This is a blog intended to allow me to share my Italian adventures with my friends & family. I hope that you will enjoy reading about my experiences on the farm, in the vineyard and on the olive grove. I am excited to begin this adventure and take you along with me, well virtually at least. Look forward to seeing some amazing formaggio, vino and olio. Buon Appetito!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Fun Facts About Brunello di Montalcino
Must be 100% Sangiovese grapes (same grape used to make Chianti but in a different region).
Must be barrel aged for a minimum of 4 years and 4 months in the bottle before being able to be released for sale.
Before selling, the wine must be “tasted” by the Brunello official panel. If the wine does not have the right characteristics of Brunello, they will deny it’s naming and will "demote" it to a Rosso di Montalcino or an IGT wine (Indicatione Geographica Typica).
There are 300 producers of Brunello in Montalcino.
Of those 300, only 9 are organic producers. (I am on one of those organic vineyards).
The cork used for Brunello should be of the highest quality, meaning that it is a bit longer than usual and much more dense. The ones here at my vineyard cost approximately $1.10 each.
Sangiovese grape is susceptible to mold diseases which are easy to get here in Montalcino due to the intense and constant fog for 6 months out of the year.
Thanks for reading JZ. It is really amazing to be here and be learning so much literally from the dirt up. This week we are bottling and next week pruning. I will keep you updated!
Erica, these are so cool to read about! Thanks for sharing! I'm so jealous!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading JZ. It is really amazing to be here and be learning so much literally from the dirt up. This week we are bottling and next week pruning. I will keep you updated!
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