Viticulture in Italy

The Italian Wine is an important economic factor. Italy is one of the most important European wine producers. In 2018 the land had a total vineyard area of around 675,818 hectares.

In 2017, a total of 42,498,571 hectoliters of wine were produced in Italy . Of these, 45.79% were DOCG and DOC wines, 32.07% were IGT wines. 22.14% were Vini Comuni e Varietali , these are simple wines without quality classification (Vini Generici, since 2009). Each of the 20 Italian regions has its own vineyards, with Tuscany being divided into two and Piedmont into four sub-zones. Wine is an integral part of everyday life in Italy.

Regions in Italy

Wine landscape in the Chianti region of Tuscany

Quality levels in Italy

In Italy there are 74 DOCG wines (with controlled and guaranteed designation of origin), 334 DOC wines (with controlled designation of origin) and 118 IGT wines (country wines), as of 2018.

There are also classifications, such as in Spain , that indicate storage, such as the predicates Riserva or Vecchio , which indicate longer barrel storage than prescribed. The word Superiore usually stands for a wine that has a higher alcohol content than the standard DOC wine.

There are also names such as "Vino Nobile di ..." (for example Montepulciano - location, not grape).

It is generally prohibited in Italy to enrich wines with sugar ( chaptalization ), as is permitted in Germany or for Bordeaux wines. However, it is permissible to enrich weak wines with strong must, for example from southern Italy.

Wine-growing law in Italy was last reformed in 2009 based on the French model. Previously, the laws that had been enacted in 1963 shortly after the establishment of the European Economic Community (EEC) were in effect. In 1966, Vernaccia di San Gimignano was the first DOC to hit the market. Then there are the three quality levels IGT, DOC and DOCG (see below). As in the rest of Europe, all non-classified Italian wines are divided into wine , country wine , quality wine and predicate wine (see international comparison of terms ).

With the 2009 reform, emphasis was placed on the protected designations of origin. A page for downloading all regulations and descriptions is provided by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture.

Vini Generici

This is the simplest quality level. It does not contain any geographical information. The former term "table wine" was replaced by the term "wine" in the 2009 EU wine market regulation. Vini Generici can be marketed with ( con annata e vitigno = "with vintage and grape variety") or without an indication of the vintage and grape variety, all higher quality wines must bear precise geographical information.

IGT ( Indicazione Geografica Tipica )

Is a quality level that is roughly comparable to the German " Landwein ". The IGT declaration covers a wide range of unimportant droplets through to top-quality wines that cannot be classified as DOC or DOCG, for example, because they are made from grapes other than those prescribed. It is noteworthy that, unlike in Germany, not the majority of wines are rated as quality wine. Simple Vini Generici or IGT wines are considered everyday table wines in Italy and are always acceptable.

DOC ( Denominazione di origine controllata )

This level corresponds to the German " Quality Wine of Certain Growing Areas (QbA)". The name indicates that only vine material from the area mentioned may be used and that this is also checked. Wines with a DOC or DOCG seal may not be filled into containers with a volume greater than five liters.

DOCG ( Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita )

The next higher and therefore highest official quality level is called DOCG. In Germany this corresponds to the " Prädikatswein ". These wines must be bottled in the growing area, so they must not be transported in tanks and bottled elsewhere. This does not apply to Italian wine that is bottled in Switzerland. In 1994, the two countries reached an agreement based on Article 5 of the 1961 Agreement, which allows DOCG wine to be bottled in Switzerland subject to certain guidelines. All DOCG wines have a band on their neck.

The number of the respective quality wines in the regions:

region	IGT	DOC	DOCG
Abruzzo	8th	8th	1
Aosta Valley		1
Apulia	6th	28	4th
Basilicata	1	4th	1
Emilia-Romagna	9	19th	2
Friuli Venezia Giulia	2	11	3
Calabria	10	9
Campania	9	15th	4th
Lazio	6th	26th	3
Liguria	4th	8th
Lombardy	15th	20th	5
Brands	1	15th	5
Molise	2	4th
Piedmont		42	17th
Sardinia	15th	17th	1
Sicily	7th	23	1
Tuscany	6th	40	11
Trentino-South Tyrol	4th	8th
Umbria	6th	13	2
Veneto	7th	23	14th
Italy	118	334	74

Grape varieties

history

Geography and climate

In Italy the mountains and the Mediterranean dominate the landscape. In the north, the Alps protect the boot from bad weather conditions, and within the boot the Apennines stretch over the entire length to the tip in Calabria. Generalizations cannot be made over a length of more than 1200 km. A common denominator, however, is that the better quality wines are almost always slopes. The richer soils of the valleys have always been used for growing grain, fruit and vegetables. The barren slopes are reserved for wine and olives.

Abruzzo

The Abruzzo wines ( Italian singular Abruzzo ) are primarily known for their exceptional value for money. The vineyard area in Abruzzo is 33,352 hectares, that of Molise only 7,650 hectares. In terms of quantity, Abruzzo is in 7th place in the ranking of the regions of Italy, almost on a par with Piedmont. This is explained by very lax regulations and extremely generous yield limits. Regardless of this, quality-oriented winemakers produce good wines.

The Abruzzo DOCG wine

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane as a subzone of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.

