Wines of Italy
The Romans
• Around 300 BC the consumption of wine
was popularized by the Romans
• They introduced props and trellises as
growing aids
• Discovered that aging wine gave it a better
taste
• Mixed wine with herbs, spices, salt water,
even chalk
Italian Wines may be labeled in
several different ways
• By region; like Chianti or soave
• By the grape variety, like Barbera and Pinot
Grigio
• By a traditional name, which tells you absolutely
nothing. You may see these labeled as “Est! Est!
Est!” or “Vino Nobile” because that’s what people
have been calling it for hundreds of years
• By trademarked names, like “Rubesco” or
“Summus.”
Regulatory Designations for Italian
Wine
Vino da Tavola – Basic table wine, loose
regulations on production.
Vino a Indicazione Geographica (or IGT) –
Wine from a specific location, also loose
regulation on production.
Vino a Denominazione di
Origine Controllata
• Abbreviated DOC
• Strict guidelines on production, region,
naming, bottling and classification.
Vino a Denominazione di Origine
Controllata e Garantita
• Abbreviated DOCG
• Same standards as
DOC wines with the
addition of chemical
testing, and taste
testing by a
government official
before the wine is
bottled.
Grape Varieties
• Nebbiolo (in Barolo, Barbaresco, and elsewhere in
Piedmont)
• Sangiovese (Chianti, "Super Tuscans" and others)
• Aglianico
• Barbera (Barbera d'Asti and others)
• Dolcetto
• Malvasia
• Montepulciano (not to be confused with Vino Nobile de
Montepulciano (which is actually Sangiovese)
• Moscato (which the French grow as Muscat)
• Tocai Friulano
• Trebbiano (all over the place, and in balsamic vinegar)
Regions
• Italy has many winegrowing regions, but
three areas stand out
for producing the
finest wines of Italy.
Tuscany
•
The region of Tuscany, around the city of Florence, is famous for
producing red wines, primarily from the Sangiovese grape. The most
famous wine from Tuscany is the most famous wine from all Italy:
Chianti. Other famous Tuscan wines, including Brunello di
Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and Carmignano. There
are also the non-traditional "Super-Tuscans," bold experimental red
wines that are often highly regarded.
Piedmont
The region of Piedmont, in Northern Italy close to the
French border, produces the greatest variety of fine wine
in Italy. This is where the red Barolo and Barbaresco come
from, as well as the sparkling Asti.
Venice
Lastly, the regions around Venice are well known
for producing white wines, including Soave and
Pinot Grigio.
Food Pairing
• Apéritifs and
cocktails: Sparkling
wines work well; like
Spumante Brut or
Prosecco.
• Fish, seafood, pasta in
cream sauce: Whites
tend to be better here; try
Bianco di Custoza,
Chardonnay, Falerio,
Fiano di Avellino,
Frascati, Friulano,
Galestro, Gavi, Greco di
Tufo, Orvieto, Pinot
Bianco, Pinot Grigio,
Soave, Verdicchio, or
Vernaccia di San
Gimignano.
• Poultry, veal, pasta
in tomato or meat
sauce: Light-bodied
or medium-bodied
reds are ideal; pour
Barbera, Bardolino,
Chianti, Dolcetto,
Grignolino,
Lambrusco, Merlot,
Montepulciano
d'Abruzzo
• Game, fowl, roasts, red
meat, and aged cheeses:
Full-bodied reds are most
suitable; serve Amarone,
Barbaresco, Barolo,
Brunello di Montalcino,
Cabernet Sauvignon,
Carmignano, Chianti
Classico Riserva,
Gattinara, Refosco, Rosso
Piceno
• Desert or Sweet:
Sparkling or sweet
wines, sometimes
fortified, pair nicely;
try Asti Spumante,
Malvasia, Marsala
Superiore or Vergine,
Moscato d'Asti,
Picolit, or Vin Santo.