Italy: Wine with a Lifestyle

Italy is one of the leading wine-exporting countries in the world, not only due to its well-known wine styles but also due to their diversity. Before we look at the highlights with the big players as well as the market insiders, it is worthwhile to first get an overview of the topics of geography, wine-growing regions, and wine laws to better grasp Italy from a wine perspective.

Italy Wine: Geography

There’s no question that the Mediterranean Sea is the climate-defining element for Italy’s wines. Even at Lake Garda, Mediterranean influences are still slightly noticeable. Going further north, however, it is the Alps—and with them, the continental influences—that play a role, which is sometimes overlooked, thanks to the Apennines. Depending on the geographical conditions, the requirements for viticulture can vary significantly. This is also the reason for the diversity of Italian wines, which are produced in a total of 20 wine-growing regions.

Overview of Wine-Growing Regions in Alphabetical Order

• Abruzzo
• Apulia
• Basilicata
• Emilia-Romagna
• Friuli-Venezia Giulia
• Calabria
• Campania
• Lazio
• Liguria
• Lombardy
• Marche
• Molise
• Piedmont
• Sardinia
• Sicily
• South Tyrol
• Tuscany
• Trentino
• Umbria
• Veneto

The superstars among Italy’s wine-growing regions are undoubtedly Apulia, Piedmont, and Tuscany, while regions like Lazio or Molise are less commonly recognized. This has to do with size on the one hand, and the international reputation of certain wine types on the other. These often stem from protected designations of origin, which also shape the sub-regions of the wine-growing areas. Now, let’s take a look at Italian wine law with the classifications of different quality levels and designations of origin.

Italy – Good to Know

Italian Wine Law and the Designation of Origin

• Vini Comuni e Varietali — Also known as "Vini Generici." Until 2009, this corresponded to the quality level of table wine, which is now simply called "wine" due to the EU wine market regulation. Vini Generici can be blends of different grape varieties and vintages. They are the only Italian wines that do not have a protected designation of origin. Therefore, there are very few rules and regulations here.
• IGP — Indicazione Geografica Protetta. Until the EU standardization in 2009, this was also called IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), referring to the classic "country wine" with a protected geographical indication (PGI). In Italy, the abbreviation IGT is still very common despite the EU name change.
• DOC — Denominazione di origine controllata. This is a protected designation of origin (PDO). The grapes for a wine with DOC status must come exclusively from a clearly defined area. Stricter rules apply here for grape variety selection, yield, and wine production than for IGT wines.
• DOCG — Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. The highest quality level for wines from Italy. Here, the origin is not only protected but also guaranteed. Therefore, the wines must also be bottled in the respective DOCG region, unless they are intended for sale in Switzerland. Since 1994, Italy and Switzerland have had an agreement that allows DOCG wines to be bottled under certain guidelines.
• DOP — Denominazione d’Origine Protetta. This is the umbrella term for the protected designation of origin, covering both DOC and DOCG wines. This term is only used in theory, as Italy continues to differentiate between DOC and DOCG to emphasize the higher value of DOCG wines.

Although the first wine-growing regions in Italy received a protected designation of origin with clearly defined geographical boundaries as early as the beginning of the 18th century, the system of DOC and DOCG wines only came into force in 1966. The first DOC wine was Vernaccia di San Gimignano. In total, there are 76 DOCG wines, 330 DOC wines, and 118 IGT wines in Italy. The DOC and DOCG wines are easily recognizable by the respective band around the neck of the bottle.

Italien Wines: Top 3

Famous Types of Wine from Italy

It is simply impossible to list all 524 types of wine from Italy. That would clearly exceed the scope of this info text. Nevertheless, there are certain DOCs and DOCGs that are so well-known or renowned that we would like to focus on them here. As Italian highlights, they should not be missing in any specialized wine shop.

Italienische Rotweine

• Barolo: A red wine star from Piedmont, which must be made 100% from Nebbiolo. You can choose between the traditional style, which requires longer aging before it reaches its first drinking window, and the modern style, which is more accessible earlier.
• Brunello di Montalcino: Another wine that must consist exclusively of one grape variety, namely Sangiovese. Brunello comes from Tuscany and is produced only around the town of Montalcino.
• Amarone della Valpolicella: One of Italy’s three great red wines, alongside Barolo and Brunello. It’s a blend from Veneto, with Corvina as the main grape (45%). The special thing about Amarone is that the grapes are dried before vinification using the appassimento method.
• Barbaresco: Barbaresco also comes from Piedmont and is considered the younger sibling of Barolo. Here too, 100% Nebbiolo is required. However, Barbaresco is accessible at a younger age and usually shines with charming fruit.
• Chianti Classico: Sangiovese is usually experienced here in a charming and fruity way. Nowadays, this wine from Tuscany can also be made as a varietal wine.
• Supertoskaner: Super Tuscans once broke away from the Chianti regulations. Here, international grape varieties like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon play the main roles. An international Bordeaux style—just from Tuscany.
• Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: Like Brunello, this wine also comes from Tuscany and must be made exclusively from Sangiovese. The town of Montepulciano, around which the vineyards are located, gives it its name. The wine itself is somewhat juicier than Brunello.
• Primitivo di Manduria: A real crowd-pleaser from Apulia. This Primitivo impresses with just as much fruit as the other wines from Apulia. However, it comes across as more elegant and refined in the glass than is usually the case.

