Do you love Italian wine? Honestly – same. What’s not to love? Italy has a wider selection of wines than anywhere else in the world, using 589 unique grapes to produce them. Whether it’s a classic Italian red wine like Barolo, Chianti, Nero d’Avola, or their famous sparkling Prosecco or Moscato, there is so much to discover. But how do you know which ones are going to be good? In Australia, we don’t have the same classifications as the old world has, and so it can be confusing to work out what the wine label is actually telling you. So this guide to Italian wines is aimed at helping you decipher just that!
When I was doing my WSET2 I learnt that on top of the classifications for Italian wines, you can also get stuck on the names of the wines. Some tell you the type of grape in the wine, and some are named after the region. This can get very confusing for us! So let’s dive into how to work out what that bottle of Italian wine is telling you so you can choose with confidence!
Guide to Italian wine: Understanding Italian wine classifications
The best place to start is learning about the classifications of wine. This is something we don’t have in Australia so it can be confusing. In the old world of wine, there are Indications of Origin which are meant to tell you where the wine is from. So you know it is a wine of France vs Italy, and that the wine is quality.
However, within this, you have categories: Protected Denomination of Origin (DOC and DOCG), and wines with Protected Geographic Indication (IGP or IGT). These tell you a bit about the quality of the wine in the bottle, and so are a great indicator of what you’re going to get (and the price you’ll pay).
Wines with Protected Denomination of Origin (DOP, including DOC and DOCG)
Wines labelled DOC or DOCG have Protected Denomination of Origin or Denominazione di Origine Protetta in Italy. For wines that are labelled Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) or Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG), winemaking rules are developed and enforced in that winemaking area. This is an important distinction from our wines in Australia. You could have a wine from the Yarra Valley with a completely different winemaking style to another wine from the same region, but this is not something you get in the old world. This means that when you buy wine with DOC or DOCG on the label you know what you are getting as it has been made to the style of the area.
So what’s the difference? DOCG wines are guaranteed by the Italian Government who test wines that want to bear the DOCG label. So it is meant to mean that you can be sure the wine is the best representation of the rules and regulations of the region that the wine is from.
You can work out if the wine is a DOC or DOCG because of the special government-issued numbered label that guarantees the quality and authenticity of the wine. This allows the wine to be traced back if there is an issue.
Wines with Protected Geographic Indication (IGP or IGT)
IGP stands for “Indicazione Geografica Protetta” in Italian. These wines emphasise the region the wine comes from rather than particular winemaking styles to highlight the terroir that makes them special. The rules that apply to this classification aren’t as heavy, meaning winemakers can experiment. As long as the grapes come from the region, they can put in as many varieties as they like.
Although you might think that this category would produce cheaper wine, this is not always the case. The best example of this is with Super Tuscan wines which are labelled Toscana IGT instead of Chianti. The Tuscan winemakers in the 1970s wanted to experiment and go beyond the limits of Chianti and so came up with a famous blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet. Super Tuscans are now famous worldwide and can command a high price tag.
Vino da Tavola (VdT)
Another category of Italian wine you’ll find is Vino da Tavola, which literally means table wine. These wines have little regulations and are usually made for everyday drinking. These wines we don’t often find available in Australia but you will find them abundantly in Italy.
Guide to Italian wine: Other terms to know
Now that you have the basics in this guide to Italian wine, there are a couple of other terms to know that you might see on the wine bottle. Brush up on those Italian skills here!
- Riserva: Usually means the wine has been aged but the years varies amongst regions
- Superiore: Can denote high quality, or can be part of a regional name
- Classico: Denotes wines from a zone within a region considered the original area of production. In WSET2 they described this as the heartland which I loved. The best example of this is Chianti Classico.
