Production : 6 billion liters
wine was produced in 2008. Wine is a popular commodity in Italy, where
per capita consumption is 59 liters compared to that of USA is only 7.7
liters. Just to mention the global share of Italian wine (data from
2005) in dollar value of table wine imports into the U.S. was 32%, Australia's was 24%, and France's was 20%. Along with Australia, Italy's market share has rapidly increased in recent years.
Wine Styles: Italian wine are
classified into four classes
Vino da Tavola (VDT) : simply
means wine from Italy, more so for local consumption.
Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT)
: depicts wine from more specific region of Italy. The quality is
also considered higher than VDT wines.
Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)
: refer to zones which are more specific than IGT. Also, the
grapes used for these wine are more specifically defined.
Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita
(DOCG): same as DOC wines plus these wines should pass blind
taste test in addition to confirming strict legal requirements to be designated as a wine from the area in question.
Super Tuscan : This is an
additional class of wine. The wine which do not adhere to the rules of
DOC(G) wine, but are of higher quality than the VDT and are grown in the
region of Tuscany, are termed as Super Tuscan. To better explain it with
an example is : A Chianti Classico wine is made from a blend of grapes
with Sangiovese varietal. Whereas, a Super Tuscan wine uses a varietal
like Cabernet Sauvignon.
Grape Varieties: Although there
are more than 500 different grape varietals grown in Italy, only 350 of
them have been granted to be "authorized". Among these 350
varietals, these are the most prominent: RED VARIETALS : Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano, Barbera, Corvina, Nero d'Avola, Dolcetto, Negroamaro, Aglianico, Sagrantino and Malvasia
Nera. WHITE VARIETALS : Trebbiano, Moscato, Nuragus, Pinot Grigio, Tocai Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Arneis, Malvasia Bianca, Pigato, Fiano, Garganega, Vermentino and Verdicchio.
Wine Regions: Here is a list of all the
wine regions of Italy. (click on the name to go into detail page of
that region)
