Italian Wine: A Beginner's Guide

Photo: Emily Rentsch

Italian wine is both beloved and kind of daunting. Italian wine makers are proud of the many indigenous grapes that thrive in their country, but with over 580 grapes in use across the land, there's a lot to sift through (and discover!) in this ancient gastronomical paradise. 

We're here to make things a little simpler! Below, we'll run through some of the main wine-producing regions in Italy—from North to South—and highlight the most prominent grapes from each region. You'll get to know the grapes' basic flavor profiles and gain a bit more insight on how to choose a bottle of Italian juice the next time you're strolling the wine shop aisles. Let's dig in!

HOW TO READ ITALIAN WINE LABELS


First—how the heck do you decipher an Italian wine label?!

One of the big things to remember is that Italian wines are filed into one of four different classifications. These classifications (or appellations) indicate how well-controlled the production and quality of each wine is:

• DOGC (Denominazione...

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