Italy is home to some of the world’s best wine. In fact, in recent years, Italy has surpassed even France in terms of wine produced and exported. Italy’s Mediterranean climate is perfect for growing a wide range of grapes.
Wine is taken very seriously in Italy. It is one of the few countries in the world where wine is grown in every region. And, wine is classified in Italy with a very strict scale. Understanding the scale can help you to pick wines from Italy with a great deal of confidence.
Italy’s classification system has four classes of wine. Two of these correspond exactly to the European Union’s QWPSR classification (Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region). The other two are classified as table wines. The four classifications are:
▪ (VDT) Vino da Tavola – Denotes simply that the wine is made in Italy. This is the most basic table wine.
▪ (IGT) Indicazione Geografica Tipica- These wines come from a specific region in Italy. This category indicates that the wine is a step above the category of table wine, yet does not meet the stricter requirements of the DOC categories. Denotes wine from a more specific region within Italy. This appellation was created in 1992 for wines that were considered to be of higher quality than simple table wines, but which did not conform to the strict wine laws for their region.
▪ QWPSR Classifications
▪ (DOC) Denominazione di Origine Controllata –
▪ (DOCG) Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita
These classifications refer to more specific growing zones, and a more narrowly defined type of grape that can be used.
The main difference between a DOC and a DOCG wine is that the DOCG wine must pass a blind quality taste test in addition to being made of grapes only from the specific regions and using specific varietals.
While these classifications can help you to better understand the Italian red wine and white wine you’re buying, it is not meant to suggest that you only want to buy DOCG wines.
There are many excellent wines in the IGT classification. Though the QWPSR classifications help to ensure that wine is true to its stated region and varietal, it also removes a lot of creativity from winemaking. Therefore, many winemakers choose to make their wines under the IGT classification so that they can create the blends they desire.
There’s no question that the most well known Italian red wine is Chianti. However, nearly every red varietal is grown in Italy, and you can find some wonderful Italian red wines in every one of them.
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