WINE
Learn about Italian Wines!
This page is an essential guide to Italian Wines and collects all the articles about wines, appellations, and grape varieties. Italian Wines are classified into 526 Denominations, spread in 20 regions: 75 DOCGs, 333 DOCs, and 118 IGPs. Everybody has heard of Barolo, Brunello, Chianti, and Amarone. If you are an intermediate taster, you may know about Cortese, Vermentino, Aglianico, maybe Orvieto, and Verdicchio.
But who knows about Vitoska, Vespolina, Biancolella, and Tintilia? You will, if you want, by reading this guide.
Facts and figures
-- The Italian wine scene is composed of about 310,000 farms, an average of 2 hectares cultivated per farm, and just over 45,000 wine-making companies -- AGEA (Agency for Agriculture Subsidy) data: in 2015, 76% of the wineries produced less than 100 hectoliters of wine per year, 17% between 101 and 1,000 hectoliters, 5% between 1,001 and 10,000 hectoliters, and 1% between 10,001 and 100,000 hectoliters -- This confirms the tendency towards fragmentation and the prevalence of small and medium-sized entities -- The vast majority comes from the larger companies: in 2015, 77.5% was produced by companies that vinified more than 10,001 hectoliters per year -- Three fundamental categories:Â Family-run wineries, widespread in the areas with the greatest winemaking traditions; Cooperatives, that cover 60% of wine production in Italy; Large estates and industries, historic Tuscan, Venetian, and Piedmontese wine families, grown considerably through acquisitions and mergersThe Essential Guide to Italian Wines
You will see the most recent articles on the top of the page. However, you can find the topic that you would like to learn about by:
--> using the search tool --> using the tags: they are by region, by type, and by grape variety-
Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC
Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC: This is an appellation for only dessert wines in the region of Tuscany. White Grape are Malvasia, Trebbiano and Red Grape isSangioveseStyles and Wine Composition: Vin Santo (Wh, WhSw): Minimum 75% Malvasia Bianca Lunga and/or Trebbiano Toscano; maximum 25% OAWG; Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice (RoSw): Minimum 50% Sangiovese + OAG; Riserva (Vin Santo, Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice). The Minimum alcohol level is 13.0% (16.0% potential) We are working on this Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info atcheers@drinkitalian.com In the meantime, if you are in the mood for a good book, you can…
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Vin Santo del Chianti DOC
Vin Santo del Chianti DOC: This is an appellation for only dessert wines in the region of Tuscany. Principal White Grapes are Malvasia, Trebbiano and Red are SangioveseStyles and Wine Composition: Vin Santo (Wh, WhSw): Minimum 70% Malvasia Bianca Lunga and/or Trebbiano Toscano + OAG; Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice (RoSw): Minimum 50% Sangiovese + OAG; Riserva (Vin Santo). The Minimum alcohol level: 13.0% for Vin Santo (15.5% potential; 16.0% potential for subzones); 14.0% for Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice (16.5% potential; 17.0% potential for subzones) We are working on this Vin Santo del Chianti DOC appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info atcheers@drinkitalian.com In…
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Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC
Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC: This is an appellation for only dessert wines in the region of Tuscany. White Grape are Malvasia, Trebbiano and Red Grape are SangioveseStyles and Wine Composition: Vin Santo (Wh, WhSw): Minimum 60% Malvasia Bianca Lunga (aka Malvasia del Chianti) and/or Trebbiano Toscano + OAG; Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice (RoSw): Minimum 80% Sangiovese + OAG. The Minimum alcohol level is 12.0% (16.0% potential) We are working on this Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info atcheers@drinkitalian.com In the meantime, if you are in the mood for a good book, you can try:– The…
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Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG: This is an appellation for only white wines in the region of Tuscany. White Grape is Vernaccia and Wine Composition: Bianco (Wh): Minimum 85% Vernaccia di San Gimignano + OANWG (maximum 10% Riesling and/or Sauvignon Blanc); Riserva (Bianco). The Minimum alcohol level is 11.5% for Bianco; 12.5% for Riserva We are working on this Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info atcheers@drinkitalian.com In the meantime, if you are in the mood for a good book, you can try:– The Modern History of Italian Wine by Walter Filipputti– Hidden Gems of Italy: An Insider’s Secret Formula To…
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Valdinievole DOC
