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

  • WINE

    IGP Veneto Orientale

    IGP Veneto Orientale: It is an apellation from Veneto producing red, white, rose’, wines. White Grapes are  Bianchetta Trevigiana, Chardonnay, Friulano,  Gewürztraminer, Glera,  Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Marzemina Bianca, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Verduzzo, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico). Red Grapes are Ancellotta,  Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Corbina,…

  • WINE

    IGP Veneto

    IGP Veneto: It is an appellation from Veneto producing red, white, rose’ and dessert wines.  White Grapes are  Bianchetta Trevigiana, Chardonnay, Cortese, Durella, Friulano, Garganega,  Gewürztraminer, Glera, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Marzemina Bianca, Moscato, Müller-Thurgau, Nosiola, Pinella, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner Verde,  Trebbiano, Verduzzo, Vespaiola, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico). Red Grapes are  Ancellotta, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Casetta, Cavrara,  Ciliegiolo,  Corbina, Corvina, Croatina, Franconia, Freisa, Groppello, Lagrein, Lambrusco, Malbec, Marzemino, Merlot, Molinara, Petit Verdot, Pinot Nero, Raboso, Rebo, Recantina, Refosco,  Rondinella, Sangiovese, Schiava, Syrah, Tai Rosso, Teroldego, Turchetta. The Minimum alcohol level is  9.0% for…

  • WINE

    IGT Trevenezie

    IGT Trevenezie: It is an appellation from the regions of Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Trentino, producing red, white, rose’ wines. White Grapes are Bianchetta Trevigiana, Chardonnay, Cortese, Durella,  Friulano, Garganega,  Gewürztraminer, Glera, Kerner, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Marzemina Bianca, Moscato, Müller-Thurgau, Nosiola, Picolit, Pinella, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc,  Semillon, Sylvaner Verde, Trebbiano, Verduzzo, Vespaiola, Vitovska, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico). Red Grapes are Ancellotta, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère,  Casetta, Cavrara, Ciliegiolo, Corbina, Corvina, Croatina, Franconia, Freisa, Gamay, Groppello, Lagrein, Lambrusco, Malbec, Marzemino, Merlot, Molinara, Moscato Rosa, Petit Verdot,  Pignolo, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Nero, Raboso, Rebo, Recantina, Refosco, Rondinella, Sangiovese, Schiava, Schioppettino, Syrah, Tai…

  • WINE

    IGP Marca Trevigiana

    IGP Marca Trevigiana is an appellation from Veneto producing red, white, rose’, wines. White Grapes are Bianchetta Trevigiana, Chardonnay, Friulano,  Gewürztraminer,  Glera,  Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Marzemina Bianca, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Verduzzo, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico). Red Grapes are  Ancellotta,  Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Corbina, Franconia, Lambrusco, Malbec, Marzemino, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Nero, Raboso,  Rebo,  Recantina, Refosco,  Syrah, Tai Rosso, Turchetta. Minimum alcohol level…

  • WINE

    IGP delle Venezie (pre-2017)

    IGP delle Venezie (pre-2017): It is an appellation from the regions of Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Trentino, producing red, white, rose’ wines. Wine Composition: Bianco (Wh, WhFr): Any proportions of white grape varieties approved for the production are; Varietals (Wh, WhFr): Minimum 85% of any one of the allowed white grape…

  • WINE

    IGP Conselvano

    IGP Conselvano; It is an apellation from Veneto producing red, white, rose’, wines. White Grape Varieties are Chardonnay, Friulano, Garganega, Glera, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco,  Marzemina Bianca, Moscato, Pinella, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico) Red Grape Varieties are Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Cavrara, Corbina, Malbec, Marzemino, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Nero, Raboso, Refosco, Syrah, Turchetta. The Minimum alcohol level is 9.0% for Bianco, white varietals, Rosato, and rosato varietals;…

  • WINE

    IGP Colli Trevigiani

    IGP Colli Trevigiani: It is an apellation from Veneto producing red, white, rose’, wines.White Grape Varieties are  Bianchetta Trevigiana, Chardonnay, Friulano, Gewürztraminer,  Glera,  Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Marzemina Bianca, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Verduzzo, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico) Red Grape Varieties are Ancellotta, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Corbina, Franconia, Lambrusco, Malbec, Marzemino, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Nero, Raboso,  Rebo, Recantina,  Refosco, Syrah, Tai Rosso, Turchetta. The Minimum alcohol level is 9.0% for Bianco, white varietals, Rosato,…

  • WINE

    IGT Alto Livenza

    IGT Alto Livenza: It is an appellation from the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, producing red, white, and rosé wines. White Grape Varieties are  Bianchetta Trevigiana, Chardonnay, Friulano, Gewürztraminer, Glera,  Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Marzemina Bianca, Moscato, Müller-Thurgau, Picolit, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Ribolla Gialla, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Verduzzo, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico) Red Grape Varieties are Ancellotta, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, CabernetSauvignon, Carmenère, Corbina, Franconia, Lambrusco, Malbec, Marzemino, Merlot, Moscato Rosa, Petit Verdot, Pignolo, Pinot Nero, Raboso, Rebo, Refosco, Syrah, Tai Rosso, Terrano, Turchetta. The Minimum alcohol level…

  • WINE

    Garda DOC

    Garda DOC: It is a very interesting apellation from Veneto producing red, white, rose’, dessert and sparkling wines. White Grapes are Chardonnay, Cortese, Garganega, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico).  Red Grape Varieties are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Corvina, Marzemino, Merlot, Pinot Nero. The Minimum alcohol level is 10% for frizzante wines (10.5% potential); 10.5% for still white varietals…

  • WINE

    Gambellara DOC

    Gambellara DOC: This is an appellation for only white wines in the region of Veneto. White Grape is Garganega and Wine Composition for Bianco (Wh): Minimum 80% Garganega; maximum 20% Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and/or Trebbiano; Superiore (Bianco); Spumante (WhSp): Minimum 80% Garganega; maximum 20% Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and/or Trebbiano; Vin Santo…