The eight DOC wines in Abruzzo

Abruzzo , Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo , Controguerra , Montepulciano d'Abruzzo , Terre Tollesi or Tullum, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo , Ortona , Villamagna . (As of 2016)

The eight IGT wines in Abruzzo

Colli Aprutini, Colli del Sangro, Colli Frentane, Colline Pescaresi, Colline Teatini, Del Vastese or Histonium, Terre Aquilane, Terre di Chieti. (As of 2017)

Aosta Valley

The Valle d'Aosta is the smallest administrative unit in Italy. Due to the mountainous location near Mont Blanc , wine production is only possible in very conveniently located plots. Of the total of 14,500 hectoliters of Aosta wine from a vineyard area of 486 hectares, around 99% are developed as DOC wine. (As of 2014) In the upper part of the valley, near the municipalities of Morgex and La Salle , the highest vineyards in Europe are located at an altitude of 900–1300 m. There dry, lively white wines are grown for quick enjoyment in summer. In the middle part of the valley, red wines are made as a blend of the local grape varieties Petit Rouge and Vien de Nus. Internationally known grape varieties such as Chardonnay , Gamay or Nebbiolo are now used in particularly favorable locations ; they do not develop fully, but they have their own interesting character. Due to the difficult cultivation, the wines are generally quite expensive and will therefore never develop into an export hit.

Most famous wine houses: Les Crêtes in Aymavilles , Lo Triolet in Introd and La Crotta di Vegneron in Chambave .

The DOC wine

Since 1985 there is only one denomination (DOC) called " Valle d'Aosta " or "Vallée d'Aoste". This includes the seven geographic sub-zones: Donnas , Arnad-Montjovet, Chambave , Chambave Moscato or Chambave Muscat, Nus , Nus Malvoisie, Torrette, Enfer d'Arvier and Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle .

Apulia

The region of Apulia (Italian 'Puglia') with the capital Bari is located deep in the south on the Adriatic coast. In contrast to the other southern regions, there are hardly any mountains; the landscape consists of plateaus and plains. There is a dry and hot climate with little rainfall. From the spur near Foggia to the tip of the boot heel behind Lecce , Apulia extends over 400 km. Puglia has most of the grape varieties in southern Italy, around 80 percent of which are red. The finest qualities of Puglia grow on the Salento peninsula . The Salento includes the territory of the province of Lecce and most of the provinces of Brindisi and Taranto . Thanks to the mutual closeness of the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea, the nights cool down here to the extent necessary for quality cultivation.

The red grape varieties are Aleatico , Bombino Nero , Malvasia Nera di Brindisi , Malvasia Nera di Lecce , Montepulciano , Negroamaro , Primitivo , Sangiovese , Susumaniello and Uva di Troia . The most common whites are Bombino Bianco , Fiano , Falanghina , Impigno , Moscato di Trani and Verdeca . Most of Italy's wine is produced here on a vineyard area of 106,715 hectares (even more than in all of Germany ). Together with Sicily, it is at the top of the Italian wine production volume. A large part of the wines is used for the distillation of industrial alcohol and for the production of bulk wines.

The four DOCG wines in Puglia

Castel del Monte Bombino Nero , Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva , Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva , Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale

The 28 DOC wines in Puglia

Aleatico di Puglia (in all areas of the region), Alezio , Barletta , Brindisi , Cacc'e mmitte di Lucera , Castel del Monte , Colline Joniche Tarantine , Copertino , Galatina , Gioia del Colle , Gravina , Leverano , Lizzano , Locorotondo , Martina Franca , Matino , Moscato di Trani , Nardò , Negroamaro di Terra d'Otranto , Orta Nova , Ostuni , Primitivo di Manduria , Rosso di Cerignola , Salice Salentino , San Severo , Squinzano , Tavoliere delle Puglie or Tavoliere, Terra d'Otranto . (As of 2016)

The six IGT wines in Puglia

Daunia, Murgia, Puglia, Salento, Tarantino, Valle d'Itria. (As of 2017)

Basilicata

The Basilicata region is one of the smallest wine-growing regions in Italy. The capital is Potenza . The growing areas are very different. The vineyards in the Vulture area are among the highest in Europe. The vineyards are divided into many thousands of small parcels, often less than an acre in size. This heterogeneity makes classification very difficult, so that so far there are only two DOC zones (the Terre dell'Alta Val d'Agri zone has only existed since summer 2003), from which around four percent of Basilicata wines come.

Meanwhile, some winegrowers are showing the great potential of the Aglianico in Basilicata and the quality efforts are already being recognized internationally. The Aglianico del Vulture is one of the finest red wines in Italy.

The DOCG wine in Basilicata

The four DOC wines in Basilicata

Aglianico del Vulture , Grottino di Roccanova , Matera DOC , Terre dell'Alta Val d'Agri . (As of 2017)

The IGT wine in Basilicata

Basilicata. (As of 2018)

Emilia-Romagna

The Emilia-Romagna region is known for its Parma ham and Parmesan cheese , and it also has 58,240 hectares of vineyards, which also provide the basic material for the equally famous balsamic vinegar. These culinary delights put the range of wines in the shade. Only Lambrusco, the slightly foaming red wine from Emilia, is internationally known. In the Romagna region, the grape varieties Albana, Sangiovese and Trebbiano are predominant. The resulting wines are usually light and simple.

In 2015, 1,132,701 hl of quality wines (DOC and DOCG qualities) were produced in Emilia-Romagna on 13,076 hectares of vineyards.

The two DOCG wines in Emilia-Romagna

Romagna Albana , Colli Bolognesi Classico Pignoletto . (As of 2017)

The 18 DOC wines in Emilia-Romagna

Bosco Eliceo , Colli Bolognesi , Colli d'Imola , Colli di Faenza , Colli di Parma , Colli di Rimini , Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa , Colli Piacentini , Colli Romagna Centrale , Gutturnio , Lambrusco di Sorbara (DOC) , Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro , Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce , Modena or Di Modena, Ortrugo dei Colli Piacentini or Ortrugo-Colli Piacentini, Reggiano , Reno , Romagna . (As of 2017)

The nine IGT wines

Bianco di Castelfranco Emilia, Emilia or dell'Emilia, Forlì, Fortana del Taro, Ravenna, Rubicone, Sillaro or Bianco del Sillaro, Terre di Veleja, Val Tidone.

