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56-638: The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine : The system was introduced in 1963 shortly after the Treaty of Rome established Italy as a founding member of the European Economic Community , and was modelled on the extant French appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) laws. It was overhauled in 1992 to match new European Union law on protected designation of origin , introducing

112-478: A DOCG identification arose when the DOC designation was, in the view of many Italian food industries, given too liberally to different products. A new, more restrictive identification was then created as similar as possible to the previous one so that buyers could still recognize it, but qualitatively different. The three original DOCGs were Brunello di Montalcino , Vino Nobile di Montepulciano , and Barolo , all approved by

168-464: A conviction of commercial fraud accompanied by an imprisonment sentence of up to six years. In 2008, reports surfaced that Italian authorities were investigating claims that several major Brunello producers were adulterating their wines by using foreign or domestic grape varieties in violation of the DOCG regulations, which stipulate that only Sangiovese may be used to make Brunello. The prosecutor handling

224-415: A few years of controlled experiments, that Sangiovese and Brunello were the same grape variety , and that the former should be its designated name. In Montalcino the name Brunello evolved into the designation of the wine produced with 100% Sangiovese. In 1980, Brunello di Montalcino was among the four wines awarded the first denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) designation. Today it

280-473: A long period of time. In other countries sherry wine is used for cooking. Fortified wines resist spoilage, as their alcohol content is too high to permit bacterial growth. A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or mostly, grown in a single specified year, and are accordingly dated as such. Consequently, it is not uncommon for wine enthusiasts and traders to save bottles of an especially good vintage wine for future consumption. However, there

336-614: A presidential decree in July 1980, followed by Barbaresco three months later. For wines produced in Bolzano, where German is an official language, DOCG may be written as Kontrollierte und garantierte Ursprungsbezeichnung . For wines produced in the Aosta Valley, where French is an official language, DOCG may be written as Dénomination d'origine contrôlée et garantie . In 2010–2011 many new DOCG classifications were created or elevated from DOC, in

392-436: A wine satisfy a defined quality standard and be produced within the specified region . Unlike IGT, the DOC definitions will usually specify additional more stringent rules regarding permitted grape varieties, harvest yields, minimum ageing including use of barrels, minimum alcohol content, and other factors. Wines labelled DOC or DOCG must be sold in bottles holding no more than 5 litres (170 US fl oz). Historically

448-556: Is a red DOCG Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino , in the province of Siena , located about 80 km south of Florence , in the Tuscan wine region. Brunello, a diminutive of bruno ( lit.   ' brown ' ), is the name that was given locally to what was believed to be an individual grape variety grown in Montalcino . In 1879 the province of Siena's Amphelographic Commission determined, after

504-559: Is an official language, kontrollierte Ursprungsbezeichnung , as well as in the Aosta Valley , where French is an official language, dénomination d'origine contrôlée . Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita is intended to be a superior classification to DOC, and is the highest classification in Italy. All DOCG wines from each producer are analysed and tasted by a government-licensed judgement panel before being bottled. Once approved,

560-514: Is defined by a 1932 decree. Riserva ('reserve') may be used only for wines that have been aged at least two years longer than normal for a particular type of wine. Classification of wine Within the European Union , the term "wine" and its equivalents in other languages is reserved exclusively for the fermented juice of grapes. In the United States , the term is also used for

616-477: Is intended for use as an ingredient in food rather than as a beverage. Cooking wine typically available in North America is treated with salt to allow its sale in non-licensed grocery stores. This also acts as a preservative, as the salt in cooking wine inhibits the growth of the microorganisms that produce acetic acid . This will preserve a bottle of cooking wine, which may be opened and used occasionally over

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672-470: Is not determined by the juice of the grape, which is almost always clear, but rather by the presence or absence of the grape skin during fermentation. Grapes with coloured juice, for example alicante bouschet, are known as teinturier . Red wine is made from red (or black) grapes, but its red colour is bestowed by a process called maceration , whereby the skin is left in contact with the juice during fermentation. White wine can be made from any colour of grape as

