Explore the map of Italian wine regions and major wine varieties. Learn about the 20 Italian wine regions and which ones to try when delving into Italian wines.
Discover delicious Italian wines and beautiful regions in Wine Folly’s Alto Adige, Asti, Chianti Classico, Conegliano Valdobbiadene , and Sicily Region Guides.
Italy is one of the most difficult countries to get to know. Why? Well, for one, the Italians use an esoteric wine labeling system, much like the French.
But that’s not even the biggest problem when it comes to familiarizing yourself with Italian wines. The hardest part is learning all the different grape varieties.
At the moment, there are about 350 official Italian wine varieties. There have been rumors that over 2,000 different Italian grapes exist, but this might be a bit of an exaggeration — something Italians do well.
Italian Wine Regions
Italy produces a huge amount of table wine, Vermouth, and cooking wines (such as Marsala). That being said, three major regions produce the majority of high-quality table wines, and they are: Veneto, Tuscany, and Piedmont!
The list of Italian wine regions is organized by the highest volume of DOC wines. This removes all the grapes and wines produced for making vinegar, cooking wine, and low-quality table wine.
A “controlled designation of origin” is a quality assurance label for Italian wine. DOCG is the highest level of this assurance label.
A “typical geographic indication” is another type of quality assurance label for Italian wine. Wines made from non-Italian grapes, like Merlot and Chardonnay, often fall into this category.
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Veneto (~18% DOC production)
Look for structured reds, crisp whites, and Italy’s most famous sparkling wine.
Veneto is one of Italy’s most productive and stylistically diverse wine regions. In the west, Valpolicella is known for red wines made from Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara, including Amarone della Valpolicella, produced from partially dried grapes and prized for its richness and concentration.
To the east, Veneto is home to Prosecco, Italy’s most widely recognized sparkling wine. The highest-quality examples come from the hillside vineyards of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, where steep slopes, cooler temperatures, and well-drained soils produce more complex, aromatic expressions of the Glera grape.
White wines are also a major strength of the region. Soave (‘swah-vay’), made primarily from Garganega, offers fresh acidity with almond and stone fruit notes and is often a more textured alternative to Pinot Grigio.
Throughout Veneto, producers also make a range of IGT wines, including notable Merlot- and Cabernet-based bottlings.
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Tuscany (~17% DOC production)
Try red wines from Tuscany as well as a sweet wine called Vin Santo.
Tuscany is home to the Chianti region, the most famous region for Sangiovese. When Sangiovese became the required major grape in Chianti during the 1970s, the other noble grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) ended up creating a new style of wine: Super Tuscan.
For white wines in this region, keep in mind that Trebbiano is Italy’s most produced white grape, and Vermentino has quite a few taste similarities to Sauvignon Blanc.
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Piedmont (~11% DOC production)
Try red wines and Moscato d’Asti from this area.
Nebbiolo is a grape with high tannins and pale color that has long been famous for its bristling acidity and aromatic intensity.
Besides the great Nebbiolo wines of Barolo, the region is also home to Moscato d’Asti and the underdog varietal: Dolcetto.
Want more in-depth info? Read the essential guide on
Piedmont Wine Region with Maps -
Emilia-Romagna (~9% DOC production)
Eat the cheese from Parma and drink Lambrusco.
Lambrusco has long been considered a cheap, sweet, fruity wine. Now there are several outstanding off-dry to dry Lambruscos from Emilia-Romagna.
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Lombardy (~7% DOC production)
Check out Pinot Nero and sparkling wines from Lombardy.
Valtellina is within Lombardy, close to Lake Como. Nebbiolo is the red wine produced here, but it’s called Chiavennasca; it’s lighter and more “Pinot-like” than its Piemontese sister. Lombardy also produces some great Pinot Noir (they call it Pinot Nero), especially around Oltrepò Pavese.
The sparkling wine is called Franciacorta and is made with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc grapes in the same style as Champagne.
