Italian Wine Guide

Italian Wine Guide Basics
Some of the most popular wines in the world are from Italy, and there are many different regions and varietals you will need to become familiar with. This Italian wine guide will serve as an introductory lesson to help get you started with tasting, trying and sampling fine Italian wines. It's always a good idea when you're learning about something to get a basic overview from a guide. Italian wine is no different, and if you learn some basic characteristics and varieties to begin with you'll have a good education to begin.

Italian Wine Guide - Regions

There are roughly 20 Italian wine regions covering the entire country and its islands. Some of these may sound familiar to you, such as Tuscany, Sicily and Sardinia while others will be less familiar. Different grapes are grown in different areas and different regions specialize in different kinds of wines.

Italian Wine Guide – Classifications

There are a total of four different official classifications for Italian wines. They are broken down into two categories, with two classifications per category. The first is for table wine and the second is for Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region. Starting with the table wine:

• Vino da Tavola – VDT is in some instances a wine of lesser quality and in some instances is a wine that does not follow wine standards, regulations or laws.

• Indicazione Geografica Tipica – IGF are wines from a specific region within Italy but that which do not follow old practices and standards.

• Denominazione di Origine Controllata – DOC wines are from specific zones and utilize specific approved grapes.

• Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita – DOCG wines take matters one step further and also pass a blind taste test for quality and consistency.

Italian Wine Guide – Types of Wine

As mentioned, there are many different types of Italian wine. There are literally hundreds of types of grapes that are used to produce a sampling of many fine wines. The most popular of the Italian wines are:

• Chianti – Chianti is a red wine that is grown in the Tuscany region and utilizes the Sangiovese grape. It is the most famous and widely enjoyed Italian wine, and it makes for a great pairing with any number of different foods and meals.

• Barolo – Barolo red wines are made from the Nebbiolo grape and are dry and heavy. They are typically very complex, featuring a wide range of interwoven flavors.

• Barbaresco – This red wine is similar to Barolo and is made from mostly the same grapes. It is going to be a little bit lighter and less complex.

• Pinot Grigio – Pinot Grigio is a white wine that is made from Pinot Gris grapes and is grown in several different regions throughout Italy. It's an easily accessible white wine that is crisp, smooth and also relatively dry.

This is just a small sampling of the many wines that come from Italy and there's only room for so much in a single guide. Italian wine makes for a great compliment to a meal and runs the full range from clean and refreshing to bold and complex. Chianti is far and away the most popular and well known, but once you start delving into Italian wines you'll find yourself exploring and tasting a wide variety of great wines.

Related Articles

Italian Wine Labels
Italian wine labels can be hard to master. They contain a lot of information in a small amount of space including region and quality. In Italy the best regions are indicated on the label.

Italian Wine History
The history of Italian wine and the history of wine in general for red and white wines extends back several millennium and offers a glimpse into many different civilizations and cultures.

Wine Regions Italy
You made be interested in the wine regions Italy has. Italian wine regions are found throughout the country from Sicily to Tuscany, and can be very diverse producing white and red wines.

Fine Italian Wine
You can buy fine Italian wine online to enjoy serious cost savings on the best red wine types that a wine lover would want.

How to Buy Italian Wine
Everybody wants to buy Italian wine. Each of the Italian wine regions has fine producers of the best wines available to buy online.

Buy Italian Wine Online
Looking to buy Italian wine online? Fine Italian red wine of the month club is one way to get a great selection and lower prices. You can also buy a single bottle from the best regions.

Best Italian Wines
The best Italian wines are made from varietals like Chianti from Sangiovese grapes or Barbaresco from Nebbiolo grapes. The Super Tuscan wines, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Verdicchio are also popular.

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