728-598: Is one of Italy's best-known and most expensive wines. One of the first records of "Brunello" was a red wine that was made in the Montalcino area in the early 14th century. In 1831, marchese Cosimo Ridolfi (who was later appointed Prime Minister of Tuscany by the Grand Duke Leopold II ) praised the merits of the red wines of Montalcino above all others in Tuscany. In 1865, an agricultural fair in Montalcino noted that

784-431: Is some disagreement and research about the significance of vintage year to wine quality. Most countries allow a vintage wine to include a portion of wine that is not from the labeled vintage. A varietal wine is wine made from a dominant grape such as a Chardonnay or a Cabernet Sauvignon and labeled by the name of the grape variety. The wine may not be entirely of that one grape and varietal labeling laws differ. In

840-652: The Risorgimento —released the first "modern version" of Brunello di Montalcino that was aged for over a decade in large wood barrels . By the end of World War II , Brunello di Montalcino had developed a reputation as one of Italy's rarest wines. The only commercial producer recorded in government documents was the Biondi-Santi firm, which had declared only four vintages up to that point—1888, 1891, 1925, and 1945. The high price and prestige of these wines soon encouraged other producers to emulate Biondi-Santi's success. By

896-515: The Northern Hemisphere , the north-facing slopes receive fewer hours of sunlight and are generally cooler than the south-facing slopes. Thus, vineyards planted on the north-facing slopes ripen more slowly and tend to produce wines that are racier and more aromatic. Vineyards on the southern and western slopes receive more intense exposure to sunlight and more maritime winds which produces wines with more power and complexity. The top producers in

952-578: The United States a wine needs to be composed of at least 75% of a particular grape to be labeled as a varietal wine. In the European Union, a minimum of 85% is required if the name of a single variety is displayed, and if two or more varieties are mentioned, they combined must make up 100% and they must be listed in descending order. E.g., a mixture of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Viognier must be called Chardonnay-Viognier rather than Viognier-Chardonnay. Brunello di Montalcino Brunello di Montalcino

1008-533: The body , color, extract and tannins commonly associated with Brunello di Montalcino. In contrast to Chianti, the other famous Sangiovese based wine of Tuscany, Brunello di Montalcinos have a more fleshy texture with common aromas and flavors of blackberry , black cherry , black raspberry , chocolate , leather and violets. Brunello is often compared with the Pinot noir wines of Burgundy with its smooth tannins and ripe, fruit driven character. The high acidity of

1064-548: The 14th century, in 1644 when the council of Würzburg ranked the city's vineyards by quality, and the early five-level designation of vineyards based on quality in Tokaj-Hegyalja in 1700. Other well known classifications include: The follow regions are classified by vineyards, not estate. Wines may be classified by vinification methods. These include classifications such as red or white wine, sparkling, semi-sparkling or still, fortified and dessert wines. The colour of wine

1120-405: The 1960s there were 11 producers making Brunello, and in 1968 the region was granted denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) status. By 1970 the number of producers had more than doubled to 25, and by 1980 there were 53 producers. In 1980, the Montalcino region was the first Italian wine region to be awarded denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) designation. By the turn of

1176-583: The 21st century, there were nearly 200 producers of Brunello di Montalcino, mostly small farmers and family estates, together producing nearly 330,000 cases a year. In 2008, Italian authorities confiscated four producers' 2003 Brunello on charges that the producers had committed fraud by including foreign varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the wine that they then fraudulently labeled as Brunello di Montalcino, which by law may only contain Sangiovese grapes. Laboratory tests later confirmed that

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1232-599: The Champagne region of France and fermented using a certain method, based on the international trademark agreements included in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles . However, in the United States, a legal definition called semi-generic has enabled U.S. winemakers to use certain generic terms (Champagne, Hock , Sherry , etc.) if there appears next to the term the actual appellation of origin. More recently, wine regions in countries with less stringent location protection laws such as

1288-630: The DOC status has been used to classify other food products such as cheeses, olive oil and vinegar, but the denominazione di origine protetta (DOP) is now used instead. Since the 2008 EU reforms, both the DOC and DOCG wine classifications are protected in the EU as protected designation of origin (PDO), which in Italy generally is indicated in Italian: denominazione di origine protetta (DOP). They may however still be referred to as DOC/DOCG, or in Bolzano , where German