Friuli Venezia Giulia

The growing region Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Italian: Friuli Venezia Giulia ), mostly Friuli for short, is located between Austria, Slovenia and the Veneto plain. The capital of the region is Trieste . Although the region has historically been under variable influence and was often involved in acts of war, wine has been cultivated continuously since ancient times. Improved cellar methods such as cooled fermentation have made the area what is probably the best white wine region in Italy, although red wine is still grown. The sub-regions of Collio , Colli Orientali del Friuli , Isonzo and Carso produce the highest quality and longest lasting white wines. Despite the outstanding position, there is increasing competition in regions that have only recently been producing top-quality wines. Many winemakers have said goodbye to the international varieties and are increasingly replacing them with the old local ones, especially the Friulano . The greatest quality potential of Friuli lies in the autochthonous varieties .

The four DOCG wines

Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit , Lison , Ramandolo , Rosazzo

The ten DOC wines

Carso , Collio Goriziano , Friuli-Annia , Friuli Aquileia , Friuli Colli Orientali , Friuli Grave , Friuli Isonzo , Friuli Latisana , Lison-Pramaggiore , Prosecco

Calabria

The region of Calabria (Italian 'Calabria') with the capital Catanzaro with 24,339 hectares of vineyards is one of the oldest wine-growing areas in Italy. Just 100 years ago, Calabria produced good blends, and the Cirò was one of the most famous wines in the region. Mismanagement, poverty and corruption led to decline and emigration. Slowly there is movement in the Calabrian viticulture. The spirit of optimism can be compared with that of the past few years in Sicily and Apulia. The pricing is still moderate. A quarter of the area under vines is planted with the red Gaglioppo grape variety .

The nine DOC wines in Calabria

Bivongi , Cirò , Greco di Bianco , Lamezia , Melissa , Sant'Anna di Isola Capo Rizzuto , Savuto , Scavigna , Terre di Cosenza . (As of 2017)

The eleven IGT wines in Calabria

Basilicata, Calabria, Costa Viola, Lipuda, Locride, Palizzi, Pellaro, Scilla, Val di Neto, Valdamato. (As of 2017)

Campania

The region of Campania (Italian 'Campania') with 41,129 hectares of vineyards with the capital Naples is one of the oldest wine-growing regions in Italy. Among other things, the Falerner was born here in ancient times . The Mediterranean climate with the influence of the nearby sea, the protective mountains and soils of volcanic origin offer an ideal base for viticulture, for the most part red wines are produced. The red variety Aglianico in particular delivers full-bodied, colorful and aromatic red wines , especially at Avellino . For a long time the only Campanian DOCG wine Taurasi is made from it. Other grape varieties are Asprinio Bianco , Biancolella , Coda di Volpe , Falanghina , Fiano , Forastera , Greco Bianco and Piedirosso . Of the total wine production area, 4,836 hectares (as of 2017) were accounted for by DOC and DOCG wines, but the quality efforts of recent years are beginning to bear fruit.

The four DOCG wines in Campania

Aglianico del Taburno , Fiano di Avellino , Taurasi , Greco di Tufo .

The 15 DOC wines in Campania

Aversa , Campi Flegrei , Capri , Casavecchia di Pontelatone , Castel San Lorenzo , Cilento , Costa d'Amalfi , Falanghina del Sannio , Falerno del Massico , Galluccio , Irpinia , Ischia , Penisola Sorrentina , Sannio , Vesuvio . (As of 2017)

The ten IGT wines in Campania

Benevento or Beneventano, Campania, Catalanesca del Monte Somma, Colli di Salerno, Dugenta, Epomeo, Paestum, Pompeiano, Roccamonfina, Terre del Volturno. (As of 2014)

Lazio

The Lazio region (Italian 'Lazio') with the capital Rome comprises 47,884 hectares of vineyards. It is located on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea and has a coastline of around 320 kilometers. In ancient times there was extensive viticulture and a distinctive wine culture here. The area provided food and drink for the capital of the Roman Empire. The climate is dry and hot on the coast and becomes increasingly cooler and more humid in the interior. Except in the Apennines (with the highest peak Monte Terminillo at 2216 meters ), vines are cultivated almost everywhere. A total of 200 varieties are permitted, many of which are derived from ancient grape varieties. But only a dozen are important. Almost 90% of the white wines are produced, which thrive particularly well on the often volcanic soil. Especially the Malvasia and Trebbiano grape varieties with numerous varieties are part of these wines. The main red varieties are Cesanese , Sangiovese and Montepulciano. International varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are gaining in importance.

