Enjoying a robust, full-bodied red wine with lasagna or pizza or a crisp, light white wine with fish or shellfish complements and amplifies the flavor of the food you have prepared. We rarely have dinner without a glass or two of wine, and our wine of choice is Italian. We believe that Italian wine is equal to any produced anywhere in the world.
Italians have been cultivating wine grapes for more than 2000 years. We love visiting the vineyards in Italy. Some of the vines are centuries old. So many excellent Italian wines are available, we want to give you an overview of the general categories. We could go on forever about the Italian wines we love. We advise you to experiment. Use the list that follows as a guideline for your selection.
Italy is well known for rich red wine. There are more than twenty types of red grape varietals in Italy. Let’s take a look at some of the most important ones.
This medium-bodied grape is planted throughout Italy, especially in Tuscany and Umbria. Sangiovese is the main grape of Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. It is also used in the Super Tuscans. This grape has the flavor of cherries and herbs.
This full-bodied grape makes two of Italy’s most famous wines: Barolo and Barbaresco in Piedmont. These wines are among the best in the world.
This grape is used in the Emilia-Romagna region to produce a light, fizzy red wine of the same name.
Italy uses this dark-skinned grape, which is widely planted throughout, to produce wines with lower tannin and high acidity. Barbera grapes have an intense berry flavor. Since they are versatile with food, they are used in everyday table wines.
This grape, grown in central and southern Italy, is used to make Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a peppery, full-bodied, dark rustic wine. It is often confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a Sangiovese from Tuscany.
This grape from Southern Italy makes a fruity wine that is similar to Zinfandel.
This Venetian wine is made with a blend of Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes. The grapes are partially dried, producing a richer, high-alcohol wine. This full-bodied wine pairs best with cheese or rich, savory foods.
Ripasso della Valpolicella is a Venetian style of wine made with Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes. The wine is produced by fermenting fresh juice with leftover pomace from Amarone winemaking. Pomace is the dark blackish-red debris—grape skins and stems—after the juice is poured off. Using the pomace makes the wine richer.
The most familiar Italian white wine grape, grown primarily in northeastern Italy, is the Italian version of Pinot Gris. Pinot Grigio is dry and crisp, with the flavors of peach and a mineral quality.
This Venetian white wine grape is used in the regional wine called Soave. The wine is dry and crisp, with subtle fruit flavors. Soave Classico is sometimes similar in style to oaked Chardonnay.
This grape is used in the regional wine Cortese di Gavi from Piedmont. The wine is similar to Pinot Grigio or Chablis.
This is Italy’s most planted white wine grape, which is also used to make Cognac and balsamic vinegar. Trebbiano is included in white wine blends all over Italy. In Umbria, it is called Orvieto. The grape produces crisp white wine that goes well with shellfish.
This slightly bitter white wine grape is sometimes used in Soave, where it is called Trebbiano di Soave, which is not the same as Trebbiano. The wine is medium-bodied, crisp, and fresh.
This grape is grown in Sardinia and also cultivated in Tuscany. A Vermentino wine is a crisp white, often similar to Sauvignon Blanc.
Moscato, cultivated in Piedmont, is best known for the sweet, bubbly Moscato d’Asti.
This grape variety is grown mostly in northeastern Italy. It is used to make Prosecco, an aperitif. It is not always bubbly, but we like it that way. It is festive to start a party with the popping of corks! Who needs Champagne when so much great, affordable Prosecco is around?