Wines of Italy


In Italy, wine with food is a way of life. Italians have been making wine for thousands of years, and know a thing or two about enjoying it. There's nothing quite like a loud Italian dinner with great food and friends, where everyone is slightly more animated than usual from the four glasses (each) of Chianti.
There are also great practical advantages to Italian wine, mostly due to the popularity and abundance of good Italian restaurants in the United States. What else but Italian wine for your Italian dinner?
Wine quality in Italy has improved dramatically over the last century or so, when Italians decided to export competitive fine wine. In the past, the focus was on making a whole lot of wine from whatever was available so the entire family can get drunk and argue loudly at dinner, so the wine was relatively unremarkable (with exceptions, of course). Modern Chianti is much bolder and zestier than old Chianti (the blend proportions have changed: it used to be nearly a third white wine, and now it is almost entirely red Sangiovese), because of the modern focus on really getting quality from the grapes instead of just making a whole lot of wine.

Italian Wine Labels

Compared to France and Germany, which make sense after a while, deciphering an Italian label is black magic. Italian wines may be labelled in several different ways, instead of the region-first rule that dominates most of Europe.
First, like the rest of Europe, Italian wines may be labelled by the region they come from. For example, Chianti and Soave are named by the region.
The wines may also be labelled by the grape variety. Barbera and Pinot Grigio are grape varieties, and you may see wine labelled as such. Sometimes you will also see a region designation appended, like d'Asti or di Montalcino.
The wine may also be labelled by a traditional name, which tells you absolutely nothing. You may see these labelled as "Est! Est! Est!" or "Vino Nobile" because that's what people have been calling it for hundreds of years. There are often great stories about how these names came to be, but every winemaker tells a completely different version, and likely none of them are true.
You can also find wines with trademarked names, like "Rubesco" or "Summus." These also mean absolutely nothing except that some marketing weenie thought it sounded good. Unlike the traditionally-named wines, they haven't been around as long (and thus aren't as cool) and can be used by only one producer.
On top of all this, there are the regulatory designations, which can apply to any of the labelling types above. The regulatory designation is often the only mark of sanity on the label, but even that doesn't help much. The possible designations are:

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)

This is the top designation; it means that the wine was made using appropriately traditional methods and appropriately traditional grapes (for weak definitions of traditional; current Chianti is quite unlike the Chianti of a hundred years ago). DOCG wines must also pass a taste test by the government regulators.

Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)

This means that the wine is basically what it claims to be, assuming you can decipher the label. The wine must be produced in the usual manner using the usual grapes and methods that are appropriate to the wine and region.

Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT)

This is the designation for quality wine that isn't DOC or DOCG, usually because of the use of nontraditional methods or grapes. A region is named somewhere.

Vino da Tavola

This is the lowest grade table wine, with no interesting designations whatsoever.

Grape Varieties

Italy grows varietals that are grown nowhere else (well, almost nowhere, although Sangiovese has become fashionable among New World winemakers wanting to do Something Different) in the world.

• 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)

Don't concern yourself too much with these, as you'll be buying by label name anyway. The two most interesting ones are Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, which are used to make good red wine.

Wine Regions

Italy has many wine-growing regions, but three areas stand out for producing the finest wines of Italy.
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. You will also hear of 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.
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.
Lastly, the regions around Venice are well known for producing white wines, including Soave and Pinot Grigio.

The Wine

What follows is a very non-exhaustive list of the more common types of Italian wine you're likely to encounter.

Chianti (Tuscany)

Chianti is a Sangiovese-based red wine and is easily the best known wine of Italy. The region of Chianti is broken down into several subregions; the best known are Chianti Classico (supposedly the best and most traditional) and Chianti Rufina. The winemaker's consortium in Chianti uses a black rooster sign as a symbol of quality, so you should look for it. Chianti that is labelled as "Reserva" must have been aged at least three years.

Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany)

Brunello is a Sangiovese variant that is grown in Montalcino. This wine must be aged a full four years to qualify (five for Reserva).

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Tuscany)

This "Noble Wine of Montelpulciano" is a blend of several grapes, of which Sangiovese is dominant.

Barolo (Piedmont)

This wine, made entirely from Nebbiolo, is a very rich and complex red wine, if occasionally too tannic and astringent. The Barolo region is tiny.

Barbaresco (Piedmont)

More Nebbiolo-based wine, and a bit more balanced and harmonious than Barolo. The Barbaresco region is also tiny.

Moscato d'Asti (Piedmont)

This is a very light (6% alcohol), slightly effervescent white wine from the Asti region, made from Moscato grapes. It's more a fun party wine than a stern and serious wine.

Asti (Piedmont)

This is sparkling wine from Asti made from Moscato. It is made sweeter than French Champagne. You may also see this called Asti Spumante or just Spumante

Soave (Veneto)

Created in Venice (well, near Venice) from Trebbiano and other grapes, this white wine has a more floral fragrance and is one of the most popular Italian export wines.

Pinot Grigio (mostly Northern Italy)

This varietal produces a light, dry white wine. It is also known as Pinot Gris, and is widely grown outside Italy (especially California) because it has a cool name.

Barbera (mostly Piedmont and Lombardy)

A medium body, fruity red wine

Super-Tuscan (Tuscany)

This is nontraditional red wine made in a more international style (bigger and more forward), often from a blend of several varieties including Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. While some of these wines are of top international quality, they cannot qualify for DOC or DOCG designation because they operate outside the rules.

from www.cs.utexas.edu