Italian wine regions, appellations and producers. Catalog-reference book of Italian wines with reviews and ratings.
Capital: Rome
Importance of Italian winemaking and wine tourism
Italy is a wine-producing country with ancient traditions, one of the oldest in the world. Winemaking has always been practiced here, as evidenced by archaeological research: the Etruscans in the 2nd century BC, and the ancient Romans, Greeks, who colonized the south of the Apennine Peninsula, bringing with them their grape varieties and techniques, and in some places still names associated with Hellenic origin have been preserved – for example, the Aglianico variety. In the 1960-90s, a wine revolution began, which led to the re-equipment of wineries at a modern level and raised the quality, making the country a leader not only in quantity, but also in quality. It currently ranks first in the world, producing about a quarter of the world's wine volume.
Italian wine regions and the wines they produce
There are twenty regions in the country, and they all make wine. Italy has a very diverse climate and many excellent terroirs, about two hundred and fifty indigenous varieties and several great wine styles. Wine tourism is also very developed – in each region you can find a regional enoteca, where you will be advised on wines and tourist attractions, and they will help you organize an excursion to the winery. In each region, city and even village, traditional historical, wine and gastronomic fests, carnivals, palios, concerts are held. Much is being done in the country to promote local winemaking: on the last weekend of May, the Cantine Aperte campaign takes place, during which many farms open their doors to visitors. Also, each region has its own Strada del Vino route, which covers the local wine-growing area and runs through wine villages and farms. The famous Italian cuisine is also its own, and it goes well with local wines.
Choose the direction of travel: where to visit in Italy, what to see, which wineries to visit, where else to go, what interesting places are worth seeing on your own or on an excursion.