteregio di Massa Marittima DOC 
Montescudaio DOC 
Moscadello di Montalcino DOC 
Orcia DOC 
Parrina DOC 
Pietraviva DOC 
Pomino DOC 
Rosso di Montalcino DOC 
Rosso di Montepulciano DOC 
San Gimignano DOC 
San Torpè DOC 
Sant’Antimo DOC 
Sassicaia DOC 
Sovana DOC 
Terratico di Bibbona DOC 
Terre di Casole DOC 
Val d’Arbia DOC 
Val d’Arno di Sopra DOC 
Valdichiana DOC 
Val di Cornia DOC 
Valdinievole DOC 
Vin Ruspo DOC 
Vin Santo del Chianti DOC 
Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC 
Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC 
Vin Santo di Montepulciano DOC 

IGT:
Alta Valle della Greve
Colli della Toscana Centrale
Costa Etrusca
Montecastelli
Toscano o Toscana
Val di Magra



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French Wine Region - Burgundy

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BURGUNDY


Burgundy is a long, narrow wine region in eastern France, southeast of Paris. The French call the region Bourgogne, pronounced bor guh nyeh. Burgundy is a fragmented region, consisting of four somewhat contiguous districts (Chablis, Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise, and Mâconnais) and one district that’s about 70 miles south of the other regions (Beaujolais).
Because of its unique terroir the Burgundy region excels in both white and red wines. The soils of Burgundy are extremely varied, in their richness, depth, and mineral content. The soils vary not only from one end of the region to the other, but also within a single area — for example, from the top of a hill to the bottom, or from one vineyard plot to the next.
It enjoys a climate very favorable to the development of white wines and red wines, renowned for their fineness, distinction, character and the richness of their aromatic expression.


The Burgundy vineyard covers 5 great flagship regions of production:
Chablis – Most northerly and known for its dry whites
Côte de Nuits – Known for the great reds
Côte de Beaune – Known for both red and whites
Côte Chalonnaise – Produces good reds and whites
Mâconnais – Southern Burgundy, known for good value for money wines
Beaujolais – Not a part of Burgundy, but generally included for easier understanding of French wine regions

 The major grapes used in Burgundy are Chardonnay (White) and Pinot Noir (Red).
Various other grapes like Gamay and ALigote are permitted too but used only in making of everyday drinking wines of Beaujolais, Maconnaise and Cote Chalonnaise

Appellation Contrôlée:
AC Bourgogne – Like AC Bordeaux, the wines don’t qualify for high quality.
Regional Appellations – Covers small group of villages with generally good quality wines that don’t qualify for the premier level
Village ACs – Commonly known as Village Wines as they carry village names and the wines are of high quality
Village Premier Cru – Blend of smaller Premier cru from various vineyards of a village
Premier Cru – from single vineyard with superb quality and vineyard displayed on the label
Grand Cru – The best of Burgundy and among the best in the world, these wines are elite and come from the best slopes and vineyards of this majestic land.

Sub Regions of Burgundy :
Burgundy
BOURGOGNE
BOURGOGNE ALIGOTE
CHABLIS
CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET
CLOS DE VOUGEOT
CORTON
COTE DE BEAUNE
COTE DE NUITS-VILLAGES
GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN
GIVRY
MACON
MERCUREY
MEURSAULT
NUIT-SAINT-GEORGES
POMMARD
POUILLY-FUISSE
RULLY
VOLNAY
VOSNE-ROMANEE
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French Wine Regions - Bordeaux

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BORDEAUX

The Bordeaux region is the most important wine producing region in France as well as of the world and has about 7,000 chateaux!
The Bordeaux region that produces France's famous red Bordeaux wines lies in the southern part of western France, on the Atlantic coast. The Gironde Estuary and its two major rivers, the Dordogne and the Garonne, run through the heart of the region.
Almost all of Bordeaux’s great wine estates are near the Gironde or one of its tributaries.
Bordeaux’s reputation as a great wine region rests on its most superb reds, legendary and long-lived wines made by historic wine estates (called châteaux), which can improve for several decades. About 75 to 80 percent of Bordeaux’s wines are red.
Major grapes used in wine making are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Semillon and Sauvignon.

Sub-Regions:
BARSAC
BORDEAUX
COTES DE BOURG
COTES DE CASTILLON
COTES DE FRANCS
ENTRE-DEUX-MERS
FRONSAC
GRAVES
HAUT-MEDOC
LISTRAC-MEDOC
MARGAUX
MEDOC
MOULIS EN MEDOC
PAUILLAC
PESSAC LEOGNAN
POMEROL
PREMIERES COTES DE BORDEAUX
SAINT-EMILION
SAINT-ESTEPHE
SAINT-JULIEN
SAUTERNES 

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Tempranillo

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TEMPRANILLO

 Tempranillo is a primary red wine grape for much of Spain, especially wines from the Ribera del Duero and the Rioja Alta. It is also a key blending varietal in Port and known by the name of tinta roriz in Portugal's Douro Valley.

Tempranillo means 'the little early one', a name given to it by Spanish grape growers who observed its habit of ripening earlier than Grenache (or rather, Garnacha), its traditional Spanish blending partner.

Tempranillo vines prefer a cooler climate and have low resistance to many vine diseases and pests. The vines themselves tolerate heat well, but the fruit develops indistinct flavors and undesirable characteristics in warm climes. The vines have a tendency to over-crop and clusters are usually large.

Tempranillo wines can be consumed young, but the most expensive ones are aged for several years in oak barrels. The wines are ruby red in colour, with aromas and flavors of berries, plum, tobacco, vanilla, leather and herb. Tempranillo grapes tend to be low both in overall acidity and in sugar, but often high in pH, and nearly always high in tannin from their thick skins.

Grape Variety

Tempranillo

Use in Old World

Spain & Portugal

Use in New World

Argentina and spreading to USA & Australia

Color

Light Brick.

Aroma

Cherry, Plum & Mint.

Body

Light to Medium

Wine Making Flavors

Moderate use of oak incorporates well into the wine.

Blended with

Grenache,Garnacha, Mazuelo, Graciano and more recently Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Other

Also known in Spain as Tinto Madrid, Tinto de la Riojga, Tintao Fino, Tinto del Pais and Tinto de Toro, in Portugal as Tintao Roriz or Aragonêz, in California as Valdepenas and in Italy as (probably) Negretto.


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