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Umbria (~7% DOC production)
Look for great value Sangiovese and Orvieto (a white wine).
Sagrantino is the red grape variety in Umbria that people go crazy over. In Montefalco, you’ll find Sagrantino, but there’s also a fair amount of strawberry-like Sangiovese in the region. The white grape here is called Grechetto, which is one of the grapes in Orvieto. Its minerally and zesty qualities are similar to Pinot Grigio, with a distinct green almond flavor.
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Abruzzo (~7% DOC production)
Look for red wines from Abruzzo.
Montepulciano is the primary red grape in Abruzzo and the wines are called Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. This is a bit confusing because there is also a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is a wine from Tuscany made with Sangiovese.
Montepulciano (the grape) makes a dark, rich wine with high tannins and an herbaceous character, and is similar to Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Trentino Alto-Adige (~6% DOC production)
Look for white wines and sparkling wines.
This region is butted up to the Alps and makes fabulous white wines from Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Gewürztraminer, and Müller-Thurgau (the latter two are sweeter). In Trento, they also produce a sparkling wine made with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that easily rivals the best Champagne.
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Friuli-Venezia Giulia (~6% DOC production)
Look for white wines, particularly Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio.
Known for several unique and more intensely flavored styles of Pinot Grigio (including Ramato) and Sauvignon Blanc, with a slightly meaty undertone. The area also produces some very savory and umami-tasting Merlot.
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Marche (~3% DOC production)
Try refreshing and aromatic Verdicchio white wines.
Marche (Mar-kay) is famous for its aromatic white wines. Verdicchio is definitely the most common, but Pecorino (the white wine grape, not the cheese) is an extremely special find. Lacrima is an up-and-coming grape from this area making fruity fun wines that are similar to Syrah.
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Puglia (~3% DOC production)
Amazing valued reds made with Negroamaro and Primitivo.
The fruit-forward red wines from Puglia (Apulia) are a great way to start with Italian wines. Most are affordable, and the region has many esoteric, sweet red wines growing nowhere else. Puglia is also a known value region for Chardonnay.
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Lazio (~2% DOC production)
With Rome in Lazio, wine production is relatively small. Still, refreshing and zesty Grechetto can be found here, along with Malvasia, an aromatic, rich and sweet wine.
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Sicily (~1% DOC production)
Try a red wine called Nero d’Avola.
Red wines from Sicily are dark, rich, and fruit-forward because of the warm climate. Nero d’Avola is an awesome red variety that’s worthy of nobility.
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Sardinia (~1% DOC production)
You gotta try Cannonau and Vermentino.
At some point, ampelographers discovered that Sardinia’s (Sardegna) pride, Cannonau, is actually Grenache. In Sardinia, it tastes more rustic with dried fruit flavors. The wines from Sardinia are highly aromatic and usually available at a great value.
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Campania (~0.5% DOC production)
Aglianico is a very high-tannin and rustic red wine. Traditionally, it takes about ten years of aging to be drinkable. Recently, Aglianico wines have gained momentum as producers have figured out how to dial back Aglianico’s rugged, meaty tannins.
That said, there’s nothing more guttural than a 10-year-old traditional Taurasi. Also, check out Greco, a refreshing white wine with a bitter almond finish.
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Liguria (~0.2% DOC production)
A very beautiful region that was not initially famous for its wines. Some delicious white wine blends have a tingle of salinity from the sea air.
Perfect seafood wine. There is also an out-of-the-box producer of sparkling wines that ages them in the bottom of the sea.
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Calabria (~0.17% DOC production)
Greco is the white wine of choice in this region.
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Molise (~0.1% DOC production)
Molise produces some interesting red wines.
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Basilicata (~0.1% DOC production)
Awesome and intimidating Aglianico that grows on the side of a volcano.
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Valle d’Aosta (~0.05% DOC production)
The smallest wine region in Italy, in the Alps, produces some Pinot Noir rosé and two regional grapes: Petit Rouge (a red) and Petite Arvine (a white).