- Azienda Agricola: A farm or estate that produces its own grapes for the production of its wines
- Annata or Vendemmia: A specific harvest or vintage
- Produttore: Producer
- Tenuta: Estate
- Vigneto: Vineyard
Guide to Italian Wine: Knowing what grape is in that wine
One of the most complex things I find about Italian wine, and older world wine in general, is that often the label will not have the grape variety. You’ll find this a lot in France where they don’t put the grapes but rather the region (eg. a Red Burgundy won’t say it is a Pinot Noir on the label). This is very different to Australia where we almost always have the grape variety written on the label, along with the region and producer. It makes it a lot easier to know what you’re getting!
The thing about Italian wine is that not only do the labels often not have the grape variety on them, but there is inconsistency about the naming of the wines. Some will be named after the region, and some will have a name incorporating the grape variety. Some are just completely random! So unfortunately you kind of need to know the names of the wines to know the region and what you’re getting in the glass.
But fear not – in this guide to Italian wine I’ve compiled a list of the main varieties for you so you can use this to guide your choice. Note this is just a basic guide as I didn’t want to overwhelm anyone. Italy has so many wines that we could really be here all day! Whilst that’s not a bad thing, it’s good to get your head around the most famous wines first!
Italian red wine varieties
Italy is famous for its food-worthy red wines, and there are so many to discover beyond the ever-popular Chianti. Here’s a guide to help you learn what’s in your glass and the region it comes from. You can see from the list that there are a few wines with different names for the same grape variety and plenty of wines that come from the same region. This is why knowing what the names mean is so important!
| Wine name | Grape varieties | Region |
| Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG | Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella | Veneto |
| Valpolicella DOC | Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella | Veneto |
| Barbaresco DOCG | Nebbiolo | Piemonte |
| Barolo DOCG | Nebbiolo | Piemonte |
| Barbera d’Asti DOCG | Barbera | Piemonte |
| Dolcetto d’Alba DOC | Dolcetto | Piemonte |
| Chianti DOCG | Sangiovese | Tuscany |
| Chianti Classico DOCG | Sangiovese | Tuscany |
| Toscana IGT | Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot | Tuscany |
| Brunello di Montalcino DOCG | Sangiovese | Tuscany |
| Vino Nobile di Montepulciano | Sangiovese | Tuscany |
| Cannonau di Sardegna DOC | Cannonau | Sardinia |
| Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOCG | Montepulciano | Abruzzo |
| Salento IGP (or IGT) | Negroamaro, Primitivo (Zinfandel) | Puglia |
| Salice Salentino DOC | Negroamaro | Puglia |
| Sicilia DOC | Nero d’Avola | Sicily |
| Taurasi DOCG | Aglianico | Campania |
Italian white wine varieties
You may not know much about Italian white wines other than Pinot Grigio, but there is so much more to discover! These wines tend to be fresh, zesty and full of fruit and citrus. Perfect for food and perfect for summer sipping. Here are some of the varieties to look out for.
| Wine name | Grape varieties | Region |
| Fiano di Avellino DOCG | Fiano | Campania |
| Greco di Tufo DOCG | Greco, Coda di Volpe Bianca | Campania |
| Gavi o Cortese di Gavi DOCG | Cortese | Piedmont |
| Roero DOCG Arneis | Arneis | Piedmont |
| Orvieto DOC | Grechetto, Trebbiano | Umbria |
| Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige DOC | Pinot Grigio | Trentino-Alto Adige |
| Pinot Grigio, Venezia DOC | Pinot Grigio | Veneto |
| Soave DOC | Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave, Chardonnay | Veneto |
| Verdiccio dei Castellli di Jesi DOC | Verdicchio Bianco | Marche |
| Vermentino di Gallura DOCG | Vermentino | Sardinia |
| Vermentino di Sardinia DOC | Vermentino | Sardinia |
In summary: Guide to Italian wines
Whether you love red or white, there is so much to discover in Italian wines. I hope this Guide to Italian wines helps you learn more about the incredible wines of Italy. Next time you’re in a bottle store, you can check out those Italian wines and buy with confidence knowing exactly what you’re getting in the bottle! Maybe you’ll feel more confident to try something new such as an Italian white that isn’t Pinot Grigio or something other than Chianti!