Italy: Wine with a sense of life

Italy is one of the world's leading wine exporting countries. This is not only due to the very well-known wine styles, but also their diversity. Before we look at the highlights with the big players and the market insiders, it is worth first taking a look at the topics of geography, growing regions and wine laws so that Italy as a whole can be more easily grasped in terms of wine technology.

Italian Wine: Geography

There is no question that the Mediterranean is the climatic element that shapes Italian wines. Even at Lake Garda, Mediterranean influences are still slightly noticeable. If you go further north, however, you will find the Alps - and with them the continental influences. These, in turn, play a certain role thanks to the Apennines, which is often overlooked. Depending on the geographical conditions, the conditions for winegrowing can differ fundamentally. This is precisely the reason for the diversity of Italian wines, which are produced in a total of 20 growing regions.

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 the Italian wine-growing regions are without question Apulia, Piedmont and Tuscany, while Lazio and Molise, for example, are less well-known. This is partly due to their size, but also to the international reputation of certain types of wine. These usually result from the protected designations of origin, which also characterize the sub-regions of the wine-growing regions. This is precisely what we are now providing an insight into the Italian wine law with the names of the different qualities and designations of origin.

Italien: Good to know

Italian wine law and the designation of origin

• Vini Comuni e Varietali: Also called Vini Generici. Until 2009, this corresponded to the quality level of table wine, which since the EU wine market regulation has now simply been called wine. The 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. Accordingly, there are very few rules and regulations here.
• IGP: Indicazione Geografica Protetta. Until the EU standardization in 2009, it was also called IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), which then refers to the classic country wine with a protected geographical indication (PGI). In Italy, the abbreviation IGT is still very common despite the name change by the EU.
• 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 the selection of grape varieties, yield and wine production than for IGT wines.
• DOCG: Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. Highest quality level for wines from Italy. Here the origin is not only protected, but also guaranteed. Accordingly, the wines must also be bottled in the respective DOCG. Unless the wines are intended for sale in Switzerland. Italy and Switzerland have had an agreement since 1994 that allows the bottling of DOCG wines in compliance with certain guidelines.
• DOP: Denominazione d’Origine Protetta. This is the umbrella term for the protected designation of origin, which includes both DOC and DOCG wines. This term has only been used theoretically since it was introduced by the EU in 2009. In Italy, however, a distinction is still made between DOC and DOCG in order to focus on the higher quality of DOCG wines.

Italian wines: Classico, Superiore and Riserva

While DOC and Co. define the origin of Italian wines, the three designations Classico, Superiore and Riserva are not mandatory to be shown on the label and have more to do with the quality or development than with the origin. The most well-known is the addition Classico. If this term is on the label, then the grapes come from the area of ​​origin of the respective region, which was then expanded at some point for various reasons. The best example is Chianti Classico.

The designation Superiore indicates that the wine usually has a higher alcohol content than the standard DOC wine of a region. In addition, stricter rules can apply here when selecting grapes and vinification. Riserva, on the other hand, stands for a prescribed barrel aging for a prescribed time. The aging time can vary from growing region to growing region.

Famous wines from Italy

It is simply impossible to list all 524 Italian wines. That would definitely go beyond the scope of this information 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 be available in every specialist shop.

Italian red wines

• Barolo: Red wine star from Piedmont, which must consist of 100% Nebbiolo. Here you can choose between the traditional style, which should mature a little longer before it reaches its first drinking window, and the modern style, which is accessible earlier.
• Brunello di Montalcino: Another wine that can only consist of a single grape variety. Namely Sangiovese. Brunello comes from Tuscany and is produced exclusively around the town of Montalcino.
• Amarone della Valpolicella: Alongside Barolo and Brunello, Amarone is one of the three great red wines in Italy. Here we are dealing with a blend from Veneto. The main grape variety, however, is Corvina, which must be present at 45%. What is special about Amarone is that the grapes are first dried using the appassimento process before vinification.
• Barbaresco: Barbaresco comes from Piedmont and is considered the little brother of Barolo. Here too, 100% Nebbiolo is a must. However, the wine is accessible even when young and usually shines with charming fruit.
• Chianti Classico: Here you can usually experience Sangiovese from a very charming and fruity side. This wine, which comes from Tuscany, can now also be produced as a single variety.
• Super Tuscans: The Super Tuscans once ignored the Chianti rules. International grape varieties such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon play the main roles here. An international Bordeaux style - just from Tuscany.
• Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: Like Brunello, this wine also comes from Tuscany and can only be made from Sangiovese. Here, too, the town of Montepulciano, around which the vineyards are located, gives the wine its name. The wine itself is a little juicier than Brunello.
• Primitivo di Manduria: A real treat for the palate from Apulia. This Primitivo is just as fruity as the other Apulian wines. However, it is a little more elegant and subtle in the glass than usual.

