Ep. 322 Jumbo Shrimp Guide | North Italy Part 1

The Italian wine podcast presents the jumbo shrimp guide to Italian wine, a new book for curious wine lovers, narrated in weekly installments. Join us on our journey to Italian wine. Hello, and welcome to another installment of the jumbo shrimp guide to Italian wine presented by the Italian wine podcast. As always, my name is Joy Livingston, your narrator for this series. The jumbo shrimp guide to Italian wine is intended as a quick lighthearted crash course on Italian wine. The material provides a great opportunity for serious wine scholars to refresh on the basics or to use as a reference. At the same time, we hope to bring new fans of Italian wine up to speed. If you're wondering how to get a copy of the book, the Kindle version is available on Amazon, and the paperback is available from positive press dot net. We'll also send you a complimentary paperback copy if you donate any amount to the Italian wine podcast while supplies last. Find details at italian wine podcast dot com or on our social media channels. We now continue our journey through the Italian wine regions, turning our attention to Northern Italy. This is part one of a two part series, so pour yourself a glass, sit back, relax, and join this journey through Italian wine. North Italy. Italy's northern part is composed of eight regions, Valedaosta, Piamonte, liguria, Lombardi, Veneto, Trentino Alto Adi, Friu, Venezia, Julia, and Emilia Romania. The land here covers everything from the mountainous Alps to the ligurian and Adriatic seas through to the flatland of Pianura Padana. In this area, it is possible to find many different grapes and many different wine styles. From the elegant and strong reds from the Langhe region to the powerful and rich red blends from Veneto. From the fresh and aromatic wines from the Alps to the richer and fruitier whites from the sea. The numerous sparkling wines are not to be forgotten, of course, from the complex and elegant traditional method examples to the lighter and easy to drink Charmat styles. Validaosta. According to old legends, a ligurian Gallic tribe already practiced the cultivation of vines in Validaosta before twenty three BC. Today wine is still being produced in Italy's smallest and very French region. You will hear a lot of French sounding names here for both peoples and places, and it is of exceptionally high quality. Valadaosta is Italy's best kept wine secret. Vineyards are often planted on terraces that help cope with the very steep gradients. Indeed, Valadaosta's viticulture has been defined as heroic, because of the effort that the farmer has to put forth on such difficult mountainous land, where vineyards often reach and it even exceed one thousand meters above sea level. Valadaosta is defined by three main valleys, Each of which is identified with specific wine products. The main wine production area in this region today is found on the warm and sunny slopes of the central valley. In the lower valley, you find donnas and the barolo like wine from Nebula grapes, which is called Picotener in this region. In the Northern Valley, the delicious plant de Margier, Elacao wine, is made from the native Prilet Blanc variety. Pemonte. Pemonte and wine are inseparable. This region has always been one of the most important wine regions of Italy. The first historical notes on grape growing here can be traced back to ancient Rome. Plentyy the elder spoke about aspina grape, which is probably at the origin of the name Espana. One of the local terms often used for The key moment in the development of wine in Piamonte took place in the nineteenth century, thanks to the contributions of four personalities. Marquesa Colbert Falletti Di Barolo. Theologist, Louis Uida. Count Camilo Ben sodicavur, and general Francesco Staliano. They improved the production of their wines from Piamontese wines. It is hard to imagine that until then, Barolo was often a fizzy sweet wine, mainly as the result of poor hygiene and lack of attention in the sellers. Most of Pemonte's wine production occurs in the hilly areas. And vineyards are mostly red grapes, with some noteworthy native and international white grapes grown as well. Temperatures in the region experience swings both between seasons and between day and night. Producing the conditions for exceptional quality wines with great complexity. The wine going areas of greatest importance are the hills of Novada and Vercieli, Northern Piamonte. With their Northern Nebula de biolos, the Monferato that includes the Astigiano, well known for Moscato Dasty, and Barbera Dasty, and Casalese, known for Frreza and Grignolino. The area of the Laange and Roero, where we find the Nebula wines of Barolo and barbaresco, but also high quality Dorceto Barbera, and more. Among the most cultivated native white grapes are Arnes, Cortese and Erbaluche. But there are many more as Piamonte is especially rich in native grapes. In addition to Naviolo, there are many red grape varieties grown such as parbera, Dolceto, Frreza, grignolino, and Braccheto, but also other varieties, ones that once risked extinction, but are having a resurgence. Although the first accounts provided about wine in the region was given in the first century BC, it is from the middle ages that we have the first reliable indications of grape growing in liguria's key regions of rivera Di Ponente and cinque terre. Even from these initial reports, it is understood that growing vines in liguria has always been very difficult. And like in Valle Dosta's cultivation, it is considered heroic because of the extremely steep mountainous slopes that plunge down into the sea below. Here