Category Archives: Testable Material for the CWE Exam

Photo of Ribeiro vineyards via: www.ribeiro.wine/es/

The Ribeiro DO—the oldest appellation in Galicia—was established in 1932. The region sits between the of O Rosal sub-region of Rías Baixas (to the west) and the Ribeira Sacra DO (to the east). The area is located along the eastern banks of the Miño (Minho) River, about 30 km/48 miles inland of the Atlantic Ocean.

Ribeiro, a cool-to-moderate climate region, is part of Green Spain—the area of northwest Spain exposed to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. The area is surrounded by rolling hills, criss-crossed by rivers, and tucked between the coastal plains and the mountains of the Galician Massif.

The region—heavily planted to white grapes—has been known for the quality of its wines since the 12^th century, when the monks of San Clodio Monastery served their wines to travelers and pilgrims on the nearby Camino. Documentation from the time (dated 1133) shows that the wines of Ribeiro were the most highly prized—and expensive—wines served in the nearby town of Santiago de Compostela.

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These days, about 90% of the production of the Ribeiro DO is white wines. Treixadura—the leading white grape variety—is often referred to as the “jewel of the Ribeiro.” Other highly regarded white grape varieties include Torrontés, Godello, Albariño, Loureira, Lado and Caíño Blanco; Palomino and Albillo are allowed as well. The white wines of the Ribeiro DO are often enjoyed as young, vibrant, and expressive white wines; aged versions are appreciated for their elegance and subtlety.

Another 9% of the production is red wines—crisp and bright—produced mainly from Caíño Longo, Caíño Bravo, Caíño Tinto, Ferrón, Sousón, Mencía, and Brancellao grape varieties.  (Tempranillo and Alicante Bouschet are allowed as well.)

The Ribeiro DO also allows for the production of a naturally sweet, dried-grape wine known as Ribeiro Tostado (“toasted”). Grapes—which may be either white or red—used in the production of Ribeiro Tostado are dried (after harvest) for a minimum of three months. After fermentation, the wine must be aged for a minimum of six months in oak or cherry vats; this must be followed by at least three months of aging in the bottle. Production of this rich, complex, and luscious wine is very small and labor-intensive.

Advanced students of wine might be interested to know that in 2017, the Consejo Regulador of the Ribeiro DO granted approval for some changes to the rules and regulation of the appellation. This amendment was recently approved by the EU; the updated Pliego de Condiciones was published in the Official Journal of the EU on November 18, 2020.

Photo of Ribeiro Tostado via: www.ribeiro.wine/es/

As a result of the changes, the standards of the Ribeiro DO now allow for the production of sparkling wines. The changes also tightened several of the quality standards for the wines, such as maximum yields, planting density, and minimum ripeness levels. (See the attached documentation for details.)

The newly-defined standards for the sparkling wines of the region—Vinos Espumosos de Calidad Ribeiro—require that the wines be produced using the traditional method, with a minimum of 9 months aging on the lees. Ribeiro Espumoso may be produced as a white (blanco) or rosé (rosado) wine; however, it must be dry—brut (maximum sugar of 12 g/L) and brut nature (maximum sugar of 3 g/L) are the only sweetness levels allowed.

The updates also provide for the use of the term barrica on wines that have spent some time in oak barrels (of 600 liters/maximum capacity) at any point in the production process. While the minimum time in oak is not specified, wines labeled with the term barrica (Ribeiro Barrica Blanco or Ribeiro Barrica Tinto) must demonstrate a “woody aromatic character” (to include aromas of toast, spice, and balsam) balanced by aromas and flavors of fruit, flowers, honey, jam, and herbs.

References/for more information:

• Ribeiro DO Pliego de Condiciones-Nov 2019
• Ribeiro Amendment Proposal EU publication
• https://www.ribeiro.wine/our-wines
• Wine map of Galicia created by Rainer Lesniewski, via 123rf (dot) com

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Historically, the term “Maremma” was used to indicate a large, marshy area stretching along the Italian Coast—encompassing about 100 miles/160 km of southwestern Tuscany and northern Lazio. The name Maremma is said to derive from the Spanish word marisma—meaning “marsh.” (For the geologically challenged among us, a marsh is a treeless, low-lying area that is typically water-logged, prone to flooding, and home to grasses. cattails, and reeds.)