1344-737: The Declaration at a ceremony in Washington, DC. Many regional wine classifications exist as part of tradition or appellation law. The most common of these is based on vineyard sites and include the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 , though some regions classify their wines based on the style like the German wine classification system. Vineyard classification has a long history dating from some early examples in Jurançon in

1400-535: The EU protected geographical indication (PGI) designation, and many producers have switched to using the Italian translation, Indicazione geografica protetta (IGP). This classification is seen to be a higher quality wine than vino da tavola ('table wine'). The denominazione di origine controllata classification was created to be roughly equivalent to the French appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC). It requires that

1456-442: The Montalcino region can produce wine under Rosso di Montalcino , Sant'Antimo and Moscadello di Montalcino DOCs as well as the generic indicazione geografica tipica designation of Toscana IGT. Moscadello di Montalcino is a sweet white wine made from Muscat . The style was once widely produced in Montalcino but fell out of style following World War II. In the early 1980s, the wine estate of Castello Banfi attempted to revive

1512-447: The Sant'Antimo DOC to allow Montalcino producers to produce DOC designated wines that were not 100% Sangiovese. These wines include blended Bianco and Rosso wines as well as varietally labeled Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay , Merlot, Pinot grigio , Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc . The Rosso di Montalcino DOC was established in 1984 as a means of giving Brunello di Montalcino producers

1568-628: The UK impose a higher tax on fully sparkling wines. Examples of semi-sparkling synonym terms are frizzante in Italy, vino de aguja in Spain, and pétillant in France. In most countries except the United States, champagne is legally defined as sparkling wine originating from the Champagne wine region in France, especially the city of Reims and the town of Épernay . Still wines are wines that have not gone through

1624-560: The US were Napa Valley , Washington , Oregon and Walla Walla , while the signatory regions from the EU were: Champagne , Cognac (the commune where Cognac is produced), Douro (the region where Port wine is produced) and Jerez (the region where Sherry is produced). The list of signatories to the agreement expanded in March 2007 when Sonoma County , Paso Robles , Chianti Classico , Tokay , Victoria, Australia and Western Australia signed

1680-548: The United States and Australia have joined with well-known European wine producing regions to sign the Napa Declaration to Protect Wine Place and Origin, commonly known as the Napa Declaration on Place. This is a "declaration of joint principles stating the importance of location to wine and the need to protect place names". The Declaration was signed in July 2005 by four United States winegrowing regions and three European Union winegrowing regions. The signatory regions from

1736-626: The addition of a spirit, such as brandy , or have had additional spirit added after fermentation. Examples include Port , Madeira and Sherry . Table wines are inexpensive wines that often do not specify the grape variety used or the region of origin. Some equivalent terms for "table wine" in other languages are "vin de table" (French), "vino da tavola" (Italian), "Tafelwein" (German), and "vino de mesa" (Spanish). Cooking wine or cooking sherry usually refers to inexpensive grape wine (or rice wine in Chinese and other East Asian cuisine) which

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1792-467: The area have vineyards on both slopes, and make use of a blend of both styles. The town of Montalcino is a small medieval village located about 564 metres (1,850 ft) above sea level in the province of Siena . The wine district is centered to the northeast of the village in densely wooded and hilly terrain. Monte Amiata , the highest peak in Southern Tuscany, provides a sheltering influence from

1848-545: The confiscated wines were in fact Brunello except for a small portion that remained inconclusive. Montalcino has one of the warmest and driest climates in Tuscany with the grapes in the area ripening up to a week earlier than in nearby Montepulciano . It is the most arid Tuscan DOCG, receiving an average annual rainfall of around 700 mm, in contrast to the Chianti region which receives an average of 900 mm. As with all of

1904-474: The fermented juice of any fruit or agricultural product , provided that it has an alcohol content of 7 to 24% ( alcohol by volume ) and is intended for non-industrial use. With the exceptions of cider , perry , and sake , such non-grape wines are to be labelled with the word "wine" qualified by a truthful description of the originating product: " honey wine ", " dandelion wine ", (blended) " fruit wine ", etc. Other jurisdictions have similar rules dictating