we find more examples of terrace slopes. However, Thanks to the influence of the sea and numerous waterways, the climate is beautifully mild. It is often difficult to find ligurian wines outside the region due to the limited quantity produced, and the locals keeping the good stuff for themselves. The most common red grapes are Rosese and Ormeasco, the local name for Dolceto. Among the whites are Pigato and Vermentino, Bosco, and Alberola. These last three are blended in the cinquetera doc. A sweet wine made from the air dried grapes, a regional treat produced in small quantities. The Riviera de Ponente is home to the Ormeas called the Pornacio doc and Rosese de Dolce aqua doc. The latter probably being the best regional red wine. Lombardi. The importance of wine to Lombardi is exemplified by the fact that Pavya and Bresha had already created consortiums for their wines even before the birth of the docks in nineteen sixty three. Lombardi is a large region characterized by many different features from the mountainous zone in the north to the hills, the Po valley, the areas of Garda Lake, southwards. Among the most important wine and increasingly recognized areas, is Valtelina, whose vines are grown on terraces often at the limit of the maximum altitude, allowing for proper grape ripening. The main grape is Nebula here called Cervynasca, the gifts rise to both sorzato, the Vartelina, DOCG, a wine produced with the partial drying of grapes on mattes, much like amarone, in Veneto and the Vartelina superiore, DOCG. One cannot talk of Lombardi without focusing on Franca Corta, the now world famous sparkling wine produced in the same manner as Champagne for pinotero, chardonnay, and pinot Bianco. What makes these wines stand out, however, is the warmer climate. Thus, Franca Corta is richer and fruitier. Although in the area of Otrepo pavese, the most popular grape is Barbera. Special mention goes to for which, has recently established itself as a region of excellence. Here, this variety is used mainly for the production of sparkling wines labeled as Otrepo paveze me to do classico, DOCG. Wines to try. Barbera. Among Italy's top ten most planted grape varieties, Barbera is cultivated in just about every region in Italy. Several theories abound on the origin of the name Barbera, one plausible story being that it derives from the word Barbarus. The Latin term for foreign or savage. Due to its dark savage color. Mainly grown in Piamonte, large plantings are also found in Lombardi, Emilia Romagna, and sardinia. It is widely held that the highest pressions come from Pemonte, in particular, the areas around Alba, Asti, and Alexandria. Main docs are Barbera Dasti, DOCG, Nitza, DOCG, Barbera del monferrato, superiore, DOCG. Barbara del monferrato doc, Altrepo pavede doc, and Gouturio doc. Used mainly to produce dry and still reds nowadays, the majority are typically mono varietal bottlings, but examples do exist of Barbera blended with other local varieties and occasionally international grapes. Oaked versions often show a fuller mouthfeel and higher tannins. Tasting note. Stiles vary widely from light and moderately interesting to serious and red fruit driven to big Okeetanic versions that boost notes of chocolate and vanilla. Regardless the hallmarks of the variety are a deep red, purple color, very moderate tannins, red and black cherry and fruit, hints of underbrush, and last but not least, it's unmistakable high acidity that make it such a food friendly option. Delceto. Decreasing plantings in the language are due to the rise in plantings of Nabiolo. As well as the Vitte cultural and winemaking difficulties that Dorceto poses. Dorceto's grapes are quite sweet and local farmers often ate them as table grapes, thus giving rise to its nickname, little sweet one. However, its wines are always dry. In liguria, it is found under the name Ormeasco. The main docks in Piamonte are Doliani docg, Deano dalva, doc Dorchetto Dasty doc, and Dorchetto daqui doc. Whereas, Ormeasco, the Pornacio, doc is the imported wine in liguria. Tasting note, dazzling purple hues relatively low in acid and high in tannins with truly grapey aromas and flavors. Red fruits, raspberries, cherries, are often heightened by a hint of lavender and rounded out with orange peel and black tea. Usually, this grape is used for dry, still, medium bodied red wines, and it is almost always mono varietal. Fooming. The most cultivated red grape in the central part of Validaosta. It's thick white bloom, which looks powdered with ash, fumu, in Italian, gave rise to the name fumin. As the progenitor of Vohiermin, and as the sibling of Petierge. It can be found in the Valedaosta doc labeled specifically as fumine. Tasting note. This medium weight wine has a red fruit dominant flavor profile with nuances of smoky spices, black pepper, and a green herbal undertone. With good color, firm acidity, and solitanic structure, it has reasonable aging potential. Thank you for listening to this installment of the jumbo shrimp guide to Italian wine. We'll see you again next Thursday and remember, the kindle version of the book is available on Amazon and the paperback is available from positive press dot net. You can also get a complimentary paperback copy by donating any amount to the Italian wine podcast while supplies last. Find Italian wine podcast on Facebook and Instagram. Our Twitter handle is at ITel Wine podcast and check out at mama jumbo shrimp two two two on TikTok. This has been the jumbo shrimp guide to Italian wine presented by the Italian wine podcast and a once listened to the Italian wine story, join us next week as we continue our narrative journey.