The area has been drained of its swampy residue several times over the course of history—most notably by order of Ferdinando I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, in the early 1600s—and again in the 1700s by the order of Leopold II. Modern times have seen the installation of powerful draining machines and the planting of pine forests. As a result, today’s Maremma is equally known for sandy beaches, rolling hills, wildlife preserves, and a wealth of agriculture ranging from olives and Maremma Cattle to viticulture and wine production.

The Monte Argentario Peninsula in Grosseto (Tuscany)

The term Maremma is also used as a geographical indication for wine—as in the Maremma Toscana DOC. This Maremma Toscana DOC designation is applied specifically to the Grosseto Province, located in the southwestern corner of Tuscany. The Maremma was first established as an Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) region in 1995; it was promoted to a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) in 2011.

The appellation is focused on varietally-labeled wines, including a range of typical Italian varieties (Sangiovese, Trebbiano Toscano, Ansonica) and international varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah.

Blended wines—typically labeled simply as Rosso, Bianco or Rosato—are also produced in the region. One of the more unique styles of wine produced in the Maremma Toscana DOC is a wine labeled simply as “Cabernet” which may include any combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and/or Carmenère.

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Advanced students of wine might be interested in the recent updates to the rules and regulations that define the wines of the Maremma Toscana DOC. In late 2020, the region’s disciplinare was revised to allow the use of two grape varieties on the label, such as Sauvignon Blanc–Viognier or Cabernet Sauvignon–Merlot. It is thought that this will make the wines more appealing to some New World markets. The standards for the use of bi-varietal labeling are as follows: the grape named first on the label must comprise 50% to 85% of the blend; and the second grape listed must comprise 15% to 50%.

• The updated regulations also include the following standards for the use of the term Riserva on the wines of the Maremma Toscana DOC:
  • Red wines: minimum of 2 years of aging—to include at least six months in wood—beginning no earlier than November 1 of the harvest year
  • White wines: minimum of 12 months of aging (beginning no earlier than November 1 of the harvest year)

This list of allowed wines produced in the Maremma Toscana DOC is long; and includes some wine styles typical of the region—such as dry rosso, bianco, and rosato (in varietal expressions and blends), as well as Vin Santo, sweet vendemmia tardiva (late-harvest) wines, and passito-style wines. The appellation is also one of the few in Tuscany to produce spumante (sparkling) wines. The sparkling wines of the region may be bianco or rosato and dry or extra-dry (up to 17 g/L of sugar). In addition, they may be produced via the Metodo Classico (traditional method) or the charmat method (in pressurized tank, referred to as the Metodo Martinotti).

References/for more information:

• Disciplinare di Produzione–Maremma Toscana DOC-updated 2020
• http://worldlandforms.com/landforms/marsh/
• https://brunelleschi.imss.fi.it/itineraries/itinerary/ReclamationTuscany.html
• http://www.travelingintuscany.com/engels/maremma.htm

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Photo via: https://www.1001-pierres.com/boutique/fr/

France has approved a new protected geographical indication for wine: The Pays de Brive PGI. The newly classified area produces dry, still (non-sparkling) wines in red, white, and rosé as well as sweet white wines.

The region’s white wines may be produced using Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon, or Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains. They may be produced as varietal wines or blends.

According to the Cahier des Charges, the white wines of the Pays de Brive PGI should be pale yellow in color with green reflections, with aromas of fruit and flowers. On the palate, they are “fruity, mineral, powerful, and lively.” Semi-sweet (moelleux) and sweet (doux) white wines (produced from the same slate of grape varieties) show aromas of yellow fruit (quince, peach), citrus (lemon, mandarin orange), and honey.

The red and rosé wines of the Pays de Brive PGI may be produced using the following well-known grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec (Cot), Merlot, Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Tannat. Other—more obscure—approved varieties include Jurançon Noir (a natural Folle Blanche X Malbec cross) and Ségalin (a Jurançon Noir X Portugieser cross created by Paul Truel in 1957). Red and rosé wines may be produced as varietal wines or blends.

Map of the Nouvelle Aquitaine Region; the Corrèze Department is on the eastern edge.

