Italian Wine: A Pocket Dictionary

Ordering wine in a foreign language can present difficulties for even the most educated of enthusiasts, and when the Italian cuisine is so startlingly flavourful, it demands the appropriate vintage alongside it…

So, to aid you in your quest for the perfect bottle, what follows is a breakdown of the translation and classification of Italian Wine, with a few useful, and some quirky, bits of information to help you along the way.

How to Read an Italian Wine Label

The Italian wine classification system, introduced in 1963, mirrors that of French wine. There are differing levels, based essentially on a system of rules and governances.

This classification system assists consumers in understanding what they are getting when they purchase a bottle, as well as regulating quality and protecting regional identities.

Italian Wine Classifications

DOCG

Classification: DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), was actually the second classification created, after DOC (more below), in 1980, with more stringent rules.

Translation and conditions: Roughly translated it means “controlled and guaranteed name of origin” and it indicates that this bottle of wine was produced in a select region under extremely stringent production conditions.

French equivalent: Grand Cru and Premier Cru

DOC

Classification: DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), was the first classification created, in 1963.

Translation and conditions: Roughly translated it means “controlled name of origin”. The DOC was created to safeguard the production method, origin and even names of Italian wines.

French equivalent: AOC (Appellation d’Origine contrôlée)

IGT

Classification: IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica / Typical Geographical Indication)

Translation and Conditions:  Introduced in 1992, this designation is still restricted to a specific region of the country, but the production conditions and vinification guidelines are more relaxed than that of DOC/DOCG.

French Equivalent: IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée / Protected Geographical Indication)

Table Wine

Classification: Vina de Tavola

Translation and Conditions: Table wine is made from grapes traditionally cultivated in a broad region, and there is no provision for special standards or controls.

French Equivalent: Vin de Table

Designations

Unlike French wines, Italian vineyards are rarely named on the label, the name is usually either that of the grape variety or the district where it was made.

Cru designates a special vineyard.

Classico wine tends to be from the heartland of the traditional production area, generally the best area of its region.

Riserva denotes a prolonged ageing period resulting in a better quality of wine.

Superiore is slightly higher in alcohol and often aged for a longer period of time.

Imbottigliato all’origine means a wine is estate bottled.

Barolo will always be 13%.vol.

Grape Varieties

There are 350 (official) grape varieties in Italy, though some argue upwards of 2,000! So we won’t go into all of them here. Rather a few to note from a pocket dictionary perspective:

For Zinfandel drinkers it is important to note that the Italian for Zinfandel is Primitivo, although different in name both grape varieties are actually clones of a Croatian grape called Crljenak.

Chianti is named after a region, not a grape variety, it is comprised predominantly of the Sangiovese grape.

Speaking of Sangiovese, it is Italy’s most planted grape variety. It is the industrial workhorse of Italian wine, and also the source of Tuscany’s finest wines.

Piedmont’s famous Barolo and Barbaresco wines are made from the grape variety Nebbiolo.

From the Abruzzo region, there is the grape variety Montepulciano, which should not be mistaken with the town of the same name in Tuscany.

And for the whites, Pinot Grigio, otherwise known as Pinot Gris, is prolific in northern Italy.

The Garganega grape variety from the Veneto region predominantly makes up Soave. Prosecco is also from the Veneto region, but is made from Glera grapes.

Quirky Facts

An Italian wine pocket dictionary wouldn’t be a complete without a few weird and wonderful facts:

Italy produces the most wine in the world at over 4 million litres per year. That’s about 1 million more than France.

The history of wine goes back 4,000 years! And in fact, the temperature and terrain of Italy were so ideal for grape cultivation that the ancient Greeks called it “Oenotria,” or “The Land of Wine.”

The word for wine in Italian is ‘vino’. Its root is Sanskrit “venas,” which means “to love”. The name Venus, the Roman goddess of love, comes from the same word. Maybe this explains why we love Italian wine?

Prosecco is not made the same way as Champagne. Like Champagne, producers make a base wine and then add yeast and sugar to it. But then the sparkling wine undergoes its second fermentation in tanks, rather than bottles. It’s called the Charmat process, or metodo Italiano, and is easier and cheaper to make.

It’s estimated that 30% of all grape species are Italian, most of which are still found only in Italy. Italian wine is made from a wider variety of grapes than anywhere else in the world.

There is a rule of thumb for Italian wine pairings. All Italian wines go with pasta, and you should choose red for red, white for white. In other words, a tomato based sauce goes with a red wine and vegetable or seafood based pasta dishes go with white. Simple, and simply

Visit Italy

Now that you have all this knowledge at your fingertips thanks to our Italian Wine Pocket Dictionary, come explore Italy with us on La Bella Vita. Your chance to test what you have learned, as well as simply taste and enjoy a cruise through Italy.

Contact our Customer Service for more information or to book your Italian holiday of a lifetime.