Italian wines

Discovering the Italian vineyard

Italy holds a leading position in the wine world. In fact, it is regularly ranked first in terms of volume. With more than 700 000 hectares and a winemaking tradition dating back to Antiquity, the Boot is also renowned for its incredible diversity of grape varieties, terroirs, and wine styles, and for enthusiasts, a kingdom of discoveries as vast as the French vineyard. While it is difficult to summarize Italian wine in just a few lines, here is a brief overview to give you an idea of its great richness.

The Italian classification system : IGT, DOC and DOCG

Italian wines are classified into four categories:

-Table wines (Vino Da Tavola) primarily include wines without a specific designation. This category corresponds to our Vin de France designation and defines wines produced anywhere in Italy, particularly in areas where wine production is not especially renowned.

-IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) : these are comparable to our French IGP, thus identifying specific production areas that are relatively broad compared to traditional appellations.We can take as examples the Toscana IGT, which covers the entire Tuscany region, or the Sicilia IGT, which brings together all the Sicilian terroirs.

-DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) : the highest levels of classification. In Italy, the DOCs currently identify more than 330 crus, guaranteeing both origin and production method. These are comparable to our French AOCs. The DOCGs, for their part, must meet even stricter production regulations than the DOCs. There are only 74 to date, including the very famous Barolo, Barbaresco, Chianti Classico, Chianti, and Brunello di Montalcino.

Italian appellations and grape varieties

There are now more than 400 appellations in Italy. Here are the main ones.

The Barolo DOCG, located in the Piedmont region in the northwest of Italy, is one of the most renowned in all of Italy, producing great red wines made from the grape variety Nebbiolo. The latter is highly regarded for its robust tannic structure, complex bouquet, and great aging potential. The Armando Parusso estate perfectly illustrates the magnificent qualities of this grape variety as well as the great nobility of this illustrious appellation.

The Chianti and Chianti Classico DOCG, located in Tuscany, are renowned for their intense and complex red wines made from the great grape variety Sangiovese. The wines regularly display notes of cherry, spices, and tobacco, and are also capable of very long aging. The Chianti Classico DOCG represents the historic heart of this production. More generally, the rolling hills of the region offer varied terroirs with soils rich in clay, limestone, and schist, contributing to the complexity of the wines. The estate Ruffino is an excellent illustration of the greatness of these production areas.

The Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, also in Tuscany, allows the production of very prestigious red wines, exclusively made from the Sangiovese grape variety. The wines here undergo long aging periods and display aromatics of incredible power and great richness, as exemplified by the Brunello from the Fattoi estate. The vineyards of Montalcino benefit from a warm Mediterranean climate and soils rich in clay and schist, giving the wines their structure and character.

Another important appellation, the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC is located in the Abruzzo region, south of Tuscany. This wine takes its name from the main grape variety used, the  Montepulciano, producing flavorful red wines known for their intense color, medium to full body, supple tannins, and aromas of dark fruits, cherry, and spices. The vineyards benefit from a warm Mediterranean climate  and a variety of soils, ranging from clay to limestone. Whether as an everyday wine or as a cellaring wine, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wines often offer excellent value for money, as exemplified by the Ilico cuvée from the Dino Illuminati estate.

Prosecco DOC offers, for its part, sparkling wines whose reputation has now spread worldwide.Mainly produced in the Veneto region (particularly in the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene area), Prosecco is made exclusively from the  Glera grape variety  and offers  fine bubbles,  a lovely freshness  as well as  very pleasant fruity aromas, as exemplified by the one made by the Sacchetto family. The gentle hills, limestone soils, and the influence of the Alps here help create ideal conditions for grape growing.

Valpolicella DOC, located in the Veneto region, is renowned for its light  and fruity red wines made from  Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara grape varieties. The hills of Valpolicella, with their varied soils, promote optimal grape ripeness here and add an extra dimension to the wines. In the same region, you will also find the Valpolicella Classico DOC, the historical heart of production, as well as the Valpolicella Ripasso DOC and the Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG. Within the latter, red wines of incredible power and aromatic richness are produced, made possible by the drying of the grapes, a process used to evaporate the water contained in them, leading to a great concentration of aromas. Just like the Amarone from the estate Le Calendre, the result is exceptional and every enthusiast should experience it at least once in their life.

Finally, many other appellations also exist in Italy, such as the Puglia IGT (Feudi di San Marzano estate) or the Montello e Colli Asolina DOC (Serafini & Vidotto estate), a small, little-known appellation located in Veneto, producing in particular sublime red wines made from the grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. We could also mention the "Super Tuscans", these great age-worthy red wines resulting from the blend of Sangiovese with these same French grape varieties, which are highly sought after by enthusiasts around the world.

In short, as you will have understood, Italy is too vast to be summarized in just a few paragraphs but its incredible wealth and great diversity of grape varieties, appellations, and terroirs make it a wonderful playground for the country’s winemakers and wine enthusiasts. So, whether you prefer full-bodied wines, smooth wines or even light and fruity sparkling wines, you will find what you are looking for in Italy !