The three DOCG wines in Lazio

Cannellino di Frascati , Cesanese del Piglio , Frascati Superiore . (As of 2017)

The 27 DOC wines in Lazio

Aleatico di Gradoli , Aprilia, Atina , Bianco Capena, Castelli Romani , Cerveteri , Cesanese di Affile , Cesanese di Olevano Romano , Circeo , Colli Albani , Colli della Sabina , Colli Etruschi Viterbesi or Tuscia, Colli Lanuvini , Cori , Est! Est !! Est !!! di Montefiascone , Frascati , Genazzano , Marino , Montecompatri Colonna , Nettuno , Orvieto and Orvieto Classico, Roma , Tarquinia , Terracina or Moscato di Terracina, Velletri , Vignanello , Zagarolo . (As of 2017)

The six IGT wines in Lazio

Barbagia, Civitella d'Agliano, Colli Cimini, Costa Etrusco Romana, Frusinate or del Frusinate, Lazio. (As of 2017)

Liguria

Liguria with the capital Genoa is the third smallest region in Italy after the Aosta Valley and Molise. The total wine production amounts to approx. 63,000 hl with 1535 hectares of vineyards. (As of 2016) Over 70% of the production is developed as DOC wines. The rugged area between France and Tuscany and the small individual estates present difficult conditions for viticulture. Nevertheless, the sweet dessert wine of the Cinqueterre, the Sciacchetrà , is experiencing a renaissance.

In the field of white wines, efforts are concentrated on the white grape varieties Vermentino , Pigato and Bosco ; in the red wine area, the red varieties Rossese , Sangiovese and Dolcetto . In 1970 123 grape varieties were still counted; most of them have disappeared.

Viticulture has a long tradition in Liguria, as we can learn from Pliny the Elder. Two elements are of decisive importance for the historical development of viticulture in Liguria:

the difficult terrain, which offers only a limited availability of vineyards and which also led to rural exodus in the 19th century
easier money to be made growing flowers and vegetables in greenhouses.

The eight DOC wines

Cinque Terre e Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà , Colli di Luni , Colline di Levanto , Golfo del Tigullio-Portofino or Portofino, Pornassio or Ormeasco di Pornassio, Riviera Ligure di Ponente , Rossese di Dolceacqua or Dolceacqua, Val Polcèvera . (As of 2017)

The four IGT wines

Colline del Genovesato, Colline Savonesi, Liguria di Levante, Terrazze dell'Imperiese. (As of 2017)

Lombardy

Despite the rather busy impression of this most populous region of Italy around Milan , viticulture does not play a minor role. With around 1.6 million hectoliters from 26,951 hectares of vineyards, well-known regions such as Friuli or Umbria are clearly overshadowed. Due to its size and diversification, however, the region does not succeed in building a quality image such as that in Tuscany or Piedmont. The most important wine-growing regions in Lombardy are the Valtellina , Oltrèpo Pavese and Franciacorta

The five DOCG wines

Franciacorta , Oltrepò Pavese metodo classico , Scanzo or Moscato di Scanzo , Sforzato di Valtellina or Sfursat di Valtellina, Valtellina Superiore . (As of 2017)

The DOCGs Franciacorta and Oltrepò Pavese metodo classico only apply to sparkling wines . The DOCG Valtellina Superiore may only bear this designation if it is made from at least 90 percent of the grape variety Nebbiolo (locally also called Chiavennasca) and comes from a clearly defined area. This includes the 5 sub-zones Sassella, Grumello, Inferno, Maroggia and Valgella. In 2007, the Oltrepo Pavese was added as a sparkling wine using the Classico method and made white from the grape varieties Pinot Noir (at least 70%) and Chardonnay.

The 22 DOC wines

Bonarda dell'Oltrepò Pavese , Botticino , Buttafuoco dell'Oltrepò Pavese or Buttafuoco, Capriano del Colle , Casteggio , Cellatica , Curtefranca , Garda , Garda Colli Mantovani , Lambrusco Mantovano , Lugana , Oltrepò Pavese , Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Grigio , Pinot Nero dell'Oltrepò Pavese , Riviera del Garda Bresciano or Garda Bresciano, San Colombano al Lambro , San Martino della Battaglia , Sangue di Giuda dell'Oltrepò Pavese or Sangue di Giuda, Terre del Colleoni or Colleoni, Valcalepio , Valtellina Rosso or Rosso di Valtellina, Valtènesi . (As of 2017)

The 15 IGT wines

Avola, Benaco Bresciano, Bergamasca, Collina del Milanese, Montenetto di Brescia, Provincia di Mantova, Provincia di Pavia, Quistello, Ronchi di Brescia, Ronchi Varesini, Sabbioneta, Sebino, Terrazze Retiche di Sondrio, Terre Lariane, Valcamonica. (As of 2018)

Brands

The Italian region of Marche (Italian: 'Marche') comprises 24,590 hectares of vineyards spread over four provinces with 13 DOC zones, five DOCG zones and one IGT. The capital is Ancona . The region is located in central Italy on the Adriatic coast, in the west the regions of Tuscany and Umbria border. Verdicchio is the Marche's most famous white wine. The autochthonous, white grape variety presumably comes from the Greco Trebbiano family. In the last 15 years the area under vines has decreased by around 20%. The number of winemakers also fell sharply; Over 90% of the winegrowers have less than 2 hectares and produce mainly for their own use. The Adriatic Sea and the mountains of the Tuscan Apennines to the west create a cool, temperate climate. The vineyards are almost exclusively on slopes with often clayey soil. The most common varieties are the white Trebbiano , Maceratino, Pecorino, Verdicchio , Pinot Blanc , Pinot gris and Malvasia as well as the red Sangiovese , Montepulciano, Lacrima di Morro and Vernaccia di Serrapetrona. Red and half white wines are produced. Almost half of the wine production comes from the province of Ascoli Piceno , 30 percent comes from the province of Ancona . The most important growing areas are the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (41%), the Rosso Piceno (27%) and the Falerio dei Colli Ascolani (7%). The annual production amounts to approx. 1.6 million hl.