Italian White Wines

• Lugana: One of the great white wine stars for decades is Lugana from Lake Garda. Lugana is a real border-crosser, as it mainly comes from Lombardy but also from a community in Veneto. The main grape variety here is Trebbiano di Lugana.
• Soave: Staying in Veneto, Soave is a real summer classic. Soave usually shines with very fresh and lively notes, thanks to the main grape variety Trebbiano di Lugana.
• Gavi: Welcome to Piedmont! The white grape variety Cortese feels right at home in the hilly landscapes. The result is a wine with a lean body and lively acidity, ideal to promote as a summer wine.
• Roero Arneis: A typical Roero Arneis from Piedmont smells of pear and quince, honeydew melon, and exotic fruits. On the palate, it is soft and rich, with low acidity. This makes it an ideal companion for food.
• Greco di Tufo: With high acidity and a lean body, a Greco from Campania practically vibrates in the glass, especially if aged in stainless steel tanks. There are also fuller-bodied versions aged in wooden barrels.
  
  

Italian Rosé Wines

• Bardolino Chiaretto: On the southern eastern shore of Lake Garda in Veneto, Bardolino Chiaretto is home. It mainly uses the two grape varieties Corvina and Rondinella. In the 1980s, almost dismissed as a mass-market wine, Bardolino Chiaretto is now experiencing a revival with its delicate fruitiness.
• Monte della Guardia: Staying a bit longer at Lake Garda, but moving to Lombardy, this rosé wine is mainly made from international grape varieties. It is somewhat the heavyweight of Italian rosé wines, with more alcohol, more fruit, and more body, but with less acidity.
• Valtènesi Rosé: This rosé used to be called Valtènesi Chiaretto, but was renamed to distinguish itself from Bardolino. The star grape variety is Groppello, and Valtènesi lies on the southern western shore of Lake Garda, in Lombardy. These rosé wines generally have delicate fruit and soft elegance.
• Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo: Only in 2010 did Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo gain its own DOC as a rosé wine in Abruzzo. The wine must consist of at least 85% Montepulciano. Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo is soft and harmonious, with a vinous and intense character.
  
  

Italian Sparkling Wines

• Prosecco: Probably the quintessential Italian sparkling wine. The white grape variety Glera is used exclusively for it, and Pinot Nero is allowed for the rosé variant. The Prosecco region is located in Veneto, and distinctions are made between Prosecco Frizzante (semi-sparkling) and Prosecco Spumante (fully sparkling), as well as between tank fermentation and bottle fermentation.
• Franciacorta: In the far north of Lombardy lies the DOCG Franciacorta. Here, sparkling wines are primarily made from international grape varieties like Chardonnay or Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir). Traditional bottle fermentation is generally used, resulting in rather elegant and high-quality sparkling wines with enchanting freshness.
• Lambrusco: In the 1980s, Lambrusco’s image suffered greatly due to overly sweet and low-quality semi-sparkling wines. However, in Emilia-Romagna, there has since been a genuine quality revolution. The charming red sparkler now brings a lot of joy with its fresh fruitiness.
  
  

Italy: Wine as an Economic Factor

At the beginning of 2023, Italian wine faced the threat of overproduction and an emerging export crisis. Then, climate change struck in the form of various weather disasters like hail and severe flooding, which unfortunately even claimed lives. These drastically reduced the production volume for 2023. While nearly 50 million hectoliters of wine were produced in Italy in 2022, the number dropped to just 38.3 million hectoliters in 2023. Overproduction was no longer a concern, but rather increased demand.

However, this demand is not distributed evenly across all regions. Some areas remain more popular, such as Piedmont and Tuscany for premium wines, and Apulia and Sicily for wines that appeal more to the masses. In addition, sparkling wines like Prosecco and Franciacorta continue to find more fans worldwide. It’s also worth taking a look at lesser-known wine-growing regions, where merchants can find real value-for-money treasures for their customers. Although there may be some difficulties in certain areas, the Italian wine star is far from sinking.

Source: OIV, Statista, ISTAT, Hugh Johnson & Jancis Robinson: The World Atlas of Wine