The Best Wine Regions of Italy
Italy is a country known for its rich history, stunning landscapes, and of course, its incredible wine. The Italian wine world is divided into 73 DOCGs, 330 DOCs, and 118 IGTs, so to explore the world of Italian wine is to embark on a thrilling, yet way too complicated adventure. In this blog post, we will only get into Italy's 20 administrative zones or regions, and their major grapes and top 3 wine producers (by volume sold/general popularity). In the future, we will dive into the DOCs and DOCGs one by one! Yay...
The Wine Regions of Italy
Italy is divided into 4 big geographic regions and inside those are 20 more specific wine regions that follow the Italian administrative separation scheme (kind of like states in the U.S.), and each of these has its distinct terroir and winemaking traditions. The big regions are the North East, the North West, Central, and South. Here is a list of all the wine regions in Italy:
Pictured: Val d'Aosta DOC
North West:
- Valle D'Aosta
- Piedmont
- Liguria
- Lombardia
Pictured: Emilia-Romagna DOCG/DOC
North East:
- Trentino-Alto Adige
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia
- Emilia-Romagna
- Veneto
Pictured: Marche
Central:
- Marche
- Umbria
- Lazio
- Abruzzo
- Tuscany
Pictured: Trulli of Alberobello, Puglia
South:
- Molise
- Campania
- Puglia
- Basilicata
- Calabria
- Sicily
- Sardinia
The Major Grapes of Each Wine Region
Now let's dive deeper into each wine region and explore the major grapes that thrive in their vineyards:
North West
Pictured: Piedmont (Langhe DOC)
Val d'Aosta
Major Grapes: Petit Rouge, Fumin, Prié Blanc
Top 3 Wine Producers: Les Cretes, Cave des Onze Communes, La Kiuva
Piedmont
Major Grapes: Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto
Top 3 Wine Producers: Fontanafredda, Gaja, Vietti
Lombardy
Major Grapes: Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
Top 3 Wine Producers: Ca' del Bosco, Bellavista, Nino Negri
Liguria
Major Grapes: Vermentino, Pigato, Rossese
Top 3 Wine Producers: Cantine Lunae, Terre Bianche, Durin
North East
Pictured: Trentino-Alto Adige (Santa Maddalena DOC)
Trentino-Alto Adige
Major Grapes: Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, Lagrein
Top 3 Wine Producers: Alois Lageder, Tramin, Hofstätter
Veneto
Major Grapes: Garganega, Corvina, Prosecco (Glera)
Top 3 Wine Producers: Allegrini, Masi, Tommasi
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Major Grapes: Friulano, Pinot Grigio, Ribolla Gialla
Top 3 Wine Producers: Livio Felluga, Jermann, Schiopetto
Emilia-Romagna
Major Grapes: Lambrusco, Sangiovese, Albana
Top 3 Wine Producers: Cleto Chiarli, Fattoria Monticino Rosso, Podere Cipolla
Central
Pictured: Tuscany (Montalcino DOCG/DOC)
Tuscany
Major Grapes: Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Top 3 Wine Producers: Antinori, Marchesi de' Frescobaldi, Tenuta San Guido
Marche
Major Grapes: Verdicchio, Montepulciano, Sangiovese
Top 3 Wine Producers: Umani Ronchi, Garofoli, La Staffa
Umbria
Major Grapes: Sangiovese, Sagrantino, Grechetto
Top 3 Wine Producers: Lungarotti, Arnaldo Caprai, Tabarrini
Lazio
Major Grapes: Malvasia, Trebbiano, Cesanese
Top 3 Wine Producers: Casale del Giglio, Falesco, Marco Carpineti
Abruzzo
Major Grapes: Montepulciano, Trebbiano, Pecorino
Top 3 Wine Producers: Masciarelli, Emidio Pepe, Cataldi Madonna
South
Pictured: Sicily (Mt. Etna DOC)
Molise
Major Grapes: Montepulciano, Aglianico, Trebbiano
Top 3 Wine Producers: Di Majo Norante, Borgo di Colloredo, Cianfagna
Campania
Major Grapes: Aglianico, Fiano, Greco
Top 3 Wine Producers: Mastroberardino, Feudi di San Gregorio, Villa Matilde
Puglia
Major Grapes: Primitivo, Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera
Top 3 Wine Producers: Leone de Castris, Tormaresca, Cantele
Basilicata
Major Grapes: Aglianico, Malvasia, Moscato
Top 3 Wine Producers: Elena Fucci, Cantine del Notaio, Paternoster
Calabria
Major Grapes: Gaglioppo, Greco Bianco, Nerello Cappuccio
Top 3 Wine Producers: Librandi, Statti, Ceraudo
Sicily
Major Grapes: Nero d'Avola, Catarratto, Grillo
Top 3 Wine Producers: Planeta, Donnafugata, Tasca d'Almerita
Sardinia
Major Grapes: Cannonau, Vermentino, Carignano
Top 3 Wine Producers: Argiolas, Sella & Mosca, Cantina di Santadi
Exploring the wine regions of Italy is like embarking on a thrilling journey, where each sip of wine tells a story of the land it comes from. Whether you prefer the bold reds of Tuscany or the crisp whites of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, there is a wine region in Italy that will captivate your taste buds and ignite your sense of adventure. So, grab a glass, raise it high, and toast to the incredible diversity and beauty of Italian wine!
Image source: Getty Images
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