Italy is a huge wine bottle full of wine. From the Alps to the tip of Calabria, Italy has a wide array of climates and soils. In fact Italy produces more varieties of wine than any other country in the world.

The grape varieties are distinctly Italian; many of them are grown nowhere else in the world. While some Italian wines are produced from just one grape variety, many are made from blends of different grapes and produce a wine impossible to duplicate elsewhere.

Italian wine production has shifted from the small farmer to larger companies that have modern facilities comparable to the best in the
world. These modern producers vary in size from single estates to very large wineries with extensive vineyards. There are also many cooperatives that group hundreds of small wineries.

Ever since the Wine Law of 1963, Italian wines have experienced a dramatic shift in quality. These laws regulate the characteristics of
that wine, from the varieties of grapes used to the terrain to the aging: in fact very little is not regulated. Only about 10% of Italian wines fall into this DOC category- Denominazione di Origine Controllata.

Italy has also gone one step further and created another category: DOCG- reserved for wines of “particular reputation and worth.”

If a bottle carries the DOC label you can be sure: -that the wine is from the area named; -that it is produced from the specific proportions of specific grapes and that it has been properly aged; -that the vineyards have been regulated to limit their maximum production; -that the vintage year on the bottle is accurate

Wine tour: Piedmont

This region is famous for wines made from 3 grapes: Nebbiolo, Barbera and Moscato. Wines made from the Nebbiolo include Barolo and Barbaresco, the two most famous of the region; Gattinara and Ghemme are the other two wines produced from the Nebbiolo grape.

The Barbera grape is much more common than the Nebbiolo. It also produces a dark, tannic wine that is usually less expensive than the Nebbiolo.

Other Piedmontese grape varieties are the Grignolino, Dolcetto and Freisa. These produce less tannic wines that can be enjoyed earlier.

Perhaps the most famous grape worldwide is the Moscato, used to produce Italy’s famous Asti Spumante.

The most famous wine town in Piedmont is Alba, also known as the headquarters for the white truffle. October heralds the height of the truffle season with a month-long festival in its honor.

Wine tour: Lombardy

High in the Alps, the Nebbiolo is grown to produce a sturdier red than Piedmont. Sub-regions such as Sassella, Grumello, Inferno and Sfursat often give their names to these wines.

Further away in the Oltrepó Pavese area, the Pinot and Riesling grapes are used to produce some outstanding red and white wines.

Franciacorta Pinot and Rosso are 2 DOC wines produced in Brescia. Pinot Bianco is used in the white wine and the red is a blend of cabernet franc, barbera, nebbiolo and merlot.

Wine tour: Veneto

Located between Lake Garda and the Po and Piave Rivers, the Veneto is one of Italy’s largest wine producing areas.

The region is best known for its 3 most famous wines: Valpolicella
and Bardolino, both reds and the white Soave. Both reds are lighter in color and body and are great summer wines. Soave is probably Italy’s most famous white wine.

A Veronese specialty is Recioto, made from bunches of grapes which are left to dry before being crushed. Recioto is a rich, sweet wine while Amarone is a dry Recioto.

The hills near the town of Conegliano, north of Venice, produce an
aromatic white wine from the prosecco grape, which can be made into a still and sparkling wine.