Valdinievole DOC: It is an appellation from Tuscany producing red, white, wines. White Grape is Trebbiano and Red areCanaiolo Nero, Sangiovese.Wine Composition: Bianco (Wh): Minimum 70% Trebbiano Toscano + OAWG; Superiore (Bianco); Rosso (Rd): Minimum 70% Canaiolo Nero and/or Sangiovese (minimum 35% Sangiovese and 20% Canaiolo Nero) + OAG (maximum 10% OAWG); Sangiovese (Rd): Minimum 85% Sangiovese + OAG (maximum 5% OAWG); Superiore (Rosso); Vin Santo or Vinsanto (Wh, WhSw): Minimum 70% Trebbiano Toscano + OAWG. The Minimum alcohol level is 11.0% for Bianco; 11.5% for Bianco Superiore; 12.0% for Rosso; 12.5% for Sangiovese and Rosso Superiore; 17.0% (potential) for Vin Santo We are working on this Valdinievole DOC appellation description.Please come…
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Valdichiana Toscana DOC
Valdichiana Toscana DOC: It is a very interesting appellation from Tuscany producing red, white, dessert and sparkling wines. White Grapes are Chardonnay, Grechetto, Malvasia, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Trebbiano and Red are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah. The Minimum alcohol level is 10.0% for Bianco; 10.5% for Chardonnay, Grechetto, and Rosato; 11.0% for Rosso, Sangiovese, and Spumante; 15.0% (potential) for Vin Santo We are working on this Valdichiana Toscana DOC appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info atcheers@drinkitalian.com In the meantime, if you are in the mood for a good book, you can try:– The Modern History of Italian Wine by Walter Filipputti– Hidden Gems of Italy: An Insider’s Secret Formula To Find…
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Val di Cornia Rosso / Rosso della Val di Cornia DOCG
Val di Cornia Rosso / Rosso della Val di Cornia DOCG: This is an appellation for only red wines in the region of Tuscany.Red Grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Wine Composition:Rosso (Rd): Minimum 40% Sangiovese; maximum 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot; maximum 20% OARG; Riserva (Rosso); The Minimum alcohol level is 12.5% for Rosso; 13.0% for Riserva We are working on this Val di Cornia Rosso / Rosso della Val di Cornia DOCG appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info atcheers@drinkitalian.com In the meantime, if you are in the mood for a good book, you can try:– The Modern History of Italian Wine by Walter…
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Val di Cornia DOC
Val di Cornia DOC: It is a very interesting appellation from Tuscany producing red, white, rose’, dessert wines. White Grapes are Ansonica, Malvasia, Trebbiano, Vermentino, ViognierPrincipal Red Grapes are Aleatico, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ciliegiolo, Merlot, Sangiovese. The Minimum alcohol level is 11.0% for Bianco and Rosato; 11.5% for Ansonica and Vermentino; 12.0% for red varietals; 12.0% for Passito (16.0% potential); 12.5% for Superiore We are working on this Val di Cornia DOC appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info atcheers@drinkitalian.com In the meantime, if you are in the mood for a good book, you can try:– The Modern History of Italian Wine by Walter Filipputti– Hidden Gems of Italy: An Insider’s Secret Formula To Find…
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Val d’Arno di Sopra / Valdarno di Sopra DOC
Val d’Arno di Sopra / Valdarno di Sopra DOC: It is a very interesting appellation from Tuscany producing red, white, rose’, dessert and sparkling wines.White Grapes are Chardonnay, Malvasia, Sauvignon Blanc. Red Grapes are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Malvasia Nera, Merlot, Pugnitello, Sangiovese, Syrah. The Minimum alcohol level is 10.0% for Vendemmia Tardiva (15.0% potential); 11.0% for Spumante bianco; 11.5% for non-subzone Bianco, Rosato, and Rosato Spumante; 12.0% for non-subzone Rosso and all varietals; 12.5% for Bianco and Rosso from subzones; 16.0% (potential) for Passito We are working on this Val d’Arno di Sopra / Valdarno di Sopra DOC appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info atcheers@drinkitalian.com In the meantime, if you are in the…
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Val d’Arbia DOC
Val d’Arbia DOC: It is a very interesting appellation from Tuscany producing white, rose’, dessert wines. White Grapes are Chardonnay, Grechetto, Malvasia, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano, Vermentino and Red is Sangiovese. The Minimum alcohol level is 10.5% for Bianco and Trebbiano; 11.0% for varietals except Trebbiano and for Rosato; 12.0% for Vin Santo (16.0% potential) We are working on this Val d’Arbia DOC appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info atcheers@drinkitalian.com In the meantime, if you are in the mood for a good book, you can try:– The Modern History of Italian Wine by Walter Filipputti– Hidden Gems of Italy: An Insider’s Secret Formula To Find Top-Class Italian Wines At Value…