1960-587: The flexibility to continue the tradition of long aging of the region's flagship wine. Rosso di Montalcino is made from 100% Sangiovese grown in the same delineated region as Brunello di Montalcino. However, the wine is required to spend only six months aging in oak and 1 year total aging before release. This allows Brunello producers to make an earlier releasing wine that can generate cash flow while their Brunello di Montalcino age for their complete duration. In less than ideal vintages some producers will relegate all their grapes to Rosso di Montalcino production and not make

2016-407: The investigation said he would bring commercial fraud charges that could result in imprisonment for the violators. The producers in question were suspected of adding wine made from non-approved grapes in order to make it more appealing to the international market. In response the U.S. government blocked imports of Brunello that did not have proof that they were in fact 100% Sangiovese. The scandal

2072-411: The mold Botrytis cinerea or noble rot . These include Sauternes from Bordeaux , numerous wines from Loire such as Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume , Tokaji Aszú from Hungary , and Beerenauslese . Ice Wine is made from grapes that are harvested while they are frozen. Fortified wines are often sweeter, and generally more alcoholic wines that have had their fermentation process stopped by

2128-411: The more general denominazione di origine protetta (DOP) designation for foods and agricultural products, including wines. Further EU reforms to harmonise agricultural policy in 2008 meant that designations used in member states, and thus Italian designations, were registered with the EU by the end of 2011, with subsequent new denominations or elevations approved by the EU. Indicazione geografica tipica

2184-401: The prize winning wine of the event was a "select red wine" known as a Brunello. In the mid-19th century, a local farmer named Clemente Santi isolated certain plantings of Sangiovese vines in order to produce a 100% varietal wine that could be aged for a considerable period of time. In 1888, his grandson Ferruccio Biondi-Santi —a veteran soldier who fought under Giuseppe Garibaldi during

2240-492: The range of products qualifying as "wine". Historically, wines have been known by names reflecting their origin, and sometimes style: Bordeaux , Port , Rioja , Mosel and Chianti are all legally defined names reflecting the traditional wines produced in the named region. These naming conventions or " appellations " (as they are known in France) dictate not only where the grapes in a wine were grown but also which grapes went into

2296-414: The rush to register them before the EU reform deadline. This has had the effect of potentially diluting the importance of the DOCG classification. Italian legislation additionally regulates the use of qualifying terms for wines. Classico ('classic') is reserved for wines produced in the region where a particular type of wine has been produced "traditionally". For Chianti Classico , this traditional region

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2352-454: The skin is separated from the juice during fermentation. A white wine made from a very dark grape may appear pink or ' blush '. A form of Rosé is called Blanc de Noirs where the juice of red grapes is allowed contact with the skins for a very short time (usually only a couple of hours). Sparkling wines such as champagne , contain carbon dioxide which is produced naturally from fermentation or force-injected later. To have this effect,

2408-525: The southeast and tempers the region's climate and rainfall. Compared to the nearly 41,000 acres (17,000 ha) of planted land in Chianti, Montalcino is a relatively small wine region with around 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) planted. Vineyards in Montalcino are planted in varied soils—including limestone , clay , schist , volcanic soil and a crumbly marl known as galestro —at altitudes ranging from 149 m to 500 m. This diversity in terroir contributes to

2464-550: The sparkling wine method and have no effervescence. Dessert wines range from slightly sweet (with less than 50 g/L of sugar) to incredibly sweet wines (with over 400 g/L of sugar). Late harvest wines such as Spätlese are made from grapes harvested well after they have reached maximum ripeness . Dried grape wines, such as Recioto and Vin Santo from Italy , are made from grapes that have been partially raisined after harvesting. Botrytized wines are made from grapes infected by

2520-426: The stark differences among Brunellos from Montalcino's greatly varied territory, proposing 8 subzones: Montalcino North, Montalcino South, Castelnuovo dell'Abate, Camigliano, Tavernelle, Bosco, Torrenieri, Sant'Angelo. Brunello di Montalcino is made 100% from Sangiovese. Traditionally, the wine goes through an extended maceration period, where color and flavor are extracted from the skins. Following fermentation ,

