I’ve enjoyed Italian wine for quite some time, but I appreciate others haven’t seen the light yet. That’s ok, and I am the first to admit that with so many other wines out there, not everyone is going to love it as much as I do. But I think the problem with Italian wine is the accessibility. You see a label with words on it you don’t understand, grapes you can’t even begin to pronounce, and places you can’t even try to locate on a map. It’s enough to drive you away from the bottle and into the familiarity of Australian or New Zealand wine.

But Italian wine can be easy if you know what to look for. Now, this article is not going to unlock everything about Italian wine, but I think I can help with one of the main things I look for in a wine. It doesn’t make a lot of sense outside of Italy if you don’t know what to look for. But once you do, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions when you are in the bottle shop!

Italian quality classifications

There are many regions for wine in Italy, almost too many to count. You can get so much wine out of Italy, it can be hard to know what to choose. Luckily, the Italians have come up with a quality classification which makes it easy!

These classifications denote certain things about the wine and are awarded based on the process that the wine is created with. This means that the wines that have these classifications are known as good examples of wine from the region they are in. Now, there are plenty of other good wines that will come out of a region that won’t have been awarded these classifications. They may have a different process of being created, which means that they don’t receive the classification, but are still an excellent wine. I’m not about to argue against this. However, when you are first getting into Italian wine, following the classifications is a good way to be guided towards great wines.

There are 4 different classifications, but to be honest in Australia we really only get 2 of them. So I’m going to focus on these to make it easier for you to pick wines when you’re in the bottle store.

These classifications are easy to find. They are always around the top of the bottle and as a general rule have a white background with blue writing. They will be in Italian, but if you look for the DOC or DOCG, you’ll know what it means.

DOC: Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata

The DOC translates to ‘Controlled Designation of Origin’ and there are more than 300 DOC wines. It was introduced in the 1960s, and is the same as the French ‘Appellation d’origine controlee’. It means that the wine has been produced in a specific, well-defined region. To be a DOC wine, the wine must follow rules designed to preserve the traditional winemaking practices of the area that it’s from. So if you get a DOC from the Chianti region, it will be because the wine was made to this regions winemaking practices.

As a result, every DOC differs depending on what region it is from. This is why it can be a good guide to trying wines of different regions, as you know you are getting the traditional winemaking practices in your wine. The rules determine anything from the production area, wine colour, grape varieties, wine styles, alcohol levels to maturation techniques.

There are a few rules to this, such as not being about to use a name like ‘superior’, but I wouldn’t pay attention to these. What you should pay attention to though is the effect this has had on the quality of Italian wines since they were first introduced. Generally, the DOC standards have lifted how good the wine is that comes out of Italy.

DOCG: Vino a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita

The DOCG was created in 1980 to give a top tier to the wine classification system. It means that winemakers can strive for that extra level of excellence beyond what a DOC gave. It stemmed from a feeling that the DOC was granted too liberally. Therefore, the DOCG standards are far stricter.

To be a DOCG wine, the wine must pass an in-depth technical analysis and tasting. There are also many restrictions on the maximum permitted grape yields for the winery.

There are 74 Italian DOCG wines, including Barolo, Chianti Classico and Prosecco Superiore. If you are a winemaker in a DOCG area of wine, it really doesn’t make sense for you to produce a wine of lesser quality, so as a result, you’ll find the DOCG wines come from pockets of regional areas.

As you can imagine, this has lifted the standard further for Italian wines, particularly in the areas or regions that qualify. Each region that qualifies has several producers making the best examples of that wine, so if you find a DOCG you know you are getting a great wine.

The final word

So what’s better out of the two? Well the DOCG certainly is the obvious choice. If you are after the best example of the wine for that region seek out a DOCG wine. They are held to far higher standards and rigorous testing to ensure you are getting the best.

However, there is still a place for DOC. Although it may not be as stringent as the DOCG classification, it still has its place. These wines are also often a little cheaper. So, if you are after good Italian wine at a cheaper price, this is where you need to look.

You won’t go wrong if you try either a DOCG or DOC wine. So, the next time you’re at the bottle store, look out for this label on the top of the bottle. I promise you won’t be disappointed. There is a reason Italy is known for its wine. The DOCG and DOC wines are the best examples of the great things these wines have to offer.