Italy produces over 60 million hectoliters of wine annually and has close to 1.4 million hectares under vine, making it one of the largest wine producers in the world along with France. Winemaking in Italy dates back to 2000 BC and was influenced by Greek and Roman civilizations. Major Italian wine regions include Piedmont, Tuscany, Veneto and Lombardy, which are known for wines like Barolo, Chianti, Valpolicella and Franciacorta. Italian wine laws establish three quality levels - DOCG, DOC and IGT - to protect place names and regulate production.

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Introduction
Italy with France are the two giant wine producers from the old world, both in terms of their quantity and
quality. Wine and viniculture is an integral part of Italian way of life. Italy produces in excess of 60 million
hector litres annually and has close to 1.4 million hectares under vine. An Italian ‘s relationship to wine is
not necessarily a hedonistic one as contrary to his French or German counter part. Which in turn leads to
the paradox: a country with immense tradition of wine, a country where only wine is only in the nations life
and customs is also a country where wine is, for the most part is taken for granted.
History:
The history of wines in Italy dates back to 2000 B.C when the region now known as Apulia was engaged in
growing grapes and in manufacture and trade of wines. Farmers and slaves in ancient Campania grew
‘Greco’, ‘Moscato’ and ‘Malvasia’- all vinifera grapes that continued to be planted in modern Campania.
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Southern Italy was then called “Oenotria”- “the land of wine”, under the Greeks influence on embracing the
wine culture. While the Greeks began an active wine trade in the south, the Etruscans focused their energies
in central Italy. Both of these people developed their own methods of viticulture, which were later
synthesized and improved upon by the Romans. The area around the ancient city Pompeii, became the
center for wine trade and it was here that new production methods were originated, including primitive but
successful attempt at aging the wine, making lighter versions and dry versions. The roman wine trade
spread to every part of the empire and wine traders from ancient Piedmont region introduced wooden
barrels for transport in the 1st century.
With the fall of the Roman Empire Italy’s wine culture couldn’t surface again except for the ones which
were needed for the sacred rites of the catholic church- until the end of the middle ages. With the coming of
the renaissance, wine enjoyed resurgence as a subject of arts especially painting and poetry. However, the
former ‘Oenotria’, was still far from the days when its beloved ‘Bacchus’ was the only God of food and
drink. Beginning in the late 17th and early 18th century, Tuscany became the center of Italy’s wine culture
where as the rest of the independent provinces, because of effects of poverty and war had a little or no part
in developing a modern wine trade.
Starting in mid19th century however the provinces of Italy began to enter the modern trade. The Italian’s
then began to make their red wines drier in Tuscany’s Chianti region and in Piedmont Borolo district,
where its first commercial dry wine was made in 1850’s. Sparkling wines were made around Asti in
Piedmont and the classic fortified wine Marsala was introduced to Italy by J. Wood house, who was an
English men with interest in Porto trade. As Italy became a more unified and a prosperous country it came
back on the quality map, as a true rebirth of its wines had began.
Just before the turn of 20th century, the Italian wine industry was dealt a blow from both phylloxera and the
powdery mildew iodium. The Italians found the solution in planting American rootstalk, which happened to
be a painstaking and an expensive process. Slowly and gradually in due course of time, Italy began to
develop a reputation, as the world’s largest supplier of inexpensive and indifferent wine, a reputation that
lasted well into 1970’s.
WINE LAWS OF ITALY
In 1963 the Government passed a law controlling the names of origins of the wines to align Italy with the
new EC regulations. First regulation in 1963 is popularly known as the '930'.
The 930 covered: appellations ( "denominazione contrallata" )/production zones/vine varieties/levels of
alcohol, acidity, extract/ceilings on yields, viticulture, vinification.
DOCG
In Italy, the term DOCG stands for Denominazione di Origine controllata e Garantita, and is used to
identify the best growing areas of Italy. These wines are subject to all of the regulations applied to the DOC
wines and additionally are subjected to a strict chemical analysis and must be approved by a panel of
experts.
DOC
In Italy, the term DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Contrallata. It is the equivalent of the French
AOC. Only wines which have met certain requirements of place of origin, variety and vinification process
are entitled to use this on their labels.
IGT
IGT stands for Indicazione Geographica Tipica which is the third category of denomiate wines in Italy. The
IGT category was created in January,1992, as part of a major reform of the laws governing Italian wine.
The IGT denomianation is given to wines of "large areas where natural conditions favor uniformity of
style."
Vino da Tavola-table wine for local consumption.
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REGIONS
NORTH WEST ITALY
• REGIONS Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy, Valle d’Aosta.