The five DOCG wines of the brands

Cònero , Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva , Offida , Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva , Vernaccia di Serrapetrona . (As of 2017)

The 15 DOC wines of the brands

Bianchello del Metauro , Colli Maceratesi , Colli Pesaresi , Esino , Falerio , I Terreni di Sanseverino , Lacrima di Morro or Lacrima di Morro d'Alba , Pergola , Rosso Cònero , Rosso Piceno or Piceno, San Ginesio , Serrapetrona , Terre di Offida , Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi , Verdicchio di Matelica . (As of 2017)

IGT wine from the brands

Marche

Molise

The four DOC wines in Molise:

Biferno , Molise , Pentro di Isernia , Tintilia del Molise . (As of 2017)

Piedmont

Serralunga d'Alba in the Barolo area

I Piedmont is Italy's second largest administrative unit and is located in the north-west of Italy. The capital of the country at the "foot of the mountains" (= translation of the name Piedmont or Piedmont ) is Turin . In the provinces of Alessandria , Asti , Cuneo , Torino and Vercelli , 47,314 hectares of vineyards are available on which 2,402,000 hectoliters of wine are produced. (As of 2016) The average proportion of quality wines is around 90%. In terms of viticulture, Piedmont is divided into four sub-areas: Piemonte “L'Astigiano”, Piemonte “Le Langhe”, Piemonte “Il Monferrato” and Piemonte “Il Nord”. Piedmont has a total of 58 DOC and DOCG areas. In 2016, 1,969,228 hl of quality wine were produced in the entire Piedmont on 28,800 hectares.

The focus of wine-growing is the Langhe region , a hilly landscape near the town of Alba , also home to the white truffle . Here are the Barolo and the Barbaresco , two of the great wines of Italy produced. Both types of wine have gone through major changes in recent years. The progressive producers continue to make great wines, but they are more accessible and balanced than before.

The uncomplicated Dolcetto is still very popular and is steadily gaining in profile and quality. The culmination of the work is certainly the recognition of the Dolcetto di Dogliani as a DOCG wine in July 2005 and the Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore in September 2008. The most important vermouth producers in the world are based in Piedmont . The drink consists of at least 70% wine . The best-known manufacturers are Martini & Rossi , Cinzano , Carpano , Gancia, Riccadonna and Cora.

The 16 DOCG wines

Alta Langa , Asti , Barbaresco , Barbera d'Asti , Barbera del Monferrato superiore , Barolo , Brachetto d'Acqui , Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba , Dolcetto di Dogliani or Dogliani for short , Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore or Ovada for short , Erbaluce di Caluso , Gattinara , Gavi , Ghemme , Roero , Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato . (As of 2017) The Denomination Nice DOCG has been added and approved by the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/953 of May 22, 2019.

The 42 DOC wines

Alba , Albugnano , Barbera d'Alba , Barbera del Monferrato , Boca , Bramaterra , Calosso , Canavese , Carema , Cisterna d'Asti , Colli Tortonesi , Collina Torinese , Colline Novaresi , Colline Saluzzesi , Cortese dell'Alto Monferrato , Coste della Sesia , Dolcetto d'Acqui , Dolcetto d'Alba , Dolcetto d'Asti , Dolcetto di Ovada , Fara , Freisa d'Asti , Freisa di Chieri , Gabiano , Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese , Grignolino d'Asti , Langhe , Lessona , Loazzolo , Malvasia di Casorzo d'Asti , Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco , Monferrato , Nebbiolo d'Alba , Piemonte , Pinerolese , Rubino di Cantavenna , Sizzano , Strevi , Terre Alfieri , Valli Ossolane , Valsusa , Verduno Pelaverga . (As of 2017)

Sardinia

Sardinia has a vineyard area of 43,331 hectares. The southern location in the Mediterranean ensures plenty of sunshine. Especially on the south coast there is a lot of drought, so artificial irrigation is often necessary. New vineyards are often planted in the slipstream of mountains or trees. The temperatures are very different in the different parts of the island. In the cooler north (Gallura, Anglona and Alghero), mainly fresh, fruity white wines with a nice acidity and fragrance are produced; the warm south and west side of the island offers red, white and dessert wines good conditions. Production is largely dominated by large cooperatives. Two thirds are red wines and one third white wines.

The DOCG wine in Sardinia

The 17 DOC wines in Sardinia

All DOC wines with "Sardegna" in their name may be produced in all zones across Sardinia: Alghero , Arborea, Cagliari , Campidano di Terralba or Terralba, Cannonau di Sardegna , Carignano del Sulcis , Girò di Cagliari, Malvasia di Bosa, Mandrolisai, Monica di Sardegna , Moscato di Sardegna , Moscato di Sorso-Sennori or Moscato di Sorso or Moscato di Sennori, Nasco di Cagliari , Nuragus di Cagliari , Sardegna Semidano , Vermentino di Sardegna , Vernaccia di Oristano . (As of 2017)

Sicily

With almost nine percent of the total land area in Italy, Sicily is the largest region and with 101,000 hectares of vineyards (as of 2014) the largest wine-growing area in the country. Until the mid-1990s, the island was primarily known abroad for the sweet Marsala wine . A large part of the remaining wine production was sold as barrel wine in the well-known wine regions of Europe, where it served as a blend wine to improve or increase the local production. For a long time, the island's red wines were not named after their place of origin or the grape variety, but rather after the port from which they were shipped ( Marzamemi , Scoglitti , Riposto ). Another part of the production was also used for the distillation of alcohol and the production of grape must. It was not until the end of the 1990s that Sicilian wines began to be marketed, which also bore the island's name.

