Once again a mini class that I will try to make as fun as possible. We have already studied the grapes and wines from France and now is the turn to do the same with Italy!
Let me start by saying that after Spain, Italy has more vineyards planted that any other country in the world, indeed the whole country is a vineyard. Italians are well known for their love for wines and foods and have also been blessed with many good conditions for vine growing. Most of the best vineyards are at the foot of the mountains (Apennines or Dolomites) plus is also influenced by the sea on both sides, it has more than 1,000 native varieties, hopefully there’s no need for you to learn them all! But I will help you identify the styles of some of the most famous Italian wines.
You should also know, that though there are very expensive wines in Italy, there’s also plenty of value. Italian wines are classified like in France. On the top for quality we find the DOC and DOCG appellations (Denominazione di Origine Controllata and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), these guarantee quality and origin. Then we have IGT, Indicazione Geografica Tipica (which I see as a DOC and DOCG soon to be) and lastly the Vino da Tavola, which are the simplest wines of them all.
When buying Italian wines, always aim for DOC or DOCG. Of course there are exceptions like the “Super Tuscans”, these were sold as Vino da Tavola but very fancy VT. The reason was the winemakers decided to use grapes not allowed in the appellations, when this happened, the law was so super tough that they couldn’t sell the wine as DOC or DOCG. Luckily, the law changed and some appellations were allowed to use or include international varieties in their blend (these are usually mostly French: i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon).
Below you will find the most important appellations and grape varieties in Italy, I included a column on the right to indicate the style of wine, so you have more and less and idea what you are getting when you buy these.
Below you will find the most important appellations and grape varieties in Italy, I included a column on the right to indicate the style of wine, so you have more and less and idea what you are getting when you buy these.
Notice, that in some cases the grapes are listed on the label, for example Barbera d’ Alba or Dolcetto d’ Alba (both Barbera and Dolcetto are the grapes) and Alba is the appellation.
| Appellation | Grapes | Wine Style |
|---|---|---|
| Barolo | Nebbiolo | Big red with tannins |
| Barbaresco | Nebbiolo | Big red with tannins |
| Barbera D' Alba or D' Asti | Barbera | Light to medium red, high acidity, soft tannins |
| Dolcetto D' Alba | Dolcetto | Light to medium red, good acidity |
| Gattinara | Nebbiolo | Big Red with tannins |
| Brunello di Montalcino | Sangiovese (known as Brunello) | Medium to heavy red. Supple with good acidity. Biggest and best style of Sangiovese |
| Chianti | Sangiovese and small percentages of French Varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon | Light to Medium red. Everyday wines |
| Chianti Classico | Sangiovese | Medium to Medium plus red, nice acidity |
| Super Tuscan | Sangiovese and French varieties or sometimes, only French varieties | Big and powerful reds |
| Amarone | Molinara, Corvina, Rondinella | Big Red |
| Valpolicella | Molinara, Corvina, Rondinella | Medium Red |
| Bardolino | Molinara, Corvina, Rondinella | Light to Medium Red |
| Puglia | Negroamaro, Primitivo (Zinfandel), Malvasia Nera | Medium to Big Reds, with low acidity |
| Aglianico del Vulture | Aglianico | Big Red with tannins |
| Sicilia | Nero D' Avola, french varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Nero, Syrah | Medium to Big Reds. High alcohol. |
| Soave | Garganega, Trebbiano | Neutral Light White |
| Friuli or Tre Venezia, Collio | Pinot Grigio, but also French Varieties, Pinot Bianco | Aromatic Light whites, with good acidity, best Pinot Grigios come from here. |
| Asti | Muscat (Moscato) | Sweet and off dry Sparkling |
| Gavi | Cortese | Dry Light White |
| Prosecco | Glera | Dry Sparkling, great value |
| Vernaccia di San Geminiano | Vernaccia | Dry Light White |
Hoping all our Italian friends have a speedy recovery soon! Silvina.
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