Wines of Italy

  • Italy produces around a quarter of the entire world’s wine. It has a long tradition of wine making stretching back over 2500 years.
  • Italians own the spread of Vinification of the grape to the Romans. The Romans were good agriculturists and good vintners.
  • After the fall of Roman Empire the church took up the cultivation of vine.
  • Some of great wines of Italy are Barolo, Asti, Chianti, Marsala, Corvo, Capri, Soave and Moscato di Salento.

ITALIAN WINE LAWS

Before the introduction of quality classification in 1963, the country’s wine regions were in shambles. However, in other words laws were not stringent and strict. After 1963, the rules were made little strict. Italian law recognizes the following quality control categories. The Italian laws are mentioned below:

  1. DENOMINAZIONE SEMPLICE (DS)

This class, in which the wine is simply described by place of origin, applies to wines of table wine quality for which quality criteria is not specified.

  1. DENOMINAZIONE DE ORIGINE CONTROLLATA (DOC)

Wines in this class have controlled description of origin and must meet certain criteria.

  • Growing area is exactly defined
  • The yield is limited
  • The wine production method is prescribed
  • The grape variety and vineyard maintenance are described
  1. DENOMINAZIONE DI ORIGINE CONTROLLATA E GARANTITA (DOCG)

It is the mark of exemplary distinction awarded to only few areas and controlled very strictly. DOCG has so far been awarded to only six wines i.e.

  • Barolo (Red) – Piedmont
  • Vina Nobile di Montepullciano (Red) – Tuscany
  • Albana di Romagna (White ) – Emilia
  • Brunello di Montalcino (Red) – Tuscany
  • Chianti (Red) – Tuscany
  • Barbaresco (Red) – Piedmont
  1. VINO DA TAVOLA

Italy’s table wines cover a wide variety of styles from very inferior wines to some of Italy’s best equal or even better than DOCG sometimes.

  1. VINO TIPICO

It is similar to Vine de Table of France. The wines are made from establishment grape varieties not DOC quality standard.

WINE REGIONS OF ITALY

  There are various regions in Italy out of 9 produces wines:

  1. Piedmont
  2. Lombardy
  3. Veneto
  4. Trentino Alto Adige
  5. Tuscany
  6. Emilia Romagna
  7. Latium EST! EST! EST!
  8. Campania
  9. Sicily

WINES & GRAPE VARIETY OF PIEDMONT

  • This is one of the important North-West regions in fine wine terms. It name means foothills and these slopes are ideal for successful vine growing.
  • Some important wines of this region along with grape varieties are such as follows:
  • Barbaresco from Nebbiolo grape variety (red wine)
  • Barbera d’Alba from Barbera grape variety (red wine)
  • Barolo from Nebbiolo grape variety (red wine)
  • Boca from Nebbiolo grape variety (red wine)
  • Cortese di Gavi famous white wine
  • Brachetto d’Acqui from brachetto or oscato nero grape variety (rose wine)
  • Friesa d’asti from freisa grape variety (red wine)
  • Moscato d’asti from moscato bianco grape variety (sweet sparkling wine)

For more info go to the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piemonte_(wine)

WINES & GRAPE VARIETY OF LOMBARDY

  • To the North-east of Piedmont is the plain of the Po valley, to the north of which the swiss alps rise up.
  • Some of the important wines of Lombardy region are:
  • Bonarda from Bonarda grape variety (dry red wine)
  • Colli Morenici Mantovani Del Garda from Trebbiano Giallo grape variety (dry white wine)
  • Grumello (Valtellina region) from Chiavennasca grape variety (dry red wine)
  • Inferno (Valtelline region) from chiavennasca grape variety (dry red wine)
  • Lugana from Trebbiano grape variety (dry white wine)
  • Valgella (Valtellina) from chiavennasca grape variety (dry red wine)
  • Valtellina Superiore from Chiavennasca grape variety (dry red wine)

for more info go to the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombardia_(wine)

WINES & GRAPE VARIETY OF VENETO

  • This is a large area, containing the attractive walled town of Romeo and Juliet fame, Verona.
  • Some of the important wines of this region are:
  • Amarone – made from Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, Moninara grape varieties (Dry red wines)
  • Merlot made from Merlot grape variety (dry red wine)
  • Soave made from Garganega grape variety (dry white wine)
  • Gambellara made from Garganega, Trebbiano soave grape varietyies (dry white wine)

for more info go to the link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_wine

WINES & GRAPE VARIETY OF TRENTINO ALTO ADIGE

  • This area has proximity to Austria. This is Italy’s most northerly region which situated in the dolomite mountains.
  • It produces more of Germanic wines:-
  • Kalterer – made from vernatsch grape variety (medium red wine)
  • Sudtiroler Gewurztraminer made from Gewurztraminer grape variety (medium white wine)
  • Altois Lageder – made from Gewurztraminer grape variety

for more info go the the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Tyrol_wine

WINES & GRAPE VARIETY OF TUSCANY

  • It falls in West central Italy and most famous wine of this place is Chianti.
  • Some important wines of this region are:-
  • Bianco di Pitigliano made from Trbbiano Greco, Malvasia grape varieties (dry white wine)
  • Brunello di Montalcino –made from brunello and sangiovese grape varieties (dry red wine)
  • Antinori – this house is making Chianti (Peppoli) made from sangiovese grape variety.

for more info go to the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuscan_wine

WINES & GRAPE VARIETY OF EMILIA ROMAGNA

  • Albana di Romagna made from Albana grape variety (dry white wine)
  • Lambrusco made from Lombrusco grape variety (dry red fizzy wine)

for more info go to the link: https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-emilia-romagna

WINES & GRAPE VARIETY OF LATIUM EST! EST! EST!

  • Latium est! est! est! From Latium province is famous for white wine.
  • Frascati is dry white wine from this area.

for more info go to the link: https://www.made-in-italy.com/italian-wine/wine-regions/latium-wine/

WINES & GRAPE VARIETYOF CAMPANIA

  • Lacryma Christi (sparkling wine) is famous in this region.

for more info go to the link: https://www.charmingitaly.com/article/top-5-wines-of-campania

for more info go to the link: https://www.charmingitaly.com/article/top-5-wines-of-campania

WINES & GRAPE VARIETY OF SICILY

  • Sicily produces sherry like wine called Marsala (Principal dessert wine of Italy)
  • Sicily is an island situated at tail of Italy to the extreme south of country.
  • Marsala is made from Catarrato, Insolia grape like sherry. The must is plastered with calcium sulphate, sweetened with vino cotto, a dark coloured evapourated must and fortified with brandy.
  • Marsala was originated by John Woodhouse, a Lancashire man, in 1773, who shipped wine from Trapani and fortified it to make it travel.

for more info go to the link: http://winesofsicily.com/