Italian white wines

• Lugana: One of the really big white wine stars has been Lugana from Lake Garda for decades. Lugana is a real cross-border wine, as it mainly comes from Lombardy, but also from a municipality in Venice. The main grape variety here is Trebbiano di Lugana.
• Soave: Let's stay in Veneto, because 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 hills. The result is a wine with a slim body and a lively acidity that is ideal for promoting 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 lush and has only a little acidity. This is exactly what makes it an ideal accompaniment to food.
• Greco di Tufo: With high acidity and a slim body, a Greco from Campania literally vibrates in the glass. Especially when it has been matured in a stainless steel tank. But there are also fuller-bodied versions from wooden barrels.

Italian rosé wines

• Bardolino Chiaretto: The Bardolino Chiaretto is at home on the southern shore of Lake Garda in Veneto. The two grape varieties Corvina and Rondinella are used for it. In the 1980s, almost decried as a mass-produced wine, the Bardolino Chiaretto with its delicate fruitiness is now experiencing a revival.
• Monte della Guardia: We'll stay at Lake Garda for a while, but move on to Lombardy. This is where the Rosato Monte della Guardia is made, mainly from international grape varieties. It is a bit of a 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 they wanted to differentiate themselves from Bardolino and renamed the rosé, whose star grape variety is Groppello. Valtènesi is also located on Lake Garda. However, on the southern west bank in Lombardy. The rosé wines generally have a delicate fruit and a plump elegance.
• Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo: It was only in 2010 that Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo received its own DOC as a rosé wine in Abruzzo. The wine must consist of at least 85% Montepulciano grapes. A Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo is soft and harmonious, with a winey and intense character.

Italian sparkling wines

• Prosecco: Prosecco is probably the Italian sparkling wine par excellence. The only white grape variety used is Glera. Pinot Nero can also be used for the rosé variant. The Prosecco region is in Veneto. A distinction is made between Prosecco Frizzante (sparkling wine) and Prosecco Spumante (sparkling wine), as well as between tank and bottle fermentation.
• Franciacorta: The DOCG Franciacorta is located in the very north of Lombardy. Sparkling wines are produced here, mainly from international grape varieties such as Chardonnay or Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir). Traditional bottle fermentation is generally used here, which results in very noble and high-quality sparkling wines with an enchanting freshness.
• Lambrusco: In the 1980s, Lambrusco's image suffered considerably due to sugary, low-quality sparkling wines. But now there has been a genuine quality revolution in Emilia-Romagna. The charming red sparkling wine is once again a source of great joy with its fresh fruitiness.

Italian wines: Top 3

Italy: Wine as an economic factor

At the beginning of 2023, Italian wine was still threatened by an overproduction and a looming export crisis. But then climate change struck in the form of various weather disasters such as hail and severe floods, which unfortunately even cost human lives. And drastically reduced the production volume for 2023. In 2022, just under 50 million hectoliters of wine were produced in Italy - in 2023, this figure was only 38.3 million hectoliters. There was no longer any talk of overproduction, but rather of increased demand.

However, this is not distributed evenly across all growing areas. There are regions that are more popular. Such as Piedmont and Tuscany for premium wines, and Apulia and Sicily for wines that appeal more to the masses. Then there are sparkling wines such as Prosecco and Franciacorta, which are also finding more and more fans around the world. It is also worth taking a look at the growing areas that are not quite as well known. Here, retailers can still find real price-pleasure miracles for their customers. Even if there may be sales difficulties here and there, the Italian wine star is far from declining.