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 Terre Aquilane / Terre de L’Aquila

    IGP Terre Aquilane / Terre de L’Aquila: White Grapes areBarbera Bianca,  Biancame, Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay, Cococciola,  Falanghina, Fiano,  Friulano,  Garganega, Gewürztraminer, Grechetto, Greco, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco,  Montonico Bianco, Moscato, Mostosa, Passerina, Pecorino, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner Verde, Trebbiano,  Verdicchio,  Vermentino, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico)and Red Grape Varieties are Aglianico, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Dolcetto, Gaglioppo,  Malbec,  Marzemino,  Merlot, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Nero d’Avola (Calabrese), Pinot Nero, Primitivo,  Refosco, Sangiovese, Syrah. Alcohol level: 11.0% for Bianco, Pinot…

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    IGP del Vastese / Histonium

    IGP del Vastese / Histonium: White Grape : Barbera Bianca, Biancame, Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay, Cococciola, Falanghina, Fiano, Friulano, Garganega, Gewürztraminer, Grechetto, Greco, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Montonico Bianco, Moscato,  Mostosa, Passerina, Pecorino, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner Verde, Trebbiano, Verdicchio, Vermentino, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico)Red Grape: Aglianico, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero,  Ciliegiolo, Dolcetto, Gaglioppo, Malbec, Marzemino, Merlot, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo,  Nero d’Avola  (Calabrese), Pinot Nero, Primitivo, Refosco, Sangiovese, Syrah. Alcohol level: 10.0% for Bianco; 10.5% for Rosato and Rosso; 11.0% for Novello and all varietals; 12.0% for Bianco Passito…

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    IGP Colline Teatine

    IGP Colline Teatine: White Grape Varieties are  Barbera Bianca,  Biancame,  Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay,  Cococciola,  Falanghina, Fiano,  Friulano,  Garganega,  Gewürztraminer, Grechetto,  Greco, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Montonico Bianco,  Moscato,  Mostosa, Passerina, Pecorino, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio,  Riesling,  Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner Verde, Trebbiano, Verdicchio, Vermentino, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico) and Red Grape are Aglianico, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero,  Ciliegiolo, Dolcetto,  Gaglioppo, Malbec,  Marzemino,  Merlot,  Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Nero d’Avola (Calabrese), Pinot Nero,  Primitivo,  Refosco, Sangiovese, Syrah. Alcohol…

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    IGP Colline Pescaresi

    IGP Colline Pescaresi: White Grape are Barbera Bianca, Biancame, Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay, Cococciola, Falanghina, Fiano, Garganega, Gewürztraminer, Grechetto, Greco, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Montonico Bianco, Moscato,  Mostosa,  Passerina, Pecorino, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner Verde, Trebbiano, Verdicchio, Vermentino, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico)and  Red Grape are  Aglianico, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon,  Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Dolcetto,  Gaglioppo, Malbec,  Marzemino,  Merlot,  Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Nero d’Avola (Calabrese), Pinot Nero, Primitivo,  Refosco, Sangiovese, Syrah. The alcohol level is 10.0% for Bianco; 10.5% for Rosato and Rosso; 11.0% for Novello and…

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    IGP Colline Frentane

    IGP Colline Frentane: White Grapes are Barbera Bianca, Biancame, Bombino Bianco,  Chardonnay, Cococciola, Falanghina, Fiano, Friulano, Garganega,  Gewürztraminer,  Grechetto, Greco, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Montonico Bianco, Moscato,  Mostosa, Passerina, Pecorino, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner Verde, Trebbiano, Verdicchio, Vermentino, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico) and Red Grapeare Aglianico, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Dolcetto, Gaglioppo,  Malbec, Marzemino,  Merlot,  Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Nero d’Avola (Calabrese), Pinot Nero,  Primitivo, Refosco, Sangiovese, Syrah. Alcohol level: 10.0% for Bianco; 10.5% for Rosato and Rosso; 11.0% for Novello and all varietals; 12.0%…

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    IGP Colli del Sangro

    IGP Colli del Sangro:White Grape: Barbera Bianca, Biancame, Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay, Cococciola, Falanghina, Fiano, Friulano, Garganega, Gewürztraminer, Grechetto, Greco, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Montonico Bianco,  Moscato,  Mostosa, Passerina, Pecorino, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner Verde, Trebbiano, Verdicchio, Vermentino, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico). Red Grape: Aglianico, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet…

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    IGP Colli Aprutini

    IGP Colli Aprutini: The White Grape Varieties are Barbera Bianca, Biancame, Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay,  Cococciola,  Falanghina, Fiano,  Friulano, Garganega, Gewürztraminer, Grechetto, Greco, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Montonico Bianco, Moscato, Mostosa, Passerina, Pecorino, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sylvaner Verde, Trebbiano,  Verdicchio,  Vermentino,  Welschriesling (Riesling Italico) and the Red are Aglianico, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Dolcetto, Gaglioppo, Malbec, Marzemino, Merlot, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Nero d’Avola (Calabrese), Pinot Nero, Primitivo, Refosco, Sangiovese, Syrah. The alcohol level is10.0% for Bianco; 10.5% for Rosato and Rosso; 11.0% for Novello and…

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    Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOCG

    Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOCG: Red Grape is Montepulciano. Rosso (Rd): Minimum 90% Montepulciano; maximum 10% Sangiovese and Riserva (Rosso). Minimum alcohol level: 12.5% We are working on this Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOCG appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info atcheers@drinkitalian.com In…

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    Valdadige / Etschtaler DOC

    Valdadige / Etschtaler DOC: A cross-regional corridor (Trentino–Alto Adige–Veneto) along the Adige River, producing clean, alpine-inflected whites (Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay) and light reds (Schiava, Teroldego, Lagrein, Pinot Nero). This appellation from Veneto allows the production of red, white, rosé, and frizzante wines. We are working on this Valdadige / Etschtaler…

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    Trento DOC

    Trento DOC is a Italian wine appellation only for sparkling wines. It is cultivated close to the town of Trento in the region of Trentino Alto Adige. Their claim is “Bollicine di Montagna”, which translates into “Sparkling wine from the mountains”.They are produced with the Metodo Classico, which implies the…