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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    Delle Venezie DOC

    August 6, 2020 - By 

    Delle Venezie DOC: This is an appellation for only white wines in the regions of Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Trentino. White Grape Varieties are Chardonnay, Friulano, Garganega, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Verduzzo and Wine Composition for Bianco (Wh, WhFr): Minimum 50% Chardonnay, Friulano, Garganega, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Bianco, and/or Verduzzo (Friulano and/or Trevigiano) + OAWG; Pinot…

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    Corti Benedettine del Padovano DOC

    August 6, 2020 - By 

    Corti Benedettine del Padovano DOC: It is a very interesting apellation from Veneto producing red, white, rose’, dessert and sparkling wines. White Grapes are Chardonnay, Friulano,  Moscato, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and  Red are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Merlot, Raboso, Refosco.The Minimum alcohol level is 5.0% for Moscato Spumante (11.0% potential); 10.5% for Bianco…

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    Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG

    August 6, 2020 - By 

    Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG: All sparkling wines from this denomination qualify for the “Superiore” adjective; only the still and frizzante versions do not.  the use of Superiore and Prosecco are optional. Also wines from  Valdobbiadene can drop “Conegliano”, and those from  Conegliano don’t need to include “Valdobbiadene” on the label.…

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    Colli Euganei DOC

    August 6, 2020 - By 

    Colli Euganei DOC: It is an apellation from Veneto producing red, white and sparkling wines.White Grape Varieties:are Chardonnay, Friulano, Garganega, Glera, Manzoni Bianco, Moscato,  Pinella, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc and Principal Red Grape Varieties are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Merlot, Raboso. The Minimum alcohol level is 4.5% for Moscato (10.5% potential); 5.5% for Moscato Spumante (10.5% potential); 10.5% for Chardonnay,…

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    Colli di Conegliano DOCG

    August 6, 2020 - By 

    Colli di Conegliano DOCG: It is an apellation from Veneto producing red, white, dessert wines. White Grapes are Chardonnay, Glera, Manzoni Bianco, Pinot Bianco; Red Grape Varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Marzemino. Wine Composition for Bianco (Wh): Minimum 30% Manzoni Bianco; minimum 30% Pinot Bianco and/or Chardonnay; maximum 10% Sauvignon Blanc and/or Riesling; Rosso…

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    Colli Berici DOC

    August 6, 2020 - By 

    Colli Berici DOC: It is a very interesting apellation from Veneto producing red, white, dessert and sparkling wines. White Grape Varieties are Chardonnay, Friulano, Garganega, Manzoni Bianco, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Red are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Merlot, Pinot Nero, Tai Rosso. The Minimum alcohol level is  10.5% for Bianco; 11.0% for all non-riserva varietals, Rosso, Rosso…

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    Breganze DOC

    August 6, 2020 - By 

    Breganze DOC: It is a very interesting apellation from Veneto producing red, white, dessert and sparkling wines.White Grapes are Chardonnay, Friulano, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio,  Sauvignon Blanc, Vespaiola and Red areCabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Marzemino, Merlot, Pinot Nero. The Minimum alcohol level is 11.0% for Bianco, Rosso, all varietals, and Spumante; 12.0% for Superiore; 14.0% for Torcolato We…

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    Custoza / Bianco di Custoza DOC

    August 6, 2020 - By 

    Custoza / Bianco di Custoza DOC: This is an appellation for only white wines in the region of Veneto. White Grape Varieties are  Cortese, Friulano, Garganega, Trebbiano and Wine Composition is Bianco (Wh): Minimum 70% Cortese (locally Bianca Fernanda), Friulano (aka Tai), Garganega, and/or Trebbiano Toscano, with maximum 45% of any one of…

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    Bardolino Superiore DOCG

    August 6, 2020 - By 

    Bardolino Superiore DOCG: This is an appellation for only red wines in the region of Veneto. This appellation from Veneto lies close to the municipality of Affi, Bardolino, Cavaion, Costermano, Garda, and Lazise. The  Red Grape is Corvina and Wine Composition is Superiore (Rd): 35–80% Corvina and/or Corvinone (maximum 20%…