According to the Cahier des Charges, the red wines of the area tend to be rich, powerful, and ruby-to-garnet in color. Typical aromas include black current, spice, and candied fruit. Rosés—which may be light in color (and flavor) or darker and richer (dusty rose/pink) in color and flavor—are fruity, floral, and lively.

The Pays de Brive PGI covers the entirety of the Corrèze Department, located in Southwest France (Nouvelle-Aquitaine), somewhat inland (east) of Bordeaux. Long-time readers may recall that a portion of the area was previously covered by the Vins de la Corrèze IGP before it received a “promotion” and was re-invented as the Corrèze AOC (in 2017). The Pays de Brive PGI covers a wider region and has a much longer list of approved grape varieties and wine styles than the stricter (and smaller) Corrèze AOC.

The region takes its name from the area’s largest town, the commune of Brive-la-Gaillarde (population: 50,000). During World War II, Brive-la-Gaillarde was a center of the Resistance; in 1944, it became the first city of Occupied France to liberate itself without outside assistance.

Welcome to the World, Pays de Brive PGI!

References/for more information:

• Cahier des Charges Pays de Brive
• On the INAO website: https://www.inao.gouv.fr/eng/produit/14110

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Photo of the town of Magliano Alfieri by Alessandro Vecchi, via Wikimedia Commons

Piedmont’s Terre Alfieri wine region has just been promoted from a denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) to a denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) wine producing region!

With this latest promotion, Italy is now home to 76 DOCGs. Terre Alfieri is the 18^th such region located in Piedmont—solidifying Piedmont’s “first place” status among Italy’s 20 regions in terms of number of DOCGs (Veneto is second, having a total of 14).

The Terre Alfieri DOCG—located just to the east (and slightly north) of the Roero DOCG—includes seven communes located in the province of Asti (Antignano, Celle Enomondo, Cisterna, Revigliasco, San Damiano, San Martino Alfieri, and Tigliole) and four in the province of Cuneo (Castellinaldo, Govone, Magliano Alfieri, and Priocca).

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Terrie Alfieri DOCG produces two styles of wine: red wines based on Nebbiolo and white wines based on Arneis. These are the same two styles of wine that were previously made when the region was a DOC, and the same two that its neighbor—the Roero DOCG—produces. A few rules and regulations have been updated with the recent promotion to DOCG status, which now reflects the following standards:

• Terre Alfieri Arneis: minimum 85% Arneis, minimum 12% abv
• Terre Alfieri Arneis Superiore: minimum 85% Arneis, minimum 12.5% abv, minimum 6 months aging
• Terre Alfieri Nebbiolo: minimum 85% Nebbiolo, minimum 13% abv, minimum 4 months aging
• Terre Alfieri Nebbiolo Superiore: minimum 85% Nebbiolo, minimum 13.5% abv, minimum 1 year of aging (including 6 months in wood)
• Terre Alfieri Nebbiolo Riserva: minimum 85% Nebbiolo, minimum 13.5% abv, minimum 2 years of aging (including one year in wood)

The region—named for the noble Alfieri family that ruled these lands many generations ago—was first awarded DOC status in 2009.

Welcome to the world, Terre Alfieri DOCG!

Note: As with all such updates, this change will need to wind its way through EU approval; however, as the Italian government has granted their approval, the changes can be implemented in the meantime. Most likely, the Terre Alfieri DOCG will apply as of the release of the wines of the 2020 vintage. If the EU fails to approve the amendment, the regulation will be rescinded (although this seems unlikely to happen).

References/for more information:

• Disciplinare Terre Alfieri DOCG
• Gazzetta Uffciale October 21, 2020
• https://www.targatocn.it/2020/07/29/sommario/agricoltura/leggi-notizia/argomenti/agricoltura/articolo/il-terre-alfieri-conquista-la-docg-castellinaldo-govone-magliano-e-priocca-tra-gli-11-comun.html

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Photo of the Candy Mountain Vineyard by Kevin Pogue (provided by the Washington State Wine Commission)

On September 24, 2020, the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) of the United States approved the Candy Mountain AVA. When this new AVA comes into force—on October 26, 2020—the total number of AVAs in the United States will be 251, of which 16 will be in Washington State.

