Wines of Italy

Italy is one of the world's most significant wine producers. Living in the Umbria region makes for an excellent opportunity to sample the local varieties. Find out more.

Wine has always played an important role in the daily life of Italians. In Italy, grapes are grown in virtually every region, from the cool hillsides in the northern Alpine area to Sicily and Sardinia in the south.

Brief History of Italian Wine

Wild grapes grew throughout the ancient Mediterranean, and Italy's wine heritage dates as far back as 4,000 years when prehistoric people made juice by pressing wild grapes, which they would then ferment into wine.

In Italy, grapevines were cultivated by the Greek colonists in the south and by the Etruscans in the north. The Romans then developed the cult of Bacchus, which they introduced throughout the Roman Empire.

Wine was a strong drink in ancient times, usually containing around 15 to 16 degrees alcohol, and mixed with water or seawater and sometimes flavoured with spices or honey. The Romans had a sophisticated knowledge of wine culture and used to store their wine in big amphorae; being airtight, the wines were protected and therefore survived for extended periods of time.

Modern Italian Wine

Italy is the one of the largest producers of wine in the world and it also exports more wine than any other country. The quality of the production varies greatly with Italian wines ranging from everyday table wines to the highest-quality products.

Winemaking in Italy has changed drastically in the last 40 years. The establishment in 1960 of the classification system laws - the D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and subsequent D.O.C.G. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) in the 80s - helped to define standards, improve quality and clarify labelling.

Generally speaking, the best wines are located in the north of the country, but there are also some excellent wines in the south.

The Abruzzi area produces wines of medium quality of which Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (red) and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo (white) are the best known
In Basilicate, the most famous wine is the Aglicanico del Vulture
Calabria produces a soft white wine, Greco di Gerace and a dark red wine, Ciro di Calabria, as well as Muscat wines.
In Campania, around Naples, Vesuvio (red) and red and white Ravello are produced. The sweet wine Lacrima Christi is very well known
Some wines are also produced on the islands of Ischia and Capri
In Emilia-Romagna (an area know for its cuisine) no high-quality wines are produced besides the slightly fizzy Lambrusco which is largely exported to the USA
In the northern region covering Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, some excellent white wines are produced using the Riesling, Tocai and Traminer grapes
In Lazio around Rome some wines like the dry white wines Castelli Romani rank among the best Italian wines. Frascati and Marino are famous local wines
In Lombardy there are some excellent wines, red, white or rosé (Chiaretto being an interesting rosé)
Piedmont has two of the best Italian wines - Barolo and Barbaresco. This region also produces the famous Asti Spumante, a sweet sparkling wine. Turin is the city where the drink Vermouth (a fortified white wine flavoured with herbs and spices) originated
Sardinia produces some interesting dry white wines
Sicily exports about 25 percent of its production. It produces the white Marmertino, the red Faro and the red and white Corvo wines. Marsala is also traditional to Sicily
Tuscany is known for its Chianti, wine with the D.O.C.G. guarantee of origin. The best wine of the region is the Brunello di Montalcino
In Trentino-Alto Adige, a lot of white wines (Riesling, Traminer, Pinot) are produced and exported. The red wines from this area (Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot) are mainly distributed in Germany and Austria
Umbria produces a white wine with the Trebbiano grapes and also a strong red wine, Torgiano
In the smallest wine-growing region in Italy, Val d'Aoste, the most famous wines are Donnaz and Enfer d'arvier
The region around Verona produce the red Valpolicella and Bardolino and the white Soave

Besides wine, Italy also produces Grappa, an alcoholic drink made from grape marc and often served after a meal, Limoncello, a sweet alcoholic digestive made with lemon, and Vin Santo, a sweet dessert wine of a golden colour originating in Tuscany and served after a meal with biscuits (cantucci alle mandorle).

Further Information

Slowfood is a movement/organisation aiming to promote gastronomy and wines. Information about specific products, wines or venues can be found on their Slowfood website
For a summary of food and drink in Italy: About.com