I should say that I am not a wine expert. And I’m certainly no expert in Italian wines. In fact, I’m not sure that’s even possible. Italy has 20 wine regions, more than 330 DOCs (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), about 70 DOCGs (the same as DOC but with a guarantee), and about 120 IGTs (Indicazione Geografica Tipica). There are more than 2000 varieties of grape and a number of producers for each of these, so the result is thousands of separate labels.
To top it off, the wines within a single geographic classification zone will vary, even if the same grapes are used. That may be due to differences in production styles, but more often it’s because of variations in the soil, micro-climate issues, and other growing conditions. A vineyard at one altitude or on one side of a slope will produce a wine that tastes differently from one that’s lower down the hill or on the opposite side. The map below suggests there’s quite a lot to absorb about Italian wines.
