Italian Wine Appellations

One of the most exported Italian white wines, Prosecco is a sparkling wine that comes in three levels of perlage, the bubbliest spumante (sparkling), followed by frizzante (semi-sparkling), and tranquillo (still... READ MORE

This full-bodied, red wine is made from Nebbiolo grapes in a small area in Piedmont with a unique soil and climate conditions. It has been produced since the 19th century, and soon after its invention, it became a favorite among the Italian and Eu... READ MORE

Chianti wine is a red blend from Chianti, a small region in Tuscany, Italy. Made with a minimum of 70% Sangiovese grapes, a wine calling itself Chianti is allowed to be made almost anywhere in Tuscany, and the entire region is divided int... READ MORE

Soave is an Italian wine that comes from the namesake wine region, which is located east of Verona. It is predominately made with Garganega grapes, and occasionally small amounts of Trebbiano di Soave, Chardonnay, or other varieties. Soav... READ MORE

Made entirely from the Moscato Bianco grapes, Moscato d'Asti is a fragrant, not overly sweet fizzante (semi-sparkling) wine that is produced mainly in the province of Asti and the nearby Alessandria and Cuneo. The wine is delicate, floral... READ MORE

Barbera d’Asti (DOCG) is an Italian red wine produced on the hilly vineyards in the provinces of Asti and Alessandria in Piedmont. The minimum of 90% Barbera grapes must be used in its production, while the other 10% may be made up ... READ MORE

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a medium-bodied red Italian wine that is produced in all four provinces of Abruzzo. The wines must be made from at least 85% of Montepulciano grapes, while the only other permitted variety is Sangiovese. Though ... READ MORE

Bolgheri is an Italian appellation located in Tuscany that is best known for its tannic red wines made from classic Bordeaux grapes. These red wines can be made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, or Merlot, or with a blend ... READ MORE

This red Italian wine is produced in the DOC region that surrounds the city of Alba and in some areas overlaps with Barolo and Barbaresco wine regions. The wine is produced with a minimum of 85% Barbera grapes, with the only permitted addition of ... READ MORE

An Englishman John Woodhouse discovered this fortified Sicilian wine and started producing it on a larger scale in 1796. Because of its instant popularity, the quality of Marsala wines began to deteriorate, but in 1984, stricter regulatio... READ MORE

This powerful red wine is produced from Nebbiolo grapes grown on the nutrient-rich soils around the city of Barbaresco in Piedmont. For a long time, the wine was considered as the less prestigious, lighter cousin of the Nebbiolo-based Barolo, but ... READ MORE

Amarone della Valpolicella (DOCG) is a rich, dry Italian red wine made from dried grapes of the varieties Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara. It is considered to be the most prestigious wine of the Veneto region and one of the m... READ MORE

Bardolino is a type of dry red wine traditionally produced around Verona, on the southeastern shores of Lake Garda. It is predominately made with a blend of Corvina and Rondinella grapes, while other, minor varieties may include Rossignol... READ MORE

Brunello di Montalcino is a red Italian wine produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino in the Tuscany wine region. Though it was initially considered to be made from a separate grape variety named Brunello, it was later... READ MORE

This red Italian wine is made with 100% Sangiovese grapes, and it is produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino. The wine was created as a fresher and younger expression of Brunello di Montalcino wines, which are produced in the ... READ MORE

Widely regarded as the finest Italian sparkling wine, Franciacorta is made using metodo classico—just like Champagne and Cava. It is produced with a typical blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Pinot Nero, and comes in no... READ MORE

Chianti Classico is a historical heartland of the Chianti wine region. The wines produced in the area must be made with a minimum of 80% Sangiovese grapes and have to age in oak for at least 12 months. They typically display aromas of red... READ MORE

Marsala Superiore is a premium classification of Marsala wine, aged for a minimum of two years in wooden casks. It has an alcohol content of around 18% ABV and comes in three levels of sweetness: Secco (dry) with up to 40g of residual sugar per li... READ MORE

Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba is an Italian appellation from Piedmont designated for production of red varietal wines that are made exclusively from Dolcetto—a grape native to the region. These ruby red wines will usually display fruity ... READ MORE

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco is a DOCG region in Italy that produces premium, high-quality Prosecco. These prized sparkling wines are made with Glera as the principal grape variety, while common additions include Bianchetta Trevigian... READ MORE

Primitivo is a red grape variety grown in Puglia but considered genetically identical to Zinfandel in California and Crljenak Kaštelanski in Croatia. In Italy, the grape is predominately used in the production of Primitivo di Manduria (DOC)... READ MORE

