France
- Alsace In progress
- Beaujolais In progress
- Bordeaux In progress
- Bourgogne In progress
- Champagne In progress
- Corsica In progress
- Jura In progress
- Languedoc In progress
- Loire Valley In progress
- Provence In progress
- Rhône Valley In progress
- Roussillon In progress
- Savoie In progress
- South-West In progress
Italy
- Abruzzo In progress
- Alto Adige - Südtirol In progress
- Basilicata In progress
- Calabria In progress
- Campania In progress
- Emilia-Romagna In progress
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia In progress
- Lazio In progress
- Liguria In progress
- Lombardia In progress
- Marche In progress
- Molise In progress
- Piemonte In progress
- Puglia In progress
- Sardegna In progress
- Sicily In progress
- Trentino In progress
- Tuscany In progress
- Umbria In progress
- Valle d'Aosta In progress
- Veneto In progress
Spain
- Andalucía In progress
- Aragón In progress
- Castilla y León In progress
- Castilla-La Mancha In progress
- Cataluña In progress
- Extremadura In progress
- Galicia Complete
- Las Islas Baleares In progress
- Las Islas Canarias In progress
- Madrid In progress
- Murcia In progress
- Navarra In progress
- País Vasco In progress
- Rioja In progress
- Valencia In progress
Italy
Wine is everywhere in Italy – yet the country was only unified between 1861 and 1871, and remains a nation of deeply rooted regional traditions. The result? Perhaps the most complex wine culture in the world, and one whose differences seem inexhaustible: in Italy, there is always more to learn, to discover, to delight in. Those who make Italian wine often work in obscurity, modestly following the traditions of their mothers and fathers, yet the results astonish by their originality as well as their beauty and gastronomic aptitude.
Abruzzo
25 producers
In Abruzzo we find the home of the Montepulciano variety, responsible for this region’s most exciting red wines and the base of almost every red wine DOC here. The best examples are packed full of dense black fruits, powerful, full-bodied and tannic that can age beautifully, though certainly by no means does every example hit those heights. This grape is also responsible for Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, one of Italy’s finest and most respected rosés.
Alto Adige - Südtirol
24 producers
Visit this unique region and you’d never know you were in Italy. The culture, food, language and architecture are far more reflective of its Austrian heritage than Italian, and the wines have a distinctly Teutonic soul. The cool Alpine slopes provide perfect conditions for cool climate, aromatic whites largely from international varieties like Pinot Bianco/Grigio, Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc, but is also home to some crunchy reds from Schiava and Lagrein. At their best, this region’s wines can compete with anything else Italy has to offer.
Basilicata
12 producers
One of the smallest of Italy’s wine regions, but home to one of its most highly respected red wines: Aglianico del Vulture. Centred around the extinct volcano Vulture, the best vineyards lie on the volcanic slopes in the Superiore zone and create surely the world’s best examples of this outstanding grape. Aglianico is by far the most important grape of Basilicata, but interesting whites can be found here too, especially from the local Malvasia Bianca di Basilicata.
Calabria
14 producers
This ancient wine producing region always seems to fly slightly under the radar. Its historic precedent speaks more to quantity than quality, but that is being seriously challenged by a new wave of producers enthusiastically exploring really promising, local Calabrian varieties, led by the pioneering efforts of the producer Librandi. The most interesting of these is the local Gaglioppo, which features in most of the red DOCs of the region.
Campania
24 producers
This ancient wine region, dating back over 2000 years, is one of the most vibrant and exciting in the modern Italian wine scene. Many of its best areas lie on soils created by the region’s volcanoes, some of which are still active today. Several wonderful, old, ungrafted vineyards are to be found here showcasing the Campania’s 100+ indigenous varieties. Amongst the reds, the mighty Aglianico is king, but seriously impressive whites from Falanghina, Greco and, particularly, Fiano add serious clout to the viticultural landscape of Campania.
Emilia-Romagna
34 producers
This large, wealthy region has historically been associated with large volume, largely forgettable wines. However recently, a new generation of producers has really put Emilia-Romagna on the map and there are many outstanding wines to be found. The local speciality is the semi-sparkling reds from the Lambrusco family – a perfect counterpoint to the regions famously hearty cuisine, but there’s lots of excitement across the region for all categories of wine.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
27 producers
Critically acclaimed for producing some of Italy’s very finest white wines, from a range of indigenous varieties such as Friulano, Ribolla Gialla and Malvasia Istriana, and international grapes like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. While whites dominate, reds are becoming increasingly important, with some of the most interesting coming from the local Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Pignolo and Schioppettino varieties, and the two historically revered dessert wines of Picolit and Ramandolo.
Lazio
16 producers
This region tells a story of unfulfilled potential. Blessed with an ideal climate, well-positioned, sloped vineyards and ancient volcanic soils, there is no reason why Lazio shouldn’t make more of an impression on the Italian wine scene. However, progress is being made, pushed on by a young generation championing local varieties such as Cesanese and Malvasia del Lazio. The guide will help you separate the wheat from the chaff in this ever-improving wine region.
Liguria
9 producers
The steeply-terraced vineyards of Liguria overlook the beautifully picturesque Italian Riviera. A ready supply of thirsty tourists have been historically well-served by fresh, uncomplicated wines from Vermentino, Pigato and Rossese, which is genetically identical to France’s Tibouren. Recently though the region has undergone a quality resurgence and producing some genuinely exciting red and white wines, alongside the local speciality sweet passito wine from Cinque Terre: Sciacchetrà.
