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

    Irpinia DOC

    Irpinia DOC: It is a very interesting appellation from Campania producing red, white, rose’, dessert and sparkling wines.White Grapes are Coda di Volpe, Falanghina, Fiano, Greco and Red are  Aglianico, Piedirosso, Sciascinoso.Minimum alcohol level is 10.5% for Bianco; 11.0% for white varietals, Rosato, Rosso, and Novello; 11.5% for red varietals and Spumante; 12.0% for Campi Taurasini; 12.0%…

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    IGP Terre del Volturno

    IGP Terre del Volturno: It is an appellation from Campania producing red, white, rose’, wines. White Grapes are  Asprinio, Bellone, Biancolella, Coda di Volpe, Falanghina,  Fiano, Forastera, e Gewürztraminer, Greco, Moscato, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sylvaner Verde, Trebbiano, Verdeca, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico) Red Grapes are Aglianico, Aleatico,  Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Casavecchia, Ciliegiolo, Merlot, Montepulciano, Piedirosso, Pinot Nero, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Sciascinoso, Uva di Troia. Minimum alcohol level is 10.0% for amabile and frizzante versions of…

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    IGP Roccamonfina

    IGP Roccamonfina: It is a very interesting appellation from Campania producing red, white, rose’, dessert wines. White Grapes are Asprinio, Bellone, Biancolella, Coda di Volpe, Falanghina,  Fiano, Forastera, Gewürztraminer, Greco, Moscato, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sylvaner Verde, Trebbiano, Verdeca, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico) Red Grapes are Aglianico,  Aleatico, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Casavecchia, Ciliegiolo, Merlot, Montepulciano, Piedirosso, Pinot Nero, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Sciascinoso, Uva di Troia. his appellation from Campania lies close to the city of Caserta. Minimum alcohol…

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    IGP Pompeiano

    IGP Pompeiano: It is a very interesting apellation from Campania producing red, white, rose’, dessert wines.White Grapes are Asprinio, Biancolella, Bombino Bianco, Coda di Volpe,   Falanghina, Fiano, Forastera, Greco, Guarnaccia, Montonico Bianco, Moscato, Trebbiano, Verdeca Red Grapes are Aglianico, Aleatico, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Greco Nero,  Merlot,  Montepulciano, Piedirosso, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Sciascinoso. Minimum alcohol level is  10.0% for Bianco normale; 10.5% for Rosso, all frizzante wines, and all sweet (amabile)…

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    IGP Paestum

    IGP Paestum: It is a very interesting apellation from Campania producing red, white, rose’, dessert wines.White Grape Varieties: Asprinio, Biancolella, Bombino Bianco, Coda di Volpe,  Falanghina, Fiano, Forastera, Greco, Malvasia, Montonico Bianco, Moscato, Trebbiano, Verdeca. Red Grape Varieties: Aglianico, Aleatico, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cesanese, Malvasia Nera, Merlot, Montepulciano, Piedirosso, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Sciascinoso. This appellation from Campania lies close to the city of Salerno. Minimum alcohol level is 10.0% for Bianco normale; 10.5% for Rosso,…

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    IGP Epomeo

    IGP Epomeo: It is a very interesting apellation from Campania producing red, white, rose’, dessert  wines. White Grapes are  Asprinio, Biancolella, Bombino Bianco, Coda di Volpe,  Falanghina, Fiano, Forastera, Greco, Guarnaccia, Montonico Bianco, Moscato, Trebbiano, Verdeca. Red Grapes are  Aglianico, Aleatico, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Greco Nero, Merlot,  Montepulciano, Piedirosso, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Sciascinoso.This appellation from Campania lies close to the Island of Ischia. Minimum alcohol level is10.0% for…

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    IGP Colli di Salerno

    IGP Colli di Salerno: It is a very interesting apellation from Campania producing red, white, rose’, dessert wines.  White Grapes are Asprinio, Biancolella, Bombino Bianco, Coda di Volpe,  Falanghina, Fiano, Forastera, Greco, Malvasia, Montonico Bianco, Moscato, Trebbiano, Verdeca. Red Grapes are  Aglianico, Aleatico, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cesanese, Malvasia Nera, Merlot, Montepulciano, Piedirosso, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Sciascinoso. This appellation from Campania lies close to the city of Salerno. The Minimum alcohol level is…

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    IGP Catalanesca del Monte Somma

    IGP Catalanesca del Monte Somma: This is an appellation for only white wines in the region of Campania. Bianco (Wh): Minimum 85% Catalanesca Bianca + OAG; Passito (WhSw): Minimum 85% Catalanesca Bianca + OAG. This appellation from Campania lies close to the city of Napoli. Alcohol level is Minimum 12.0%…

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    IGP Campania

    IGP Campania: It is a very interesting apellation from Campania producing red, white, rose’, dessert wines. White Grapes are Asprinio, Bellone, Biancolella, Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay,  Coda di Volpe, Falanghina, Fiano, Forastera, Gewürztraminer, Greco, Guarnaccia, Malvasia, Montonico Bianco, Moscato, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sylvaner Verde, Trebbiano, Verdeca,  Welschriesling (Riesling Italico). Red Grapes…

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    IGP Benevento / Beneventano

    IGP Benevento / Beneventano: It is a very interesting apellation from Campania producing red, white, rose’, dessert wines.White Grapes  Asprinio, Biancolella, Chardonnay, Coda di Volpe, Falanghina, Fiano, Forastera, Greco, Malvasia, Moscato, Trebbiano, Verdeca. Red Grape Varieties are Aglianico, Aleatico, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lambrusco, Merlot, Montepulciano,  Piedirosso, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Sciascinoso, Uva di Troia.This appellation from Campania lies close to the city of Benevento. Minimum alcohol level is 10.0% for Bianco and white…