Italy is the most diverse country in the world, with around 80 grape varieties in 75% of the area planted, while New Zealand has only two grape varieties that occupy the same area as Italy, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. From this, we can find a wide variety of wines in Italy. Today's Wine Encyclopedia takes you to explore the top ten grape varieties commonly found in Italy.
Red grape varieties
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is the most important winemaking red grape variety in tuscany in northern Italy and the most widely grown grape variety in Italy, from Lombardy in the north to Sicily in the south, and it is Italy's "national treasure" grape variety. Well-ripe sangiovesel with aromas of sour cherry, strawberry, fig, tomato and roasted pepper, moderate acidity, full of tannins, high-quality sangiovese are aged in oak barrels, further deriving aromas such as smoky, leather, tobacco and porch, with a firm tannin and balanced taste.
Sangiovese excelled in Tuscany, producing many famous wines such as Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. At the same time, Sangiovese is also an important wine grape in Super Tuscany.
Montepulciano
Montepulciano is widely cultivated in central Italy and is the second largest red wine cultivar in Italy, with well-known appellations such as the Abruzzo, Marche and Molise regions in the east. This variety is mainly used in the production of dry red wines and is known worldwide for its soft flavours and full-bodied colours.
Wines made with Montebucciano often have soft tannins, low acidity and medium body, making them suitable for ready-to-drink. In recent years, fine Montebucciano wines made in oak barrels have been deeply coloured and tannins ripe, so they are often used to blend with other softer wines.
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo is the most important grape variety in the Piedmonte region of Italy, with quality appellations mainly concentrated in Barolo and Barbaresco. Barolo's Nebiró wines are complex in structure and more powerful, while Barbaresco's tends to be floral and more elegant.
Nebbioro is generally possible to mature in the best vineyards in the region, and wines made from this grape are generally high in tannins, high in alcohol and high in acidity, often with aromas of dried cherries, rose petals and truffles. In the past, Nebbioro was often criticized for needing to be aged for decades before it could be drunk. Nowadays, Nebbiolo wines made in a modern style are often suitable for both young age and long-term aging.
Black Pearl (Nero d'Avola)
Black pearls have been cultivated in Sicily for centuries and are the most important and widely grown red grape variety on the island. Black pearls are often high in tannins, moderately acidity and strong in body, and are especially pronounced when blended with Syrah, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. Black pearls can be made from chocolate and black raspberry wines aged in oak barrels to young, fresh wines with plum and juicy red fruit flavors. Due to their rich color, black pearls are also sometimes used to produce rosé wines.
Barbera
Barbera is cultivated throughout Italy and was once the third most widely grown red grape variety in Italy, with the best barbera produced in Piedmont, especially the Barbera del Monferrato Superiore and Barbera d'Asti in the Piedmont Mountains, which are classics.
Barbera has a deep wine color, red cherry texture and high acidity, soft and rounded tannins that set it apart from Nebioro, and the red wines produced with it are brightly colored, fruity, soft tannins and high acidity, which are widely popular.
Aglianico
Agnico grows in warm, well-lit southern Italy. The red wines produced with it are full-bodied, with musky berry flavours, solid tannins, good ageing potential, and Agnico maintains a high acidity even when grown in hot climates. Because of its strong tannins, complex flavours and great ageing potential, Agnico red wines are often considered to be the "Barolo wines of the South" in Italy.
Premium Agnico red wines generally come from the Campania and Basilicata regions. The fine wines of Agniko from the Taurasi region are deep in colour and aromatic in chocolate and plum from volcanic soils, with high tannin content, fine particles and high acidity.
White grape varieties
Trebbiano
Trebbiano is the most widely grown indigenous white grape variety in Italy, mainly in the Tuscany, Umbria, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto regions, and it is also known by a more widely known name, Ugni Blanc. Trebiolo's peel is golden yellow and even a little amber, the berries are usually late ripening, and the vines grow vigorously to adapt to a variety of terroirs. The wines made from it are light, fresh but not too prominent, and their neutral, high-acid qualities make them popular candidates for distilled spirits.
Glera
Guerrera was originally named Prosecco, and Italian officials changed the official name of this variety to Guerrera in order to better protect the export of Prosecco wines. This white grape variety has been cultivated in the Veneto and Friuli regions for hundreds of years. Guerrera is a high-yielding grape that ripens late. The high acidity and relatively neutral taste make it ideal for sparkling wine production. With aromas of white fruit such as peach, melon and pear, Guerrera makes Prosecco sparkling wines that are light and low in alcohol, making them ideal as a refreshing summer drink or aperitif.
Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris is a white grape variety native to Burgundy, which is referred to in Italian as Pinot Grigio. Pinot Grey flavors and aromas vary from region to region, often with notes of pear, apple, stone fruit and tropical fruits, and even hints of smoky or wet wool. Italian Pinot Gris tends to have a light taste, high acidity, fresh style, fruity aroma, the more famous Pinot Grey appellation is alto Adige in northern Italy, its unique mountain environment and diverse soils provide a good growing environment for Pinot Grey, and the wines produced show mature nut and honey characteristics.
Catarratto
Catarato is a white grape variety from Sicily on the southern coast of Italy, mainly used to produce light and easy-to-drink white wines. It is one of the most widely grown grape varieties in Italy and the largest in Sicily, accounting for 60% of the total vineyard area of the island, mainly concentrated in Trapani, Palermo and Agrigento. Good Catalarato wines tend to have very fresh citrus and herbaceous notes, with minerals in the aftertaste. Fully ripe Catarato wines sometimes even have a taste of stone fruit, exhibiting similar characteristics to Viognier.