Discover Botticino DOC wine from Lombardy—an elegant Italian red with bold structure and alpine terroir. Learn about grapes, pairing, where to buy, and more.
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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Amarone Wine Guide: Complete Guide to Italy’s Famous Dried Grape Red
Discover Amarone wine — Veneto’s legendary dried-grape red. Learn about its history, grapes, winemaking, producers, prices, vintages, tasting notes, pairings, and where to buy, in this complete 2025 guide. What is Amarone Wine? Amarone della Valpolicella is Italy’s iconic dried-grape red wine, made in the hills of Veneto near Verona.…
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How a winery can be more environmentally friendly: Cantina Pizzolato
Prosecco week was held from 18 to 24 July 2022 in the United States of America celebrating one of the most famous wines in the world, Prosecco. Many featured events animated the whole country, from the West Coast to the East Coast. Among the participating wineries, Cantina Pizzolato presented their…
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IGP Spello
IGP Spello: It is a very interesting apellation from Umbria producing red, white, rose’wines. White Grapes are Albana, Bellone, Biancame, Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay, Falanghina, Fiano, Friulano, Garganega, Gewürztraminer, Grechetto, Greco, Maceratino, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Montonico Bianco, Moscato, Mostosa, Müller-Thurgau, Passerina, Pecorino, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Sylvaner Verde, Trebbiano, Verdello, Verdicchio, Vermentino, Vernaccia, Viognier, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico) Red Grapes are Aglianico, Aleatico, Alicante, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero, Carignano, Cesanese, Ciliegiolo, Dolcetto, Gaglioppo, Gamay, Grechetto Rosso, Lacrima, Malbec, Malvasia Nera, Merlot, Montepulciano, Nero d’Avola (Calabrese), Pinot Nero, Primitivo, Rebo, Refosco, Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Syrah, Vernaccia Nera. alcohol level: 10.0% We are working on this IGP…
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Verduno Pelaverga / Verduno DOC
Verduno Pelaverga / Verduno DOC: This is an appellation for only red wines. Red Grapes are Pelaverga Piccolo. Wine Composition: Rosso (Rd): Minimum 85% Pelaverga Piccolo + OANRG. The Minimum alcohol level is 11.0% We are working on this Verduno Pelaverga / Verduno DOC appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an…
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Valsusa DOC
Valsusa DOC: This is an appellation for only red wines. White Grape is Baratuciat and Red Grapes are Avanà, Barbera, Becuet, Dolcetto, Neretta CuneeseWine Composition: Rosso (Rd): Minimum 60% Avanà, Barbera, Becuet, Dolcetto, and/or Neretta Cuneese + OANRG; Avanà (Rd): Minimum 85% Avanà + OARG; Becuet (Rd): Minimum 85% Becuet + OARG: Novello (Rosso); Baratuciat…
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Valli Ossolane DOC
Valli Ossolane DOC: It is the Northernmost appellation in Piedmont, close to Valle d’Aosta and the Italian border with France. It includes white wines made with min. 60% Chardonnay and red wines with Nebbiolo and/or Croatina and/or Merlot (min 60%). We are working on this Valli Ossolane DOC appellation description.Please come…
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Terre Alfieri DOC
Terre Alfieri DOC: It is an appellation from Piedmont producing red, white, wines. White Grape IS Arneis and Red Grape Varieties is Nebbiolo Wine Composition is Arneis (Wh): Minimum 85% Arneis + OANWG; Nebbiolo (Rd): Minimum 85% Nebbiolo + OANRG. The Minimum alcohol level is 11.5% for Arneis or 12.0% if…
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Strevi DOC
Strevi DOC: This is an appellation for only red wines. White Grape is Moscato. Wine Composition:Passito (WhSw): 100% Moscato Bianco. Minimum alcohol level: 12.5% (20.0% potential); 13.0% if a vineyard is named (20.0% potential) We are working on this Strevi DOC appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are…
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Sizzano DOC
Sizzano DOC: This red wine is produced in the Northern part of Piedmont in the Novara province. It is made with Nebbiolo (min 50%-max 70%) which is called Spanna in that area. It can also include Vespolina and/or Uva Rara (30% to 50%) and other autorized red varieties. We are working…