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Friday, February 03, 2012

Understanding Italian Wine Classifications

Understanding Italian Wine Classifications

By Giovanni Balboni




Wine is taken very seriously in Italy and is very strictly classified. Understanding how this classification works will help you learn a little about the wines you can have the pleasure of sampling while staying in villas in Tuscany - and the ones you may want to take home.

Italy's Wine Classifications


  • DOCG: The highest category of wine is the DOCG. This classification is given only to a limited number of the best wines. To be rated as a DOCG wine, it must pass a blind taste test, as well as other stringent tests. It must be easily recognisable as the grape from which it is produced.


  • DOC: Wines in this category must adhere to the restrictions of having been made from grapes grown in a certain region, and used in minimum combinations. For example, for a wine to be DOC Chianti, the grapes must all have been grown in the Chianti area (perhaps even within view of your villas in Tuscany!), and the wine must be made from at least 75% Sangiovese grapes. When a wine is labelled DOC you can trust that it is true to the original definition of its labelled variety and that it is a wine of very high quality. This is the wine you should choose for a fine dinner in a restaurant, or a special dinner when you are holidaying in villas in Tuscany.


  • IGT: These wines are the highest category of 'table wines'. You can be certain that the wine is made from grapes grown in the region specified, but the combination of grapes can vary. These wines are among some of the best in Italy - they simply do not meet the restrictions for DOC wine grape combinations because the winemakers have chosen to experiment.


  • VdT: This is the Vino de Tavola category - the lowest category of wine in Italy. To qualify as VdT the wine must simply be made from grapes grown in Italy.


  • Super Tuscans: These wines are similar to the IGT wines in that they don't follow the guidelines of the combination of grapes, so they are not rated by the DOC system. They are all made from grapes grown in the Tuscan wine region, but the combination of grapes may vary greatly. These wines are very typically delicious and often very creative combinations of grapes.

Once you understand the wine classification system, you will be able to confidently choose wines in a local restaurant or to enjoy back in your villas in Tuscany. While you can certainly make more informed decisions, don't make the mistake of sticking to only one category - any Italian wine is worth at least one try!

Giovanni Balboni works for To Tuscany, who specialise in finding the perfect villas in Tuscany as well as selected villas in Umbria and Puglia. To Tuscany is proud of their villas and their reputation. Each property is personally selected and visited by our representatives to ensure we offer only the best in the region.




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