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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    IGP Liguria di Levante

    IGP Liguria di Levante: White Grapes are Albana, Albarola, Bianchetta Genovese, Bosco, Greco, Malvasia, Moscato, Pigato, Rossese Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc, Scimiscià, Trebbiano, Vermentino and Red Grape Varieties are Albarossa,  Alicante, Barbera, Barsaglina, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Dolcetto, Merlot, Rossese, Syrah, Vermentino Nero. The Minimum alcohol level is  10.5% for Bianco, white varietals, Rosato, and red varietals; 11.5% for Rosso; 13.5% for Passito (15.0% potential) We are working on this IGP Liguria…

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    IGP Colline Savonesi

    IGP Colline Savonesi: White Grapes are Albana, Albarola, Bianchetta Genovese, Bosco, Greco, Lumassina, Malvasia, Moscato, Pigato, Sauvignon Blanc,  Trebbiano, Vermentino and  Red are Albarossa, Alicante, Barbera, Cabernet Franc,  Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Dolcetto, Merlot,  Rossese,  Sangiovese, Syrah. The zone of production is the  Hilly parts of the province of Savona.…

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    IGP Colline del Genovesato

    IGP Colline del Genovesato: White Grapes are Albana, Albarola, Bianchetta Genovese, Bosco, Greco, Malvasia, Moscato, Pigato, Rossese Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc, Scimiscià, Trebbiano, Vermentinoand Red Grapes are Albarossa, Alicante, Barbera, Barsaglina, Cabernet Franc,  Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Dolcetto,  Merlot,  Rossese,  Sangiovese, Syrah. The Zone of production is a Portion of the province of Genova included in the Golfo del Tigullio, Riviera di Ponente,…

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    Golfo del Tigullio–Portofino / Portofino DOC

    Golfo del Tigullio–Portofino / Portofino DOC: White Grapes are Bianchetta Genovese, Moscato, Scimiscià, Vermentino and Red areCiliegiolo, DolcettoThis is an appellation for Bianco (Wh, WhFr): Minimum 60% Bianchetta Genovese and/or Vermentino + OANWG; Bianchetta Genovese (Wh, WhFr): Minimum 85% Bianchetta Genovese + OAWG; Moscato (Wh): 100% Moscato Bianco; Scimiscià or Cimixà (Wh): Minimum 85% Scimiscià…

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    Colline di Levanto DOC

    Colline di Levanto DOC:White Grape are Albarola, Vermentino and Red are Ciliegiolo, SangioveseThis is an appellation for Bianco (Wh): Minimum 40% Vermentino; minimum 20% Albarola; minimum 5% Bosco; maximum 35% OAWG; Vermentino (Wh): Minimum 85% Vermentino + OAWG; Rosso (Rd): Minimum 30% Sangiovese; minimum 20% Ciliegiolo; maximum 50% OARG; Novello (Rosso).The Minimum…

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    Cinque Terre / Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà DOC

    Cinque Terre / Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà DOC: This is an appellation for only white wines in the region of Liguria White Grape is Bosco.Bianco (Wh): Minimum 40% Bosco; maximum 40% Albarola and/or Vermentino; maximum 20% OAG; Sciacchetrà (WhSw): Minimum 40% Bosco; maximum 40% Albarola and/or Vermentino; maximum 20% OAG; Riserva (Sciacchetrà). Grapes…

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    Rosazzo DOCG

    Rosazzo DOCG: White Grape is FriulanoBianco (Wh): 50–60% Friulano; 20–30% Sauvignon Blanc; 20–30% Chardonnay and/or Pinot Bianco; maximum 10% Ribolla Gialla; maximum 5% OAWG. The minimum alcohol level is  12.0%  We are working on this Rosazzo DOCG appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more…

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    Ramandolo DOCG

    Ramandolo DOCG: White Grape Varieties: VerduzzoBianco (WhSw): 100% Verduzzo Friulano (locally Verduzzo Giallo)The Minimum alcohol level is 14.0% (potential) We are working on this Ramandolo DOCG appellation description.Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info atcheers@drinkitalian.com In the meantime, if you are in the mood for…

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    IGP Venezia Giulia

    IGP Venezia Giulia: White Grapes are Chardonnay, Friulano, Gewürztraminer,  Glera, Malvasia, Manzoni Bianco, Moscato, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Ribolla Gialla, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Verduzzo, Vitovska, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico)Red Grape Varieties are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Franconia,  Merlot,  Pinot Nero, Refosco, Schioppettino, Terrano. The Minimum alcohol level is 9.0% for all wines except 10.5% for all frizzante wines and 11.0% for Novello We are working on this IGP Venezia…

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    Friuli Latisana DOC

    Friuli Latisana DOC: White Grapes are Chardonnay, Friulano, Gewürztraminer,  Malvasia, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, VerduzzoRed are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Franconia, Merlot, Pinot Nero, Refosco. The Minimum alcohol level is 10.5% for all wines except Novello, Superiore, and Riserva (14.0% potential for Passito); 11.0% for Novello; 11.5% for Superiore and Riserva We are working on this Friuli Latisana DOC appellation…