Italian wine is confusing for a structural reason: French labels tell you the place, New World labels tell you the grape, and Italian labels do either, sometimes both, sometimes neither. Here is the map.
The north
- Piedmont. Nebbiolo makes Barolo and Barbaresco — structured, tannic, long-lived, expensive. Barbera and Dolcetto are the everyday reds and excellent value. Moscato d'Asti for dessert.
- Veneto. Prosecco from Glera. Amarone, made from dried grapes: rich, high in alcohol, remarkable. Valpolicella is its lighter sibling. Soave is the white, and much better than its reputation.
- Friuli and Alto Adige. Italy's best whites: Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, and crystalline alpine Pinot Bianco and Gewürztraminer.
- Lombardy. Franciacorta, made by the traditional method, and a genuine alternative to champagne.
The centre
- Tuscany. Sangiovese: Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The Bolgheri coast makes Bordeaux-style blends, the "Super Tuscans", at Bordeaux-style prices.
- Umbria. Sagrantino from Montefalco — one of the most tannic grapes anywhere — and crisp Orvieto whites.
- Abruzzo and Le Marche. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo for value reds; Verdicchio for seriously underpriced whites.
- Lazio. Frascati, much improved.
The south and the islands
- Campania. Aglianico makes Taurasi, sometimes called the Barolo of the south. Fiano and Greco di Tufo are outstanding whites.
- Puglia. Primitivo (the same grape as Zinfandel) and Negroamaro: ripe, generous, cheap.
- Sicily. Nero d'Avola for warmth, and the volcanic Etna Rosso from Nerello Mascalese, which drinks more like Burgundy than anything else in the south. Marsala for fortified wine.
- Sardinia. Cannonau (Grenache) and the saline white Vermentino.
Buy the grape nobody outside Italy has heard of, from the region you are standing in. It will be half the price and twice as interesting.
What the label classifications mean
- DOCG — the tightest rules and a guarantee of origin. Not automatically the best wine, but the most regulated.
- DOC — controlled origin, slightly looser.
- IGT — a broader geographical indication. Deliberately used by some excellent producers who wanted to ignore the local rules; most Super Tuscans began here.
- Riserva — longer minimum ageing.
- Classico — from the historic heart of the zone.
- Superiore — usually higher alcohol and stricter yields.
How to order without a wine list
Say un vino della zona, per favore — a wine from the area — or che cosa mi consiglia con questo?, what do you recommend with this. In most trattorie the house wine is local, unlabelled, served in a jug, costs a few euros a litre and is perfectly good. Ordering it is not cheap; it is correct. More on that in how to order food in Italy.