Guide · Italian wine labels

Read the label before you read the ratings.

The cheapest trick in wine buying is pretending labels are decorative. Italian labels do a lot of work if you let them. Here's the short guide.

The tier ladder (from most to least regulated)

1. DOCG Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita

   The top tier. ~77 wines at time of writing. Labels always bear a numbered pink (red wine) or green (white wine) paper strip across the neck. Think Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico.

2. DOC Denominazione di Origine Controllata

   ~330 wines. Regional, appellation-bound, with rules about grape, yield, ageing. Reliably good — just not "government-guaranteed".

3. IGT Indicazione Geografica Tipica

   A flexible tier created in 1992, so Super-Tuscans and other rule-breakers had a home. Some of Italy's most interesting wines live here.

4. VDT Vino da Tavola

   Table wine. Minimal rules. Historically where some of the real rule-breakers hid. Today, mostly just very plain juice.

What else to look for

Annata

Vintage year.

Imbottigliato all'origine

Estate-bottled — good sign.

Vigneto / Vigna

A named single vineyard. Usually a quality signal.

Riserva

Extended ageing required (rules differ by DOC). Not automatically better, but almost always more serious.

Classico

From the historic core of the appellation — e.g., Chianti Classico is the original Chianti zone.

Superiore

Stricter rules, usually higher alcohol and more ageing.

Gradazione alcolica

ABV. Italian wine is trending up; 13.5–14.5% is normal now for structured reds.

Region crib sheet (starter, not exhaustive)

• Piedmont — Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Dolcetto, Moscato d'Asti.
• Tuscany — Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super-Tuscans (IGT).
• Veneto — Amarone, Valpolicella, Soave, Prosecco (much of it from Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG).
• Sicily — Nero d'Avola, Etna Rosso/Bianco, Grillo.
• Abruzzo — Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Trebbiano.
• Friuli — Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, orange wines.
• Campania — Taurasi, Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino, Aglianico.
• Puglia — Primitivo, Negroamaro, Salice Salentino.

A starter list — three bottles to try

1. Chianti Classico (DOCG) — a medium-bodied Sangiovese from the original Chianti zone. Any reputable producer under £25 is educational. Search on Amazon UK →
2. Etna Rosso (DOC) — Nerello Mascalese from the volcano. Lighter than most expect. Pairs with roast pork, pizza, tomato-heavy pasta. Search on Amazon UK →
3. Valpolicella Ripasso (DOC) — a mini-Amarone: Valpolicella "re-passed" over dried grape skins. Big, dark, plummy. Search on Amazon UK →

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