Amarone has been "made" a DOCG

Amarone, Italy's newest DOCG!

It's like being let into THE FAMILY. Is it necessary? I personally know plenty of people who are willing to pay for Amarone without the pink neck tie around the bottle.

Is there anything noble about a process? I'd say yes in the case of Vin Santo, Recioto, Madiera, Tokay, and endless other wines but I worry about a region being elevated while the production has increased 650% in the last decade.

Amarone, with all due respect, it just seems a little funny.

2009 Nebbiolo Harvest in Barolo at La Serra

This video was posted on the berry brother's piedmonte blog which is really well done and worth your time.

Recent encounters with amazing old Borgogno Barolo have left me haunted!

Map of Barolo DOCG

Barolo

A link to a PDF of this document

Map of Montalcino

Sourced from The Montalcino Report

Map of Barbaresco and the 2006 Vintage

This is the perspective of the 2006 vintage from the winemaker of Produttori del Barbaresco. Seen as one of Europe's most successful farmer co-ops PdB has been making Barbaresco since 1894! In my mind they represent the best quality to price ratio Barbaresco in the market. More info on Produttori del Barbaresco can be found here.

"The 2006 vintage began with nice spring weather. The warm temperatures in the first half of May caused early flowering around May 25 (flowering usually occurs in early June for Nebbiolo). Temperatures lowered at the beginning of June but without adversely affecting the flowering and fruit set of the vines. These conditions led to an abundant harvest. July brought temperatures higher than average. But August saw milder and more pleasant weather with warm days alternated with cooler and more ventilated days. Unlike other regions in Italy, rainfall was scarce and as a result, the season was relatively dry, especially for vineyards with the best exposure, which were warmer and drier. The abundant amount of fruit made summer thinning all the more important in order to rebalance production and allow for good ripening.

September arrived with healthy fruit with somewhat high sugar levels. But the development of the fruit and its aromas was however delayed, especially in the warmest vineyards with the best exposure. Two intense September rainstorms marked a break from otherwise summery conditions. The first happened around September 10 and this actually helped aromatic ripening to begin again and thus was helpful. The second rainfall arrived later, on September 25 and 26, when the fruit was already ripe. At that point, there was no point in waiting any more and as soon as the sun dried the fruit, we began to harvest on September 29 and we finished picking on October 7 after nine days of good weather that allowed us to harvest excellent, healthy fruit.

2006 Barbaresco will be an excellent Barbaresco with natural alcoholic content higher than 13.5%, with intense color and good acidity. A good wine for aging, from another vintage in a string of good vintages including 2004 and 2005."


This map was sourced from Stratsplace.com

Map of Italian Wine Regions

Map courtesy of Oz Clarke’s Wine Atlas via robgroh.com

Map of Tuscany's DOC and DOCG zones

Map sourced from McNees.org Maps

Complete List of Italian DOCG's as of today

Complete Listing of Italian DOCG Wines (as of March 2009): 44

Abruzzo (1)
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo “Colline Teramane”

Campania (3)
Fiano di Avellino
Greco di Tufo
Taurasi

Emilia Romagna (1)
Albana di Romagna

Friuli-Venezia Giulia (2)
Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit
Ramandolo

Lazio (1)
Cesanese del Piglio

Lombardia (5)
Franciacorta
Oltrepo Pavese
Sforzato della Valtellina
Valtellina Superiore
Moscato di Scanzo (new)

Marche (2)
Conero
Vernaccia di Serrapetrona

Piemonte (12)
Asti spumante - Moscato d’Asti
Barbaresco
Barbera d’Asti
Barbera del Monferrato Superiore
Barolo (Chinato, as well, falls under this DOCG)
Brachetto D’Acqui o Acqui
Dolcetto di Dogliani Superiore o Dogliani
Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore
Gattinara
Gavi o Cortese di Gavi
Ghemme
Roero

Sardegna (1)
Vermentino di Gallura

Sicilia (1)
Cerasuolo di Vittoria

Toscana (8)
Brunello di Montalcino
Carmignano
Chianti
Chianti Classico
Elba Aleatico Passito (new)
Morellino di Scansano
Vernaccia di S.Gimignano
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Umbria (2)
Montefalco Sagrantino
Torgiano Rosso Riserva

Veneto (5)
Bardolino Superiore
Recioto di Gambellara
Recioto di Soave
Soave Superiore
Conegliano Valdobbiadene and Colli Asolani (new)

Posted on Vinowire.com

Vino Wire and Angelo Gaja

If you've never been to vinowire.it its time you go. For my time its the most complete view into what the current conversation is in Italian wine.

This was recently posted on Vinowire.it

If there is anyone I'm willing to listen to babble about the DOC,DOCG laws its angelo gaja....

"

The following essay was published in Italian Weds., January 7, 2009, at I numeri del vino. It has been translated here by the editors of VinoWire.

What does the Brunello affair teach us?

By Angelo Gaja

Unlike France, Italy specifies the percentages of each authorized grape variety that can be employed in the production of every DOC and DOCG. There is an entire series of provisions that have proven to be ineffective in preventing violation of these laws and in combating commercial fraud: analysis of the wine during cask aging, sensory evaluation, monitoring of a plethora of registries, the application of government seals and authenticity labeling, etc.

In the current investigation in Montalcino, the Siena prosecutor has recognized as valid the analysis method employed by Donato Lanati and the Enosis Laboratory: using this method, Lanati is able to ascertain the presence of grapes other than 100% Sangiovese in wines that have been impounded. Never before has this type of analysis been used by monitoring agencies to ascertain the varietal conformity of a wine

The same analysis method can also be used to ascertain whether or not percentages have been illegally stretched in DOC and DOCG wines in which 15% of other grape varieties are permitted.

The application of this analysis method on a large scale would create no small number of changes: before bottlers complete their bulk purchase of a wine, they would have the opportunity to verify its conformity to appellation regulations; the current farraginous monitoring system for DOC and DOCG wines would be simplified and improved; it would finally become possible to monitor the wines “downstream,” in other words, sample bottles could be taken directly from the market (and no one would have to wonder endlessly how in the world bottles of Chianti, Piedmont Barbera, and Nero d’Avola are sold to the public at obscenely low prices).

But another side to this story is a cause for worry: random monitoring could lead to the explosion of contention between monitoring agencies and producers; when oversight authority is transferred to Brussels [i.e., to the EU], pressure could grow to change appellation regulations believed to be too rigid; disinterest in DOC and DOCG wines could grow as estate-branded wines became more popular; the same analysis method adopted in Italy could be used by foreign laboratories to verify conformity to Italian appellation law in wines imported to their countries.

One thing is certain: with the precedent set by the Siena prosecutor, nothing can be the same for Italian DOC and DOCG wines.

Producers need to be aware of this and they need to embrace the necessary leap in quality (and price). They will need to find strength and unity in their intentions and they will need to help to find ways to make the necessary changes."