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:  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 mergers

The 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

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    Vignanello DOC

    Vignanello DOC: It is an appellation from Lazio producing red, white wines.White Grapes are Greco, Trebbiano and Red areSangiovese. Bianco (Wh, WhSw): Minimum 70% Trebbiano (Giallo and/or Toscano); maximum 30% Malvasia (Bianca di Candia and/or del Chianti); maximum 15% OAG; Greco (Wh): Minimum 85% Greco + OAWG; Superiore (Bianco); Rosso (Rd):…

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    Velletri DOC

    Velletri DOC: It is an appellation from Lazio producing red, white, sparkling wines. White Grapes are  Malvasia, Trebbiano and  Red are Cesanese, Montepulciano. Bianco (Wh, WhSw): Minimum 30% Trebbiano (Giallo, Toscano, and/or Verde); maximum 70% Malvasia Bianca di Candia and/or Malvasia del Lazio (locally Malvasia Puntinata); maximum 20% OAWG; Superiore (Bianco); Rosso…

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    Terracina / Moscato di Terracina DOC

    Terracina / Moscato di Terracina DOC: This is an appellation for only white wines in the region of Lazio. White Grape is Moscato. Bianco (Wh, WhSw): Minimum 85% Moscato di Terracina + OAWG; Spumante (WhSp, WhSpSw): 100% Moscato di Terracina; Passito (WhSw): Minimum 85% Moscato di Terracina + OAWG. The Minimum…

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    Tarquinia DOC

    Tarquinia DOC: This is an appellation for only red wines in the region of Lazio. Red Grapes are Montepulciano, Sangiovese. Bianco (Wh, WhFr, WhSw): Minimum 50% Trebbiano Giallo and/or Trebbiano Toscano (locally Procanico); maximum 35% Malvasia (del Lazio and/or di Candia); maximum 30% OAWG (except Pinot Grigi; o)Rosato (Ro); Rosso…

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    Roma DOC

    Roma DOC: It is a very interesting appellation from Lazio producing red, white, rose’ and sparkling wines. White Grapes are  Bellone, Bombino Bianco, Greco, Malvasia, Trebbiano. Red Grapes are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cesanese, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Syrah. The Minimum alcohol level is 11.0% for RomanellaSpumante; 11.5% for Rosato; 12.0% for Bianco secco and white varietals; 12.5% (potential) for Bianco…

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    Nettuno DOC

    Nettuno DOC: It is an appellation from Lazio producing red, white, rose’, wines. White Grapes are Bellone, Trebbiano and Red Grape are Merlot, Sangiovese.; Bianco (Wh, WhFr): 30–70% Bellone (locally Cacchione); 30–50% Trebbiano Toscano; maximum 20% OAWG; Bellone or Cacchione (Wh, WhFr): 85% Bellone + OAG; Rosato (Ro, RoFr): Minimum…

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    Montecompatri-Colonna / Montecompatri / Colonna DOC

    Montecompatri-Colonna / Montecompatri / Colonna DOC: This is an appellation for only white wines in the region of Lazio. White Grapes are  Malvasia, Trebbiano. Bianco (Wh, WhSw, WhFrSw): Minimum 30% Trebbiano (Giallo, Toscano, or Verde); maximum 70% Malvasia (Bianca di Candia and/or del Lazio); maximum 10% Bellone and/or Bombino Bianco. Superiore…

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    Marino DOC

    Marino DOC: This is an appellation for only red/white wines in the region of Lazio. White Grapes are Bellone, Bombino Bianco, Greco, Malvasia, Verdicchio.; Bianco (Wh, WhSw, WhFr, WhFrSw): Minimum 50% Malvasia Bianca di Candia (locally Malvasia Rossa) + OANWG; Bellone (Wh): Minimum 85% Bellone + OANWG; Bombino (Wh): Minimum…

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    IGP Lazio

    IGP Lazio: It is a very interesting appellation from Lazio producing red, white, rose’, dessert and sparkling wines. White Grapes are  Bellone, Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay, Falanghina,  Fiano, Friulano, Grechetto, Greco, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Montonico Bianco, Mostosa, Passerina, Pecorino, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano, Verdello,  Verdicchio,  Vermentino, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico).Red Grapes are Aglianico, Alicante, Barbera, Bombino Nero, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero, Carignano,  Ciliegiolo, Grechetto Rosso, Greco Nero, Merlot, Montepulciano, Nero Buono, Petit Verdot, Pinot Nero, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Sciascinoso, Syrah. The…

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    IGP Frusinate / del Frusinate

    IGP Frusinate / del Frusinate: It is an appellation from Lazio producing red, white, rose’, and dessert wines. White Grapes are Bellone, Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay, Falanghina,  Fiano,  Friulano, Grechetto, Greco, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Montonico Bianco, Moscato, Mostosa, Passerina, Pecorino, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano,  Verdello,  Verdicchio, Vermentino, Vernaccia, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico) Red Grapes are Aglianico, Aleatico, Alicante, Barbera,  Bombino Nero, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon,  Canaiolo Nero, Carignano, Cesanese, Ciliegiolo, Grechetto Rosso, Greco Nero, Merlot, Montepulciano, Nero Buono, Petit Verdot, Pinot…