Lombardia
22 producers
This large region centres around the cosmopolitan city of Milano and encompasses the famous lakes Maggiore, Como and the western flank of Garda. Its most distinctive wines are found in Valtellina, showcasing the best Nebbiolo outside of Piemonte, the wonderful Turbiana-based whites of Lugana DOC and the sparkling wines of Franciacorta, which produces some world-class traditional method fizz. Other appellations like Buttafuoco too show the potential for quality wines across the region.
Marche
37 producers
La Marche’s position, uniquely sandwiched between the Apennines and the Mediterranean create the perfect moderate climate for interesting, characterful white wines. Verdicchio is the region’s most important white variety, but Pecorino has gained real traction recently too. For the reds, Sangiovese and Montepulciano dominate, but the most interesting esoteric variety is the indigenous Lacrima from Lacrima di Morro d’Alba DOC with its distinctive, unmistakable floral perfume.
Molise
7 producers
Italy’s second smallest region after Valle d’Aosta makes a humble contribution to the viticultural landscape of Italy. However it still manages to boast one unique and worthy local variety: Tintilia. Growing enthusiasm for this variety led to the creation of the Tintilia del Molise DOC in 2011, showcased to its best by the wonderful wines of Di Majo Norante.
Piemonte
104 producers
Piemonte, ‘At the Foot of the Mountains’, is one of the world’s greatest wine regions and one of the most renowned gastronomic centres in Italy. Here food and wine are inextricably linked, and the rich Cucina Piemontese provides the perfect foil to the earthy, tannic Nebbiolo wines for which the area is most revered. At their best, these wines remain unsurpassed, but there’s much more to Piemonte that this – historic white varieties such as Timorasso and Arneis are returning to prominence, lovely fragrant reds from Dolcetto and Barbera can be outstanding, and of course the semi-sparkling, sweet Moscato d’Asti.
Puglia
16 producers
‘The heel of the boot’ and long associated with large volumes of gluggable, basic table wine hailing from its warm, fertile vineyards. Certainly, as one of the country’s largest producing regions, there is still no shortage of wines made in that ilk. However, alongside are some real Italian gems: deep, spicy Primitivo from Manduria and inky-black Negroamaro can produce wines of real complexity, and there are wonderful producers across most of its 32 DOC/Gs.
Sardegna
24 producers
Lying on its own in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, Sardegna has its own distinct cultural identity. Unsurprisingly it has a Mediterranean climate, but influenced by mountains and the strong maestrale wind that creates a complex series of microclimates across the island. Cannonau is the flagship red variety, at its best in the province of Nuoro, but there is outstanding Vermentino here too and some interesting local peculiarities such as the ‘sherry-like’ wines of Vernaccia di Oristano.
Sicily
24 producers
Sicily boasts a wide range of wine styles and terroirs. Famously home to the largest and most active volcano of Europe, Mt. Etna, the grapes from these eastern vineyards produce distinctively smoky reds from the excellent Nerello Mascalese variety. Elsewhere Nero d’Avola is king of the reds, capable of producing wines of every quality level. The climate lends itself to red wine, but whites can be outstanding here too, particularly from the local Cataratto, Grillo and Carricante varieties, and don’t overlook the amazing passito wines from the island of Pantelleria made from Muscat of Alexandria, known locally as Zibibbo.
Trentino
14 producers
Often lumped together with its northerly neighbor Alto Adige, Trentino has its own distinct personality and much more of an Italian mindset. It shares the spectacular mountainous backdrop, but its warmer climate has historically lended it more towards red than white, reaching its zenith with the iconic Bordeaux blend from Tenuta San Leonardo. Modern Trentino though is now dominated by whites which account for about ¾ of all vineyard plantings, Teroldego produces some outstanding reds, and there’s some excellent traditional method sparkling wine too, particularly from the Ferrari estate.
Tuscany
83 producers
From the rolling hills of Tuscany come some of the world’s most highly prized red wines, revolving around its superstar grape variety: Sangiovese. This beautiful region is the only one that can truly rival Piemonte for the superlative quality of its best wines. The Super Tuscans added a new chapter to a long history of wine production that dates back to the Etruscan settlers of the 9th century BC, and since then the region has never stood still. Alongside the historically famous wines of Brunello and Chianti, the modern landscape shows exciting, zesty whites from Vernaccia and plenty of hidden gems like the up-and-coming Monte Amiata appellation.
Umbria
16 producers
Often overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbor to the west, modern Umbrian wine has a lot to thank Giorgio Lungarotti for, whose iconic, eponymous winery single-handedly put the region back on the map in the 1960s. Today many of the most interesting wines hail from the Sagrantino vineyards of Montefalco but there are excellent producers to be found across its 15 DOC/G appellations.
Valle d'Aosta
13 producers
Italy’s smallest and least populated region, and the only region that recognises French alongside Italian as an official language. That heritage is often reflected in place names and on wine labels. Surprisingly given its rugged Alpine landscape, it’s red grapes that dominate here, mainly from Nebbiolo and the indigenous Petit Rouge, known locally as ‘Picciourouzo’. Due to the climate, red and whites are generally light, fresh and approachable and you can also find some interesting dessert wines, and even the occasional Ice Wine; one of Italy’s only regions cold enough to enjoy success with this style.
Veneto
88 producers
Italy’s most productive wine region accounts for ¼ of all the country’s DOC/G wine. A huge array of top-quality wine can be found here, alongside plenty of less aspirational production. The textured whites of Garganega, grown on the ancient volcanic soils of Soave, are considered amongst Italy’s best, the hedonistic Amarone’s need little introduction, and of course the huge commercial success story of Prosecco. But the region is also a happy hunting ground for lesser-known, unique contributions to the Italy’s vinous landscape, such as the outstanding Vespaiola wines of Torcolato and Vespaiolo, and many more.