Colline Joniche Tarantine DOC: White Grape are Chardonnay, VerdecaRed Grape are Cabernet Sauvignon, Primitivo- Bianco (Wh): Minimum 50% Chardonnay + OANWG; Verdeca (Wh): Minimum 85% Verdeca + OANWG; Rosato (Ro): Minimum 50% Cabernet Sauvignon + OANRG; Rosso (Rd): Minimum 50% Cabernet Sauvignon + OANRG; Primitivo (Rd, RdSw): Minimum 85% Primitivo +…
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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Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva DOCG
Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva DOCG: Red Grape is Uva di TroiaRiserva (Rd): Minimum 65% Uva di Troia (locally Nero di Troia) + OANRG; Minimum alcohol level is 13.0% We are working on this Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva DOCG appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are…
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Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva DOCG
Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva DOCG: Red Grape is Uva di TroiaRiserva (Rd): Minimum 90% Uva di Troia + OANRG. The Minimum alcohol level: 13.0% We are working on this Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva DOCG appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking…
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Castel del Monte DOC
Castel del Monte DOC is a Italian Wine Appellation in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, in Puglia. White Grapes are: Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc; Red Grapes are Aglianico, Bombino Nero, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Montepulciano, Pampanuto, Uva di Troia. The Minimum alcohol level: 10.5% for Bianco tranquillo, white varietals (tranquillo and frizzante), and Aglianico Rosato frizzante; 11.0% for…
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Castel del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG
Castel del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG: Red Grape is Bombino NeroRosato (Ro): Minimum 90% Bombino Nero + OAN. The Minimum alcohol level is 12.0% We are working on this Castel del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info atcheers@drinkitalian.com…
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Brindisi DOC
Brindisi DOC: White Grapes are Chardonnay, Fiano, Malvasia, Sauvignon Blancand Red Grapes are Malvasia Nera, Negroamaro, SusumanielloBianco (Wh): Minimum 80% Chardonnay and/or Malvasia + OAWG; Chardonnay (Wh): Minimum 90% Chardonnay + OANWG; Fiano (Wh): Minimum 90% Fiano + OANWG; Malvasia Bianca (Wh): Minimum 90% Malvasia + OANWG; Sauvignon (Wh): Minimum 90% Sauvignon Blanc + OANWG; Rosato…
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Barletta DOC
Barletta DOC: White Grape is Malvasia and Red Grape is Uva di TroiaBianco (Wh, WhFr): Minimum 60% Malvasia Bianca + OANWG. Malvasia Bianca (Wh, WhFr): Minimum 90% Malvasia + OAWG. Rosato (Ro, RoFr): Minimum 70% Uva di Troia + OANRG. Rosso (Rd): Minimum 70% Uva di Troia + OANRG. Uva di…
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Alezio DOC
Alezio DOC:Red Grape is NegroamaroRosato (Rd): Minimum 80% Negroamaro; maximum 20% Malvasia Nera, Sangiovese, and/or Montepulciano. Rosso (Rd): Minimum 80% Negroamaro; maximum 20% Malvasia Nera, Sangiovese, and/or Montepulciano. Riserva (Rosso) Minimum alcohol level is 12.0% for Rosato and Rosso; 12.5% for Riserva We are working on this Alezio DOC appellation…
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Aleatico di Puglia DOC
Aleatico di Puglia DOC:Red Grape is AleaticoDolce Naturale (RdSw): Minimum 85% Aleatico; maximum 15% Malvasia Nera, Negroamaro, and/or Primitivo. Liquoroso (RdFoSw): Minimum 85% Aleatico; maximum 15% Malvasia Nera, Negroamaro, and/or Primitivo. Riserva (Dolce Naturale, Liquoroso) The Minimum alcohol level is 13.0% for Dolce Naturale (15.0% potential); 16.0% for Liquoroso (18.5%…
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Sardegna Semidano DOC
Sardegna Semidano DOC: White Grape is SemidanoBianco (Wh): Minimum 85% Semidano + OANWG, Superiore (Bianco), Spumante (WhSp, WhSpSw): Minimum 85% Semidano + OANWG, Passito (WhSw): Minimum 85% Semidano + OANWG Production area is Mogoro. The Minimum alcohol level: 11.0% for Bianco; 11.5% for Bianco from subzone Mogoro and Spumante; 13.0% for Superiore;…