This prized Italian wine is produced in the hilly vineyards surrounding the city of Montepulciano. The principal grape variety in its production is Sangiovese—locally known as Prugnolo Gentile—with a minimum of 70% percent. Though the ... READ MORE

This robust red wine is produced in Sardinia from a special, thick-skinned Cannonau grape variety, also known as Garnacha or Grenache. The wine is low in acidity and tannins, with herbal and spicy notes and aromas of dark fruit, such as cherries a... READ MORE

Valpolicella is a red Italian wine that is produced from varying percentages of Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella grapes, as well as small portions of other local grape varieties. Often described as a pleasant, everyday wine, Valpolicell... READ MORE

Asti Spumante is a fully sparkling wine produced under Asti DOCG appellation. It is made from Moscato Bianco grapes and most commonly by Charmat method, in which fermentation takes place in pressurized tanks. If it is made using the tradi... READ MORE

In 2020, the production of Prosecco rosé has been officially approved by the Italian government. The wine can be made with Glera and Pinot Noir (Pinot Nero) varieties, with a maximum of 10-15% of Pinot Noir. It has to be produced u... READ MORE

Valtellina Superiore is an Italian wine region located in Sondrio, Lombardy, that produces dry red wines from the prized Nebbiolo grape, which is locally known as Chiavennasca. The vineyards are located on steep terraces with differing mi... READ MORE

This sweet, well-structured Italian wine is produced in Veneto region with air-dried (passito) grapes. Corvina is the principal grape variety, while the blends commonly include Corvinone, Rondinella, and Molinara. Recioto della ValpolicellaREAD MORE

Vin Santo is a type of Italian wine made with dry grapes (passito method) that is produced in various styles. Vin Santo del Chianti is a regional variety from Tuscany—the birthplace of the style—and it can only be produced in ... READ MORE

Marsala Superiore Riserva is a prestigious classification of Marsala wine, aged for a minimum of four years in wooden casks, resulting in a richer, smoother, and more complex profile. With an alcohol content of around 18% ABV, it is available in t... READ MORE

Lacrima di Morro d'Alba is an Italian appellation for red wines produced in Morro d’Alba municipality in Marche. The wines are almost entirely made from a local Lacrima variety, a grape that was once close to extinction, but it was ... READ MORE

This prized Italian wine is produced exclusively from the Cortese grape variety in the Province of Alessandria. The unique climate conditions and mineral-rich soil where the grapes are grown contribute to the exceptional quality of Co... READ MORE

This high-quality Lambrusco wine is produced from a namesake grape variety, grown in vicinity of Modena and the village of Sorbara. The region has been awarded DOC in 1970 and has been known to produce fragrant, red and rosé sparkling wines... READ MORE

Aglianico del Vulture is an Italian appellation located in Basilicata (provincial of Potenza) that produces full-bodied red wines from Aglianico grapes. The vineyards are mostly located on the volcanic soils of Monte Vulture—which i... READ MORE

Vernaccia di San Gimignano is an Italian appellation named after the key grape used in its production (Vernaccia) and its place of origin—a small Tuscan town of San Gimignano. The wines produced in the region are usually straw yello... READ MORE

Cirò is the most popular Calabrian wine region. Although small amounts of whites (made from Greco) and rosés are also produced, the region is best known for tannic red wines made from the local Gaglioppo grape. The wines hav... READ MORE

Asolo Prosecco is a DOCG wine region from Treviso that produces top-quality Prosecco wines. Although still and frizzante (semi-sparkling) are also made in the region, most production is oriented towards spumante (fully s... READ MORE

Hailing from Apulia, this ruby red, intense Italian wine is exclusively produced from dried Primitivo grapes—which are genetically identical to Zinfandel in California and Crljenak Kaštelanski in Croatia. The wine is characterized by ... READ MORE

Passito di Pantelleria is a dessert wine hailing from Pantelleria, an Italian island located between Sicily and Tunisia. The wine is made with dried (passito) Muscat of Alexandria grapes, locally known as Zibibbo. Passito is a traditional method o... READ MORE

Trento or Trentodoc is an Italian wine region that produces white and rosé sparkling wines with varying percentages of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Nero. All the wines are produced with metodo classicoREAD MORE

St. Magdalener/Santa Maddalena is one of the subzones in the Alto Adige/Südtirol DOC. It is considered one of the top positions in the region and one of the most important local red wines. The vineyards are located on the sl... READ MORE

Nebbiolo d’Alba is produced around the city of Alba in Piedmont from 100% Nebbiolo grapes. Though the designation also allows the production of sparkling (spumante) wines, the region typically produces rich, still red wines... READ MORE