After initially focusing on the cultivation of international grape varieties in order to open up international markets, the winemakers rediscovered local grape varieties, especially the now internationally known Nero d'Avola . The latter is currently the most important grape variety in Sicily and is there on 18,000 hectares of vineyards (2013). Numerous other traditional or autochthonous grape varieties such as Zibibbo , Catarratto , Grillo , Frappato , Perricone , Carricante or Inzolia are now grown under their name and, together with the naming of the growing areas (e.g. Etna ), symbolize the diversity of the Sicily wine region . Since 2005 the Cerasuolo di Vittoria has been the first DOCG-classified wine in Sicily. The areas under cultivation for DOC / DOCG wines make up around twelve percent of the total vineyard area (approx.15,000 ha / as of 2017). For comparison: In 2000 the proportion of DOC cultivation area was still below four percent. A special feature is the establishment of the DOC Sicilia (since the wine year 2012), which includes the entire island and may appear on the label as the addition "Sicilia".

The DOCG wine

The 24 DOC wines in Sicily

Alcamo , Contea di Sclafani , Contessa Entellina , Delia Nivolelli, Eloro , Erice , Etna , Faro, Malvasia delle Lipari , Mamertino di Milazzo or Mamertino, Marsala , Menfi , Monreale , Noto , Pantelleria , Riesi , Salaparuta , Sambuca di Sicilia, Santa Margherita di Belice, Sciacca , Sicilia , Siracusa , Vittoria .

The seven IGT wines in Sicily

Avola, Camarro, Fontanarossa di Cerda, Salemi, Salina, Terre Siciliane, Valle Belice. (As of 2017)

Tuscany

Greve in Chianti vineyards in August

Viticulture in the Val d'Orcia

The Tuscany region covers around 63,633 hectares of vineyards. Just as Bordeaux and Burgundy are the most famous wine-growing regions in France, this is true in Italy - alongside the Piedmont region - for Tuscany. The main grape variety in Tuscany is Sangiovese . In Chianti , the most famous wine in the area, this variety has a share of at least 75%. The very expensive Brunello di Montalcino and the Rosso di Montalcino , often referred to as its little brother, are 100% made from a subspecies of the Sangiovese grape, the Brunello grape, which is also called Sangiovese Grosso .

Cabernet grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc have also been grown on the Mediterranean coast since the late 1960s and early 1970s . What began as an experiment and as a pleasure grew in the following years to the phenomenon of Super Tuscans (Engl. Super Tuscans). The Sassicaia from the Tenuta San Guido winery, for example, was one of the most expensive table wines in the world for many years because these wines did not enjoy DOC status in Tuscany. In the meantime, however, he has been awarded the DOC as Bolgheri, sub-zone Sassicaia. In contrast, the Tignanello from the wineries of the Marchese Antinori, the Ornellaia and the Masseto from the Tenuta dell'Ornellaia and the Monteverro from the winery of the same name are still not DOC wines.

In addition to these red wines, a specialty of Tuscany is Vin Santo . This oxidatively developed dessert wine is mostly made in the sweet (dolce) variant, but semi-sweet (amabile) and dry (secco) with different alcohol and residual sugar content are also produced. Vin Santo is often served with cantuccini , a traditional almond biscuit.

The eleven DOCG wines

Brunello di Montalcino , Carmignano , Chianti (DOCG) , Chianti classico (DOCG) , Elba Aleatico Passito , Montecucco Sangiovese , Morellino di Scansano , Suvereto , Val di Cornia Rosso , Vernaccia di San Gimignano , Vino Nobile di Montepulciano . (As of 2017)

The 41 DOC wines

Ansonica Costa dell'Argentario , Barco Reale di Carmignano , Bianco dell'Empolese , Bianco di Pitigliano , Bolgheri , Bolgheri Sassicaia , Candia dei Colli Apuani , Capalbio , Colli dell'Etruria Centrale , Colli di Luni , Colline Lucchesi , Cortona , Elba , Grance Senesi , Maremma Toscana , Monte Carlo , Montecucco , Monte di Massa Marittima , Montescudaio , Moscadello di Montalcino , Orcia , Parrina , Pomino , Rosso di Montalcino , Rosso di Montepulciano , San Gimignano , San Torpè , Sant'Antimo , Sovana , Terratico di Bibbona , Terre di Casole , Terre di Pisa , Val d'Arbia, Val d'Arno di Sopra or Valdarno di Sopra, Val di Cornia , Valdichiana toscana , Valdinievole , Vin Santo del Chianti , Vin Santo del Chianti Classico , Vin Santo di Carmignano , Vin Santo di Montepulciano . (As of 2017)

The six IGT wines of Tuscany

Alta Valle della Greve, Colli della Toscana centrale, Costa Toscana, Montecastelli, Toscano or Toscana, Val di Magra (as of 2017)

Trentino and South Tyrol

South-Tirol

With around 5300 hectares, South Tyrol is one of the smallest wine-growing regions in Italy. The wines (around 60% white and 40% red wines) are produced by ten winery cooperatives, around 30 private wineries and 100 winegrowers at low cultivation quantities (voluntary reduction), wine prices in the middle segment and with high recognition, especially white wines, in Italy. The proportion of DOC wines is over 90%.

Provided that the defined DOC regulations are complied with, wines from the entire growing area can be marketed with the addition of "South Tyrol" or "South Tyrol". There are also the seven sub-regions "South Tyrol Meraner", "South Tyrol Vinschgau", "South Tyrol Kalterersee", "South Tyrol Terlaner", "South Tyrol Eisacktaler", "South Tyrol Bozner Leiten" and "South Tyrol St. Magdalener " with separate provisions.

