Italy Wine

Italian wine regions are tied to geography, local grapes, food traditions, and official appellation systems. Northern regions often include Alpine, lake, and hillside wines. Central Italy is especially important for Sangiovese, white wines, hill towns, and historic appellations. Southern Italy and the islands are important for Aglianico, Primitivo, Negroamaro, Nero d’Avola, volcanic soils, coastal areas, and warm-climate styles.

For maps and official appellation details, see the Federdoc guide to the production areas of Italian wines.

The Abruzzo wine region has 2 DOCG wines, 7 DOC wines, and 9 IGT areas. Abruzzo's primary grape varieties are:

Red Grapes

• Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
• Sangiovese

White Grapes

• Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
• Chardonnay

The Campania wine region has 4 DOCG wines, 18 DOC wines, and 10 IGT areas. Campania's primary grape varieties are:

Red Grapes

• Aglianico

White Grapes

• Falanghina
• Malvasia
• Greco Bianco
• Fiano

The Emilia-Romagna wine region has 2 DOCG wines, 23 DOC wines, and 6 IGT areas. Emilia-Romagna's primary grape varieties are:

White Grapes

• Albana
• Pignoletto
• Trebbiano
• Ortrugo

Red Grapes

• Lambrusco
• Sangiovese
• Bonarda

The Friuli‑Venezia Giulia wine region has 4 DOCG appellations. It also has 10‑12 DOC appellations. Additionally, the number of IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) areas is “several” or “a few” depending on the source.

Friuli‑Venezia Giulia's primary grape varieties are:

White Grapes

• Friulano (formerly Tocai Friulano)
• Ribolla Gialla
• Verduzzo Friulano
• Chardonnay (international variety commonly used)

Red Grapes

• Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso (and the Refosco family)
• Schioppettino
• Pignolo
• Merlot (international variety used especially for the reds)

The Lazio wine region has 3 DOCG wines, 28 DOC wines, and 4 IGT areas. Lazio's primary grape varieties are:

Red Grapes

• Merlot
• Sangiovese
• Cesanese

White Grapes

• Malvasia
• Trebbiano

The Liguria wine region has 9 DOC wines and 3 IGT areas. Liguria's primary grape varieties are:

White Grapes

• Vermentino
• Pigato
• Bosco

Red Grapes

• Rossese
• Ciliegiolo
• Ormeasco

The Lombardy wine region  has 5 DOCG wines, 19 DOC wines, and 13 IGT areas. Lombardy's primary grape varieties are:

Red Grapes

• Croatina
• Pinot Noir
• Barbera
• Nebbiolo

White Grapes

• Franciacorta

Marche lies on Italy’s Adriatic side and is best known for Verdicchio-based white wines, especially Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Verdicchio di Matelica. The region also produces red wines from Montepulciano, Sangiovese, and Lacrima.

Key Grapes include:

• Verdicchio
• Pecorino
• Passerina
• Montepulciano
• Sangiovese
• Lacrima

Molise is one of Italy’s smallest wine regions. It produces red, white, and rosé wines from native, regional, and international grapes, with Tintilia del Molise as one of the most distinctive local red wines.

Key Grapes include:

• Tintilia
• Montepulciano
• Aglianico
• Sangiovese
• Trebbiano
• Falanghina

The Piedmont wine region has 17 DOCG wines, 45 DOC wines, and 0 IGT areas. Piedmont's primary grape varieties are:

Red Grapes

• Nebbiolo
• Barbera
• Dolcetto

White Grapes

• Moscato D'Asti
• Cortese
• Arneis

The Puglia wine region has 4 DOCG wines, 30 DOC wines, and 6 IGT areas. Puglia's primary grape varieties are:

Red Grapes

• Sangiovese
• Primitivo (Zinfandel)
• Negroamaro
• Nero di Troia
• Montepulciano

White Grapes

• Trebbiano

The Sicily wine region has 1 DOCG wines, 23 DOC wines, and 7 IGT areas. Sicily's primary grape varieties are:

Red Grapes

• Nero d’Avola
• Nerello Mascalese
• Syrah

White Grapes

• Catarratto Bianco
• Grillo
• Inzolia
• Chardonnay
• Grecanico 

The Tuscany wine region has 11 DOCG wines, 33 DOC wines, and 5 IGT areas. Tuscany's primary grape varieties are:

Red Wines

• Rosso di Montalcino
• Brunello di Montalcino
• Carmignano
• Chianti
• Chianti Classico
• Rosso di Montepulciano
• Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
• Bolgheri

White Wines

• Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Trentino-Alto Adige combines Alpine vineyards, cool-climate white wines, sparkling wines, and red wines from both local and international grapes. The region is especially useful for travelers interested in mountain wine areas and food influenced by both Italian and Central European traditions.

