Italian wines and grapes from A to Z

Italian wine from A to Z: I have prepared a simple list to learn about the main grapes and styles of the most famous Italian grapes.

Italian wine from A to Z to learn more about Italian wines

To know Italian wine it is necessary to understand the provenance and characteristic of the grape that can be expressed.

Detailing each region of provenance, it is simple to discover the personality and which taste to understand once and for all which are the most important Italian wines and their production methods.

Red wine, from the Campania and Basilicata region, expresses a persuasive and rustic character. One of the best wines in terms of power, like sangiovese and nebbiolo.

Taste note:

To the eye: intense purple

Nose: intense perfume of cherry jam, plum, lampone and blackberry

Palate: Round, balanced tannins and acidity, touch of minerality and matches the olfactory notes such as cherry. Potential to achieve tertiary aromas such as tobacco and cinnamon.

Red wine, from the Veneto region, a result of an appassimento method, made from the blend between Corvina, Rondinella and sometimes Corvinone grapes.

The appassimento method is usually made in wood-fired boxes, in ventilated rooms at a constant temperature and the grapes are spent for a minimum period of 3 months until they “drain” all the water coming from the grapes, leaving only the flavor and sugars.

Mostly grown in Piedmont, the grapes are also found in Lombardy, Emilia Romagna and Sardinia. For its versatility of terroirs, it can express different characters as more fruity selections, or the producer can choose to make with style produced in Barriques.

Barolo

Red wine made from the Nebbiolo grape from the Piedmont Region. A wine of character and great expression, in terms of longevity and taste.
Speaking of perfumes like cherry, tobacco, it presents vivid colours like garnacha or even purple, and on the palate it presents a harmony of red fruits and roses or violets; and depending on the maturity it can present tertiary aromas like vanilla.
Historic companies recognized all over the world have their origins here.
Some references are Fontanafredda, Pio Cesare, Altare, Elio Grasso.
The Grand Crus and Premier Crus of this grape are divided into the regions of: Bricco Fiasco, Bricco Rocche, Brunate, Bussia Soprana, Cannubi, Cascia-Francia, Ginestra, Marcenasco, Maremma-Rivette, Monfalletto, Monprivato, Rocche, La Serra, Sperss, Vigna Rionda, Villero.

Wine produced from the Sangiovese grape, well known in the production area of Tuscany that donates its name, Montalcino.

Very well-known coming from the Veneto Region, it produces great examples of Valpolicella, Valpolicella Ripasso that its little brother of Amarone wine blend.

Aromas among primary strawberry, can contribute violets and roses, very elegant with tannins that are

The Valpolicella is a very casual and many times you find precious bottles with good value for money

“Docinho” in Portuguese, these grapes come from the Langhe region and are as the name says, small sweet clusters.

Impossible not to recognize the perfume of this beautiful white grape variety. It comes from the southern region of Italy, from Campania and Sannio, and can also be found in Puglia, Basilicata or Sicily.

Galera is a typical grape of the Veneto region, it can be translated as the Prosecco grape – where it can be grown near Treviso, then up the DOCG versions to COnegliano valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG, and also friuli Venezia Giulia.

Lagrein is a red grape from the Trentino Alto-Adige region in northeastern Italy. Well known for being grown at high altitudes, it expresses a very rich character of anthocyanins, elegant tannins presenting a long aftertaste.

Getting to know mountain and altitude wine

One of Italy’s most important grapes, Montepulciano comes from the Abruzzo region and nearby the Marche region.

It has an intense bordeaux colour, soft tannins when well ripened at the time of harvest and is worthwhile as a cellaring wine.

From the Piedmont region of northwest Italy, one of the largest in terms of quality in Italy. Nebbiolo comes from the name Nebbia, or mist, as the region where it is grown tends to be very humid.

Also known as Chiavennasca in the Valtellina region (Lombardy), Picotener in the Valle d’Aosta region.

Medium intensity colour, ranging from garnacha to a more purple. The olfactory aroma is composed of cherry and some spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg.

Red wine made from the Nebbiolo grape from the Piedmont Region. Wine of character and great expression, in terms of longevity and taste.

Speaking of perfumes like cherry, tobacco, it presents vivid colours like garnacha or even purple, and on the palate it presents a harmony of red fruits and roses or violets; and depending on the maturity it can present tertiary aromas like vanilla

A grape that prefers volcanic soil, more precisely Etna in Sicily, this is a good example of a wine with great potential for ageing.

It presents elegant nuances and pleases the most demanding palates. It has a lighter colour, due to its low level of anthocyanins, and the aromas vary from cherry, tobacco and herbs to some minerals.

Primitivo

This name from the Latin “primitivus” meaning its prior ripening in August, which compared to other September or October grapes, originates from the land of Puglia . It may be called Zinfandel in the United States, and accumulates awards for flavour and exuberance.
Exuberant, good concentration of anthocyanins yields dark wine almost purple in colour, with aromas of blackberries, cherries and strawberry jam… generally high in alcohol content, which can range between 14 and 16%.

Ribolla Gialla

Very important as a white grape variety, this grape has a long history and is known worldwide. Its home is in the easternmost part of Italy, in Friuli Venezia Giulia and contains characteristics of high acidity, with a light touch of flowers and butter. In more evolved versions we can notice it coming out of the lemon and reaching mandarin tones.
It is also well known for producing Orange wine, as they are fermented by contact with the skin of the grape.

Sangiovese

The queen of Tuscany, known for producing wines like Chianti, Brunello and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (which has nothing to do with the Montepulciano grape) and also numerous other different areas.
A very sensitive grape where it is planted, it expresses its best potential when it has
It usually presents perfume like cherries and nuances of violet. with time, it can grow with tobacco like expressive tertiary notes or leather.

Lambrusco

Famous for producing Lambrusco from Sorbara in Emilia Romagna, it has acquired names such as Modena DOC, Sorbara, Reggiano and Emilia.
Very common primary aromas like strawberry and cherry nods, some spices like rosemary, thyme
Usually produced in a frizzante version, using tank methods (in autoclave) with ancestral methods.

Vespaiola

From the Vicenza region of Veneto, this white grape variety can be made into sparkling wine and also as sweet wine – as Torcolato.
Very interesting for its acidity and vigorous, it has a uniform production and expresses sectors such as acacia, white flowers, pear, and some tropical fruit notes like pineapple.

Zibibbo

Also known as Moscato of Alessandria, this grape has both dry and sweet styles.

Provenance of the Sicilian Region, in Pantelleria, this Italian grape has a close relationship with Moscato Branco.

Characteristic scents range from caramel, candied orange, to delicious figgy aromas when sweet.