Trentino

In Trentino, three giant cooperatives dominate the market and sell most of the wines in the lower price segment. South Tyrolean , Casteller , Kalterer See , Teroldego Rotaliano , Trentino , Trento , Etschtaler and Valdadige Terradeiforti enjoy recognition as DOC areas .

Common DOC areas

“ Kalterersee ” (without the addition “South Tyrol”) can also come from northern Trentino. There is also the hardly used DOC area "Valdadige" ("Etschtal"), which covers large parts of South Tyrol and Trentino.

The four IGT wines

Delle Venezie (also in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region and the Veneto region ), Mitterberg, Vallagarina (also in Veneto) and Vigneti delle Dolomiti or Weinberg Dolomiten (also in Veneto).

Umbria

Wine landscape around Orvieto

The Umbria region is located in the heart of Italy. The capital is Perugia . Viticulture existed in Umbria on both sides of the Tiber even before the Romans at the time of the Etruscans and Umbrians . Archaeological finds and cellars that are over 3000 years old and carved into the volcanic rocks are historical evidence of this. Wine was grown here again from the 1950s. The area of the neighboring region of Tuscany to the west is very similar both in terms of its landscape and climate and soil conditions. The cold months are rainy, the summers are sunny and wind-cooled. Many vineyards have clay and sand soils rich in limestone. The red grape varieties Sagrantino , Sangiovese , Ciliegiolo , Canaiolo and Montepulciano as well as the white Grechetto , Trebbiano and Verdello dominate . The famous Orvieto, which has been in production for centuries, accounts for almost half of the DOC production.

The two DOCG wines in Umbria

Montefalco Sagrantino , Torgiano Rosso Riserva

The 13 DOC wines in Umbria

Amelia , Assisi , Colli Altotiberini , Colli del Trasimeno , Colli Martani , Colli Perugini , Lago di Corbara , Montefalco , Orvieto (Orvieto Classico), Rosso Orvietano , Spoleto , Todi , Torgiano . (As of 2017)

The six IGT wines in Umbria

Allerona, Bettona, Cannara, Narni, Spello, Umbria. (As of 2017)

Veneto

Veneto (Italian 'Veneto') stretches westward to Lake Garda and northward to the Alps and locally to the border with Austria . The capital of the Veneto is Venice. Geographically, Veneto is the most diverse Italian wine-growing region. On the one hand, a third is covered by mountain ranges, on the other hand, the region has extensive rice fields and a large coastal strip in the central plain. Accordingly, Veneto has a wide range of wine styles, which are produced on a vineyard of 75,315 hectares. In 2016, 44,321.76 hectares of quality wines with DOP status (DOC and DOCG wines) were grown.

The few coastal wines are usually meaningless. Almost without exception, white wine is grown in the hilly hinterland. Great wines with expression are rare; However, the Amarone grown in the Valpolicella area is one of the three great red wines in Italy , along with Barolo and Brunello . Ordinary average qualities predominate.

The 14 DOCG wines

Amarone della Valpolicella , Bagnoli Friularo or Friularo di Bagnoli, Bardolino Superiore , Colli di Conegliano , Colli Euganei Fior d'Arancio or Fior d'Arancio, Colli Euganei, Lison , Montello Rosso or Montello, Piave Malanotte or Malanotte del Piave, Colli Asolani-Prosecco or Asolo-Prosecco, Conegliano Valdobbiadene-Prosecco or Conegliano-Prosecco or Valdobbiadene-Prosecco, Recioto della Valpolicella , Recioto di Gambellara , Recioto di Soave , Soave Superiore . (As of 2017)

The 28 DOC wines

Arcole , Bagnoli di Sopra or Bagnoli, Bardolino , Bianco di Custoza or Custoza, Breganze , Colli Berici , Colli Euganei , Corti Benedettine del Padovano , Gambellara , Garda , Lessini Durello or Durello Lessini, Lison-Pramaggiore (also in Friuli-Venezia Giulia) , Lugana (also in Lombardy), Merlara , Montello - Colli Asolani , Monti Lessini , Piave , Prosecco (in the provinces of Belluno, Padova, Treviso, Vicenza, Venezia), Riviera del Brenta , San Martino della Battaglia (also in Lombardy ), Soave , Valdadige or Etschtaler (also in Trentino-South Tyrol), Valdadige Terradeiforti or Terradeiforti (also in Trentino-South Tyrol), Valpolicella , Valpolicella Ripasso , Venezia , Vicenza , Vigneti della Serenissima or Serenissima.

The 10 IGT wines

Alto Livenza (also in Friuli-Venezia Giulia ), Colli Trevigiani, Conselvano, Delle Venezie (also in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and in Trentino-South Tyrol ), Marca Trevigiana, Vallagarina (also in Trentino-South Tyrol), Veneto, Veneto Orientale, Verona or Provincia di Verona or Veronese, Vigneti delle Dolomiti or Weinberg Dolomiten (also in Trentino-South Tyrol). (As of 2016)

Labeling

Translations of the most important label terms:

Italian	German
Abboccato	semi-dry, slightly lovely
Amabile	lovely, usually a little sweeter than Abboccato
Amaro	bitter or very dry
Annata	vintage
Asciutto	very dry, bitter
Aspro	bitter
Bianco	white, vino bianco: white wine
Bordolese	the typical bottle shape of Bordeaux wines
Botte	barrel
Cantina	Winery, also bar
Cantina sociale	Wine cooperative
Cascina	Winery or farm, mainly used in northern Italy
Classico	The wine comes from the most suitable area of a wine-growing region, for example Chianti Classico.
Cerasuolo	cherry red, description of the wine color
Consorzio	regional winegrowers' association
DOC	is a "controlled designation of origin " for wine from Italy
DOCG	"Controlled and guaranteed designation of origin", highest quality level
Dolce	very cute
DOP	protected designation of origin (PDO) . Should actually replace DOC and DOCG. However, these are still permitted and in use.
Ettaro	Hectares
Enologo	Oenologist, cellar master
Fattoria	Winery, expression is very common in central Italy
Fiasco (plural Fiaschi)	bulbous, straw-wrapped bottle
Frizzante	pearly, semi-foaming. A sparkling wine with max. 3 atm. Pressure (see also sparkling wine )
IGP / IGT	Protected geographical indication (PGI), simplest quality level, under DOC and DOCG
Imbottigliato da ...	bottled by ...
Imbottigliato all'origine da ...	Producer bottling of ...
Passito	Wine made from dried grapes
Podere	small winery
Profumo	Scent or smell when describing wine
Riserva	longer stored wine. The minimum duration is specified in the regulations of the wine laws. Usually the duration is about three years.
Rosato	Rose wine
Rosso	red, vino rosso: red wine
Sapore	taste
Secco	dry
Spumante	foaming. A sparkling wine with over 3 bar pressure (see also Frizzante ).
Stravecchio	very long aged wine, such as Marsala common
Tappo	Cork (il vino sa di tappo: the wine cork)
Tappo fungo	Mushroom-shaped corks, mainly used for sparkling wines
Tappo raso	normal cork, commonly used with Prosecco
Tenuta or tenementi	Winery or property
Uva	grape
Vecchio	old, designation of wines with a long storage time; see also Stravecchio
Vendemmia	Vintage or vintage
Vendemmia tardiva	Late harvest
Vigna, Vigneto	Vineyard
Vinicolo	Adjective: wine… - casa vinicola, consorzio vinicolo, produione vinicola, regione vinicola
Viticoltore	Winemaker, winemaker
Vin Santo	holy wine , a dessert wine
Vino d'annata	Vintage wine
Vino da banco or Vino ordinario	simple wine, often barrels
Vino tipico	Country wine
Vino novello	new wine
Vino selezionato	choice
Vino di qualitá	Quality wine
Vino tagliato	Waste
Vino da pasto	Table wine
Vino da tavola	Table wine
Vino sfuso	open wine
Vino tinto	Wine color-enhanced with covering wine
Vino liquoroso	fortified wine
Vite	vine
Vitigno	Grape variety

literature

Jancis Robinson : The Oxford Wine Lexicon . 3rd, revised edition. Gräfe and Unzer Verlag, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-8338-0691-9 .
Burton Anderson: Italy's Wines 2004/05 . Hallwag, Gräfe and Unzer, Munich 2004, ISBN 3-7742-6365-5 .
Jacques Orhon: Le nouveau guide des vins d'Italie . Les editions de l'homme, Montreal 2007, ISBN 978-2-7619-2437-5 .
Steffen Maus : Italy's wine worlds - wine, vino, wine . Gebrüder Kornmayer, 2013, ISBN 978-3-942051-18-7 .
Valeria Camaschella (Ed.): Lexicon of Italian Wines - All DOCG & DOC wines . Hallwag, Gräfe and Unzer, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-7742-0756-9 .
Joseph Bastianich, David Lynch: Vino Italiano. Clarkson Potter / Publishers, New York 2005, ISBN 1-4000-9774-6 .
M. Gily F. Giavedoni: Guida ai vitigni d'Italia. Slow Food Edition, Bra / Italy 2011, ISBN 978-88-8499-242-0 .
André Dominé: Wine. Tandem Verlag, Frankfurt 2008, ISBN 978-3-8331-4611-4 .
Jens Priewe: Italy's great wines. Busse Seewald, Herford 1987, ISBN 3-512-00733-3 .

Web links

Commons : Wines of Italy - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Italian Ministry of Agriculture: Quality levels of Italian wines (Italian)
Italian Ministry of Agriculture: Registered Grape Varieties (Italian)
Mappe e Vini italiani a Denominazioni di Origine (Maps and wines of the Italian DOC and DOCG regions), on federdoc.com (National Confederation of All Denominations), accessed on May 7, 2017
Viticulture in figures 2017. (PDF) In: VQPRD d'Italia 2017. federdoc.com, accessed on May 16, 2018 (Italian).

Individual evidence

^ Crops> Grapes. In: FAO production statistics for 2018. fao.org, accessed on August 3, 2020 .

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae Viticulture in figures 2018. (PDF) In: VQPRD d'Italia 2018. federdoc. com, accessed August 3, 2020 (Italian).

↑ ^a ^b ^c I Vini Italiani a Denominazione D'Origine 2019. (PDF) In: Mappe e Vini italiani a Denominazioni di Origine. federdoc.com, accessed May 28, 2019 (Italian).

^ Provvedimenti generali relativi ai Disciplinari consolidati dei vini DOP e IGP italiani (download page with all consolidated specifications of Italian DOP and IGP wines). (PDF) politicheagricole.it (Italian Ministry of Agriculture), November 27, 2017, accessed on April 28, 2020 (Italian).

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p Overview of all IGP and DOP regulations , at www.ismeamercati.it, (Italian), accessed on June 25, 2018

↑ ^a ^b Homepage I Numbers del Vino

↑ ^a ^b ^c Homepage Unione Italiana Vini

↑ ^a ^b page of the Italian Institute for Statistics ISTAT

↑ Homepage I Numeri del Vino Piemonte , inumeridelvino.it

↑ I vini italiani a Denominazione d'Origine 2019 , page 20, on federdoc.com, accessed on May 1, 2020

^ Institute for Services for the Agricultural and Food Market