styles outstrip their Gallic neighbours by far. But then it gets messy. The diversity of labelling and local regulations are bewildering, with many producers only offering an obscure regional name as a clue of where the wine comes from. That said, there is a labelling system that will help you work out the expected quality of the wine (see the panel below), from the highest level of DOCG and DOC quality to more everyday wines found under the IGT and Vino da Tavola labels. Then there’s the language of grapes as a guide. Few countries offer such an exciting diversity and uniqueness of flavours as Italy does. Italy has long been famous for its quality red wines, and lovers of reds will have seen an evolving culture that now places more emphasis on quality than quantity. Their reputation for white wine production began to change in the 1960s, with more modern white wines entering the fray. These crisp and fresh wines have been finessed over the years to the point where the likes of Soave and Verdicchio are jostling with many other quality white wine producers. There are delights everywhere in Italy. Your only problem will be where to start. I’ve listed some suggestions here and of course there’s more to explore on the shelves of your local SuperValu.
DOCG Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita controlled designation of origin guaranteed Wines with this label are considered to be amongst Italy’s best.
Piedmont Lombardy
Prosecco Veneto
Emilia-Romagna
Liguria
Tuscany
Prosecco is Italy’s favourite sparkler. It should be drunk young and is generally a dry tipple that’s ideal as an apéritif, though Italians are happy for it to appear at all occasions. The name comes from the little village of Prosecco near Trieste, where the drink originated.
Umbria Puglia
Campania
Sicily BEHIND THE LABELS DOC Denominazione di Origine Controllata controlled designation of origin
IGT Indicazione Geografica Tipica indication of typical locality
Wines whose production methods and origin are strictly controlled for quality. Often very traditional wines.
This is essentially like a French Vin de Pays: wines from a designated region but with higher yields.
Vino da Tavola table wine This is Italy’s everyday wine category.
4 | UNCORKED SUMMER 2015
003 Uncorked_Summer 2015_Italian Wine_KJ_V9.indd 4
07/05/2015 19:33