• LOCATION Alps to the north and west and the Ligurian Sea to the south.
• CLIMATE Severe winters with fog, hot summers with hail-damage; long autumns
• ASPECT Mountains and foothills, Po river-hillside cultivation of vines.
• SOIL Predominantly calcerous marl, inter layered with sand and clay
• GRAPES Nebbiolo, Trebbiano, moscato
Valle d’Aosta or Aosta Valley
In the very northwest of Italy is the small district of the Aosta valley. The regions best known wines are
Donnaz- Full-bodied red made from Nebbiolo grapes and
Enfer d’Arvier-made from Petit rouge grapes.
Piedmont
Immediately to the south of the Aosta valley is the piedmont region, whose capital is Turin. Italy’s best and
most varied wines are produced in this region. The two best known are the robust reds:
Barolo -a DOCG wine and one of the great red wines of Italy made from Nebbiolo Grapes and
Barbaresco -also a DOCG wine and made from Nebbiolo grapes.
( If a barolo is labeled riserva, it must be atleast four years old, and if labeled riserva speciale, five years
old.)
Gattinara.-A third well-known wine made from the Nebbiolo grapes.
The barbera grapes are much more common in Piedmont than are the Nebbiolo grapes. Many wines made
from Barbera grapers are labeled with both the grape and the village, such as Barbera d’Alba and Barbera
d’Asti.
Asti Spumante -From the Moscato (Muscat) grapes comes the famous delicate and somewhat sweet
sparkling white wine Asti Spumante.
Other red grape varities are Grignolino, Dolcetto, and Friesa. The labels of wines made from these grapes
also usually give the place name, such as Grignolino d’Asti, Dolcetto D’Alba and Freisa di Chieri.
Liguria
Liguria is a narrow coastal strip along the Italian Riviera where Genoa is located
. Cinqueterre-a dry white wine
Dolceacqua- a dry red wine sometimes known as Rossese di Dolceacqua.
Lombardy
Lombardy is a major wine-growing district in the center of the very north of Italy; its capital is Milan.
Red wines- Valtellina, a hardy red wine, made from Nebbiolo grapes
White wine- Franciacorta Pinot, made from Pinot and Riesling.
NORTHEAST ITALY:
• REGIONS Trenito-Alto Adige,Friuli-Venezia giulia, Veneto
• LOCATION Dolomites to the north, Adriatic Sea to the South
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• CLIMATE Similar to the northwest, less fog more hail,unpredictable
• ASPECT Hills to plains-best vines on hill slopes
• SOIL sandy clay,rich in calcium.Stony towards South
· GRAPES Cabernet franc, Chardonnay, Cabernet sauvignon, Cortese
Trentino-Alto Adige or the Adige Valley
In the northeast Italy, immediately south of the Tyrol region of Austria, is the district known as the Adige
Valley. Grapes grown are Riesling, Gewurztramniner,sylvaner, muscat, Pinot Grigio.
Veneto
Situated between Lake Gardo and the Po and Piave rivers in northeastern Italy is the region of Veneto, with
Venice its main city, located on the Adriatic coast. The veneto region is best known for its two great red
wines, Valpolicella and Bardolino which are fresh and lightbodied
Soave produced in Italy is perhaps Italy’s most famous white wine.
CENTRAL EAST ITALY
• REGIONS The Marches, Emilia Romagna, Abruzzi
• LOCATION Along the Adriatic Coast
• CLIMATE Mediterranean, hot summers cool winters
• ASPECT Foothills and plains
• SOIL Alluvial with outcrops of granite & limestone
· GRAPES Albana , Barbarossa, Barbera
Emilia Romagna
In North Central Italy is the large district of Emilia Romagna, with Bologna its major city.
Albana di Romagno – a DOCG white wine.
Lambrusco – a semi sparkling, somewhat sweet red.
Sangiovese – a red wine made from Sangiovese grapes.
Marches
Marches is a Adriatic coastal region with Ancona its main city. The best known wine is :
Verdicchio del Castelli di jesi, which is a white wine made from Verdicchio grapes.
Abruzzo and Molise
East of Latium are the two regions of Abruzzo and Molise, on the Adriatic coast. Some pleasant wines
produced here are the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (red), Trebbiano d’Abruzzo (white), Biferno (white &
red) and Pentro (red & white).
CENTRAL WEST ITALY
• REGIONS Umbria, Tuscany, Molise, latium,
• LOCATION Apennines to the north &Tyrrhenian Sea to the west
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• CLIMATE Summers long & dry ,winters not severe, lack of rain
• ASPECT Hillsides, use of altitude to offset heat
• SOIL Gravel, limestone & clay.