2576-436: The style by planting Muscat. The Sant'Antimo DOC was named for the 9th century abbey built by Charlemagne . In the 1970s, producers in Montalcino were influenced by the success of the " Super Tuscan " style of wine that was gaining international recognition for Chianti producers who deviated from DOC regulations with winemaking techniques such blending Cabernet Sauvignon with Sangiovese. In 1996, Italian authorities approved

2632-547: The traditional botte. Most producers will separate their production between a Normale and Riserva bottling. The Normale bottles are released on the market 50 months after harvest and the Riserva are released a year afterward. The current aging requirements were established in 1998 and dictate that Brunellos are to be aged in oak for 2 years and at least 4 months in a bottle before release. Winemakers who intentionally stray from these rules and regulations can possibly receive

2688-401: The vast range in quality and potential complexity of Brunello di Montalcino. According to Kerin O'Keefe , "Although sangiovese excels in select parts of Montalcino, it does not perform as well throughout the whole denomination thanks to the dramatic differences within the large growing area." O'Keefe is in favor of putting subzones on the labels as this would greatly help consumers understand

2744-732: The wine allows it to pair well with food, especially grilled meat and game . A large portion of Brunello sold in the United States is purchased in restaurants. The wine has become particularly popular in America with nearly 1 out of every 3 bottles of Brunello di Montalcino being sold in the US. Brunello di Montalcino are known for their ability to age with well made examples from exceptional vintages often showcasing development for several decades. Master of Wine Mary Ewing-Mulligan notes that most Brunellos often need at least 10 years before they shed their youthfulness and start to harmonize their flavors. In addition to Brunello di Montalcino, producers in

2800-484: The wine and how they were vinified. The appellation system is strongest in the European Union, but a related system, the American Viticultural Area , restricts the use of certain regional labels in America, such as Napa Valley , Santa Barbara and Willamette Valley . The AVA designations do not restrict the type of grape used. In most of the world, wine labelled Champagne must be made from grapes grown in

2856-406: The wine is fermented twice, once in an open container to allow the carbon dioxide to escape into the air, and a second time in a sealed container where the gas is caught and remains in the wine. Sparkling wines that gain their carbonation from the traditional method of bottle fermentation are labelled "bottle fermented", "méthode traditionelle" , or " méthode champenoise " . The latter designation

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2912-416: The wine is then aged in oak . Traditionally, the wines are aged 3 years or more in botte —large Slavonian oak casks that impart little oak flavor and generally produce more austere wines. Some winemakers will use small French barrique which impart a more pronounced vanilla oak flavor. There is a middle ground where the wine is aged in small barrique for a short time and then spends a longer sojourn in

2968-449: The wines are "guaranteed" with a numbered governmental seal across the cap or cork, to prevent later manipulation. Where the DOCG classification represents a refinement of an existing DOC wine, the rules for the DOCG wine usually require more stringent quality controls. These controls are usually some combination of a lower proportion of blending grapes, lower yields, higher minimum alcohol, longer ageing requirements, and so on. The need for

3024-575: Was coined Brunellopoli by the Italian wine press. The Sangiovese grape is the most widely planted grape in the Montalcino region and is the only permitted grape in the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. The particular clones of Sangiovese are unique to the Montalcino region and have developed in adaption to that area's specific terroir . The altitude and climate of the Montalcino region has provided an area where Sangiovese ripens more fully and consistently than anywhere else in Tuscany. These factors contribute to

3080-545: Was created in 1992 to recognize the unusually high quality of the class of wines known as Super Tuscans , and to be broadly equivalent to the French vin de pays designation, official in Italy's Aosta Valley , where French is an official language. IGT wines are labelled with the locality of their creation, but do not meet the requirements of the stricter DOC or DOCG designations, which are generally intended to protect traditional wine formulations such as Chianti or Barolo . Since 2008 both IGT and vin de pays are equivalent to

3136-479: Was outlawed for all wines other than champagne (which for obvious reasons does not bother to utilize it) in Europe in 1994. Other terms for sparkling wine in other languages include Sekt or Schaumwein (Germany), cava (Spain), spumante (Italy) and espumante (Portugal). Semi-sparkling wines are sparkling wines that contain less than 2.5 atmospheres of carbon dioxide at sea level and 20 °C. Some countries such as

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