Candy Mountain, located to the southeast of the Red Mountain AVA, is now the smallest AVA in Washington State (an honor previously held by Red Mountain). The new AVA lies entirely within the existing Yakima Valley AVA; however, the boundaries of the Yakima Valley AVA had to be expanded by 72 acres in order to make this possible. (This expansion was part of the approval process of the new AVA, and part of the “Final Rule” as published by the TTB.)

Map of the Candy Mountain AVA via Google Earth and  Heather Bradshaw (provided by the Washington State Wine Commission)

The Candy Mountain AVA covers a total of 815 acres, with just over 110 acres currently planted to vines. There are two commercial vineyards—Candy Mountain Vineyard and Kitzke Cellars—in the area; Kitzke Cellars is a bonded winery specializing in Bordeaux-style blends. Plans for another bonded winery as well as an additional 200 acres of vines are in the works.

Candy Mountain is part of a chain of four small mountains in the area which includes Red Mountain, Badger Mountain, and Little Badger Mountain (all are part of the larger Yakima Fold Belt). The vineyards of the Candy Mountain AVA are on the mountain’s southwest-facing slope, on an incline that ranges from 2° to 20°. The soils are mainly thin, well-drained loess (wind-blown) silt atop basalt bedrock. The vines are planted at elevations ranging from 640 to 1,360 feet above sea level.  This is a warm, windy area; and rainfall is meager—sometimes as little as 6 to 8 inches per year.

The leading grapes of the appellation include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, and Syrah.

Welcome to the world, Candy Mountain AVA!

References/for more information:

• Final Rule – Establishment of the Candy Mountain AVA and Expansion of the Yakima Valley AVA
• TTB Docket for Candy Mountain
• https://www.washingtonwine.org/wine/facts-and-stats/regions-and-avas/candy-mountain

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org

Photo via: https://www.pouilly-fuisse.net/en/

More than 12 years after the beginning of the process, the Pouilly-Fuissé AOC has 22 official premier crus!

As reported by Frédéric-Marc Burrier, president of the Union des Producteurs de Pouilly-Fuissé, the application process for France’s newest premier cru appellations began with an in-depth study of the soil, topography, and history of the Pouilly-Fuissé area. This part of the project included creating a detailed map of the appellation’s 217 lieux-dits and the painstaking delineation of the 22 plots that would hold the area’s highest classification (all of which had to be approved by the organization’s 250 member-producers).

The application was approved by France’s Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO) on September 3, 2020. The newly-approved premier crus represent 194 hectares—24% of the total area of the Pouilly-Fuissé AOC—and are spread over the four communes of the appellation: Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly and Vergisson.

The Pouilly-Fuissé AOC, famous for white wines made using 100% Chardonnay, is located in Burgundy’s Mâconnais region. Pouilly-Fuissé is one of the five well-known, white-wine producing communal AOCs of the Mâconnais.  (For the wine students: the others include the Viré-Clessé, Saint-Véran, Pouilly-Vinzelles, and Pouilly-Loché AOCs.)

Pouilly-Fuissé is the first appellation of the Mâconnais to officially recognize specific climats as premier crus. The list is as follows:

• Commune de Chaintré
  • Le Clos de Monsieur Noly
  • Les Chevrières
  • Aux Quarts
  • Le Clos Reyssier

• Commune de Fuissé
  • Le Clos
  • Les Brulés
  • Les Ménétrières
  • Les Reisses
  • Les Vignes Blanches
  • Les Perrières
  • Vers Cras (shared with Solutré-Pouilly)

• Commune de Solutré-Pouilly
  • La Frérie
  • Le Clos de Solutré
  • Au Vignerais
  • En Servy
  • Aux Bouthières
  • Aux Chailloux
  • Pouilly
  • Vers Cras (shared with Fuissé)

• Commune de Vergisson
  • Les Crays
  • La Maréchaude
  • Sur la Roche
  • En France

Update: As of April of 2021, this amendment was approved by the EU.

References/for more information:

• CdC Pouilly-Fuissé updated 2020
• Communique de Pressé-Pouilly-Fuissé-INAO
• Union des Producteurs de Pouilly-Fuissé
• Announcement on the website of the INAO regarding Pouilly-Fuissé AOC Premiers Crus

Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org