• GRAPES Sangiovese, Trebbiano
Umbria
Between Florence and Rome is the region of Umbria, and produced is its white wine –
Orvieto. If Orvieto is labeled Secco, it will be dry, and if labeled Abboccato , it will
semisweet. Near Assisi is produced both red and white Torgiano wine and other
wines made are Sagrantino and Montefalco.
Tuscany
Further south is Tuscany in central Italy, where Florence and Siena are located. Tuscany is best known for
its Chianti Classico (DOCG), a wine which is best drunk young, as it does not age well and made primarily
from Sangiovese grapes
Latium
Latium is the region where Rome is located. Frascati is produced here, in both a secco
(dry) and an abboccato (semisweet). Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone , a white wine
similar to Frascati is made here. Its unusual name has a story: The steward of 12th century
German Bishop was travelling to Rome ahead of his master to find inns where good
wines could be found. On the doors of these inns, he was to chalk Est (meaning “this is
it), but at Motefiascone he was so impressed with the wine that he chalked Est! Est!!
Est!!!
Some grape varieties used here are Trebbiano (white) and Merlot (red), which is called
Merlot di Aprilia.
SOUTHERN ITALY & ISLANDS
• REGIONS Calabria, Apulia Basilicata, Campania , Sicily & Sardinia
• LOCATION Mediterranean coast
• CLIMATE Summers are bakingly hot , winters are cool
• SOIL Volcanic soil
• GRAPES Agliano , Piedirosso
Campania
In southwest Italy is Campania, with Naples its chief city. Among the wines for which
the district is fa,ous are the reds and whites of Ischia (an island off the coast) and
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Lacryma Christi (tears of Christ), grown on the slopes of the volcano Vesuvius and the
bottle labels distinguished by the words del vesuvio. Lacryma Christi is made as a red,
white and a rose, with the white (both still & sparkling) the best known.
Apulia
Apulia is a long, narrow district that runs along the Adriatic right down to the heel of
Italy. A well-known wine from this district is Castel del Monte (white, red & rose). The
rose is considered to be one of the best roses in the country.
Sicily
It is a huge island off the toe of Italy, most famous for its dessert wine Marsala, which is
often used as a cooking ingredient. Sicily is also famous for Mt.Etna, after which Etna
wine (red & white) is named. Some other wines are Faro, Corvo, and Alcamo.
Sardinia
Sardinia is an island off the West Coast of Italy across the Tyrrhenian Sea. Its unusual
wine is Vernaccia di Oristano (a dry and bitter aperitif wine)
Calabria
Calabria is the toe of Italy, with its best known wine – Ciro (red, white and rose), made
from Gaglioppo grapes. Other red wines are Donnici, Pollino and Savuto.
Basilicata
Between the heel and the toe of Italy is Basilicata, with its extinct volcano Vulture on
whose slopes grows the unusual Aglianico grape that produces the dry red wine
Aglianico del Vulture. The white wine of this region is Asprino.
Reading the wine label
© Wine name-place and grape
© Quality designation- DOCG/DOC/IGT
© If the wine is from vintage year-annata, vendemmia is specified on the bottle
© Estate bottled-"Imbottigliato Al'origine Da' / "Del Prodottore Al'Origine' / "Messo In Bottiglia
Nel'Origine"
© Producer or bottler- Casa Vinicola
© Alcoholic Strength-in percentage
© Produce of italy
© Volume- in 'ml' or 'cl'.
Wine glossary:
Abboccato, amabile-semisweet
Annata- vintage year
Asciutto-dry
Bianco-white
Classico-from a special inner district of a DOC zone.
Consorzio- consortium or cooperative
Dolce-sweet
Fattoria-estate
Frizzante- Lightly sparkling
Imbottiagliato-bottled
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Rosato-rose
Rosso-red
Secco-dry
Spumante-sparkling
Superiore-superior in alcohol content.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• SSootthheebbyy’’ss WWoorrlldd WWiinnee EEnnccyyccllooppeeddiiaa -Tom Stevenson.
• TThhee OOxxffoorrdd CCoommppaanniioonn ttoo WWiinnee - Jansis Robinson.
• TThhee WWoorrlldd ooff WWiinnee - Robert Mondavi.
• WWiinneess ooff tthhee WWoorrlldd - Andre Simon.
• BBeevveerraaggee MMaannaaggeemmeenntt - Michael M. Coltman.
• EExxpplloorriinngg WWiinnee - Steven Kolpan, Brian H.Smith .
• EEnnccyyccllooppeeddiiaa ooff WWiinnee - Oz Clarke.
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