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

    Valcalepio DOC

    July 13, 2020 - By 

    Valcalepio DOC is an appellation in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy. It includes white wines, read wines, and also a Passito made with Moscato di Scanzo grape. History/Origin Viticulture in this area has been ongoing since the Roman Era. Pliny the Elder in fact talks about the wines from…

  • WINE

    Terre del Colleoni / Colleoni DOC

    July 13, 2020 - By 

    Terre del Colleoni / Colleoni DOC: Principal White Grape Varieties are Chardonnay, Manzoni Bianco, Moscato, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigioand Red Grape are Cabernet Sauvignon, Franconia, Marzemino, Merlot, Schiava. Alcohol level: 9.0% for Passito (16.0% potential); 11.0% for all other wines We are working on this Terre del Colleoni / Colleoni DOC appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if…

  • WINE

    Sforzato di Valtellina / Sfursat di Valtellina DOCG

    July 13, 2020 - By 

    Sforzato di Valtellina / Sfursat di Valtellina DOCG: is Rosso (Rd): Minimum 90% Nebbiolo (locally Chiavennasca) + OANRG. After harvest, grapes must be dried to achieve a minimum potential alcohol level of 14% and cannot normally be vinified until December 1 Minimum alcohol level: 14.0% and Aging: Minimum 20 months, including 12 months in barrel…

  • WINE

    Moscato di Scanzo DOCG

    July 13, 2020 - By 

    Moscato di Scanzo DOCG is an appellation from Lombardy made from the red Moscato di Scanzo grape. It is usually vinified in the passito style. History/Origin Apparently it has been in the area since the 1300s. A red grape, it is thought to have arrived in the area thanks to…

  • WINE

    San Colombano al Lambro / San Colombano DOC

    July 13, 2020 - By 

    San Colombano al Lambro / San Colombano DOC: Principal White Grape Variety is Chardonnay and the Principal Red Grape Varieties are Barbera, Croatina, Pinot Nero. The Minimum alcohol level is11.0% for Bianco and Rosso; 12.0% for Bianco and Rosso with a vineyard name; 12.5% for Riserva We are working on this San Colombano…

  • WINE

    Riviera del Garda Classico DOC

    July 13, 2020 - By 

    Riviera del Garda Classico DOC: The White Grape Varieties are  Riesling,  Welschriesling (Riesling Italico) and the principal Red Grape Varieties: Groppello The alcohol level is 11.0% for Bianco and Spumante Rosè; 11.5% for Chiaretto, Rosso, and Groppello; 12.0% for Superiore, Valtènesi Chiaretto, and Valtènesi Rosso We are working on this Riviera del Garda Classico…

  • WINE

    Riviera del Garda Bresciano / Garda Bresciano DOC (pre-2017)

    July 13, 2020 - By 

    Riviera del Garda Bresciano / Garda Bresciano DOC (pre-2017): white wines areBianco (Wh): Minimum 80% Riesling and/or Welschriesling (aka Riesling Italico) + OANWG, rosato wines are Chiaretto (Ro): 30–60% Groppello (di Mocasina, di San Stefano, and/or Gentile); 10–25% Sangiovese; 10–20% Barbera; 5–30% Marzemino (locally Berzemino); maximum 10% OAG and red whines…

  • WINE

    Pinot Nero dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC

    July 13, 2020 - By 

    Pinot Nero dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC: Rosso (Rd): Minimum 95% Pinot Nero +OANRG Riserva (Rosso) Minimum alcohol level: 12.0% for Rosso; 12.5% for Riserva Aging: For Riserva, minimum 2 years, including 6 months in barrel (ERD = November 1, V+2) We are working on this Pinot Nero dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC appellation description.Please come back…

  • WINE

    Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Grigio DOC

    July 13, 2020 - By 

    Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Grigio DOC: Bianco (Wh, WhFr): Minimum 85% Pinot Grigio + OANWG  Minimum alcohol level: 10.5% for frizzante (11.0% potential); 11.0% for tranquillo We are working on this Oltrepò Pavese Pinot Grigio DOC appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info atcheers@drinkitalian.com In the…