Key Grapes include:

• Pinot Grigio
• Gewürztraminer
• Chardonnay
• Müller-Thurgau
• Lagrein
• Schiava
• Pinot Nero
• Teroldego

The Umbria wine region has 2 DOCG wines, 14 DOC wines, and 6 IGP areas. Umbria’s primary grape varieties are:

Red Grapes

• Sangiovese
• Sagrantino
• Merlot
• Barbera

White Grapes

• Trebbiano
• Grechetto
• Verdello

The Veneto wine region has 14 DOCG wines, 10 DOC wines (not counting those shared with Trentino-Alto Adige, and 8 IGT areas. Veneto's primary grape varieties are:

Sparkling Wines

• Prosecco
• Prosecco Rose

White Wines

• Pinot Grigio
• Soave

Red Wines

• Bardolino
• Valpolicella
• Merlot

Sweet Wines

• Recioto di Soave

Italy is home to a diverse array of grape varieties, each contributing to the unique flavors and characteristics of Italian wine.

Red Grapes

This distinctive red wine is grown throughout southern Italy but is best known from the Campania and Basilicata regions. Structured with firm tannins, the wines exhibit dark berry and cherry fruit with an herbal undertone. It is ageable and capable of showcasing terroir.

Planted throughout Italy, Barbera reaches its peak expression in Piedmont, where it ranges in style from elegant and racy, showcasing pure fruit, to richly textured offerings with dark fruit flavors wrapped in spicy new oak. Its naturally high acidity and low tannins make it compatible with a variety of cuisines, especially tomato-based sauces, while oakier styles pair best with grilled or roasted red meats. Often used as a blending grape in Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, and Lombardy, this variety can be captivating on its own, and its attractive prices make it a solid alternative to the pricier Nebbiolo-based reds from Piedmont.

This red grape is primarily grown in the Valpolicella area of the Veneto region.

Nebbiolo thrives in the limestone, clay, and sand of the Langhe region. It produces Barolo and Barbaresco, along with wines from other Piedmont appellations.

Nerello Mascalese, a late-ripening variety, is virtually synonymous with Sicily’s Mount Etna, flourishing in the diverse volcanic soils of vineyards that reach elevations of approximately 3,300 feet.

This is the king of grapes in Sicily, where over 97% of the world’s plantings are located, accounting for about a fifth of the island’s vineyards.

The most widely planted grape in Italy, Sangiovese accounts for about 10% of the country’s vineyards. While it is often associated with Tuscany, it is cultivated throughout the country, from north to south. In Tuscany, Sangiovese serves as the foundation for wines like Chianti Classico, Chianti, Montepulciano, and Montalcino, making up at least 70% to 100% of the blend. It is frequently combined with Bordeaux varieties in super Tuscans, but it can also be enjoyed alone.

White Grapes

A high-acidity white grape variety native to Sicily, Carricante is primarily cultivated on the slopes of Mount Etna. Increased interest from local producers has led to a significant rise in plantings over the past five years.

The Cortese grape is native to parts of Lombardy and southeastern Piedmont, but it is most closely linked to the Gavi region of Piedmont. In that area, it produces crisp wines boasting flavors of apple, citrus, and almond. Its refreshing acidity and saline finish make it ideal for pairing with food.

Previously referred to as Tocai Friulano, this wine is the flagship white variety of the Friuli–Venezia Giulia region, which is home to half of the country’s vines.

Although few people recognize this grape by name, many are familiar with the white wine it is most known for: Soave, which originates from the volcanic hillsides of the northern Veneto region. This relatively small area, covering about 10,000 acres of vineyards, has flourished over the past decade or two, producing quality bottles from various producers that offer fresh and often complex white wines. The finest examples, labeled Classico, showcase fresh citrus, honeyed stone fruit, and melon, accompanied by vibrant notes of salty minerals.

Italy’s most popular white grape, Pinot Grigio, is highly favored in the United States, where consumers bought over 10.5 million cases in 2020, according to Impact Databank. In comparison to its French counterpart, Pinot Gris, Italian versions are generally crisper, offering a more linear focus.

This local variety rivaled Cortese as the most productive white grape in Piedmont during the 19th century. It fell out of favor due to inconsistent production and the challenges of farming it. It was nearly forgotten until the late 1980s when vintner Walter Massa saved it from extinction in the Colli Tortonesi region of Piedmont. Other local producers teamed up with Massa, and in recent years, several prominent Barolo producers have brought even more attention to the region.

This family of white grapes is among the most widely planted in Italy. While it has traditionally been mass-produced and assigned to mediocre bottlings, the variety can achieve greatness when cultivated in the right terroirs and tended by attentive winemakers.

The signature white grape of the island of Sardinia, Vermentino, is also produced along Italy’s western coast and in central Italy. These wines are typically slightly fleshy, featuring a backbone of citrusy acidity and a mineral streak of salinity.