Italy

Regions

Although vines had been cultivated from the wild Vitis vinifera grape for millennia, it wasn’t until the Greek colonization that wine-making flourished. Viticulture was introduced into Sicily and southern Italy by the Mycenaean Greeks, and was well established when the extensive Greek colonization transpired around 800 BC.

It was during the Roman defeat of the Carthaginians (acknowledged masters of wine-making) in the 2nd century BC that Italian wine production began to further flourish. Large-scale, slave-run plantations sprang up in many coastal areas and spread to such an extent that, in AD 92, emperor Domitian was forced to destroy a great number of vineyards in order to free up fertile land for food production.

During this time, viticulture outside of Italy was prohibited under Roman law. Exports to the provinces were reciprocated in exchange for more slaves, especially from Gaul where trade was intense, according to Pliny, due to the inhabitants being besotted with Italian wine, drinking it unmixed and without restraint. It was customary to mix wine with a good proportion of water which may otherwise have been unpalatable, making wine drinking a fundamental part of early Italian life.

As the laws on provincial viticulture were relaxed, vast vineyards began to flourish in the rest of Europe, especially Gaul (present day France) and Hispania. This coincided with the cultivation of new vines, like Biturica (ancestor of Cabernet). These vineyards became hugely successful, to the point that Italy ultimately became an import centre for provincial wines.

Depending on the vintage, modern Italy is the world’s largest or second largest wine producer. In 2005, production was about 20% of the global total, second only to France, which produced 26%. In the same year, Italy’s share in dollar value of table wine imports into the U.S. was 32%, Australia’s was 24%, and France’s was 20%. Along with Australia, Italy’s market share has rapidly increased in recent years.

Abruzzo

Abruzzo (Abruzzi) is an Italian wine region located in the mountainous central Italian region of Abruzzo along the Adriatic Sea. It is bordered by the…

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Campania

Campania, the “shin” of Italy’s boot, is the wine growing area around Naples where, since Roman times, vines have thrived in the volcanic soils. This…

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Lazio

Lazio is a ‘Central’ wine region bordering Tuscany, Umbria and Marche to the north, Abruzzo to the east and Campania to the south. The region is mainly flat and…

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Piedmonte

The North West region of Piedmonte is Italy’s pre-eminent area, making top wines such as Barolo and Gavi and showcasing grape varietals such as Cortese,…

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Puglia

Puglia is a long, thin wine region in the far South-East; the ‘heel’ of Italy‘s boot. The region is responsible for almost half of Italy’s…

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Sicily

Much of Sicily lies at a more southerly latitude than Tunisia, and it is the hottest, driest region of Italy. Sicily is Italy’s up and…

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Tuscany

Tuscany is a major region around Florence and Sienna. It is best known for Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano which are primarily…

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Veneto

Veneto in the North East is the home of some of Italy’s most famous names – Soave, Valpolicella, Bardolino – but also the region growing…

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Products from this country

  • Feudo Italia Rosso

    Italy

    Feudo, a rebranding of the Cornale ‘house’ range, is a wine that embodies both…

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  • Feudo Italia Bianco

    Italy

    Feudo Italia wines provide a perfect entry level that embodies both tradition and modernity.…

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  • Bennati Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Prosecco Extra Dry

    Italy

    The most celebrated of Proseccos come from the hillside vineyards of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, the…

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  • La Pieve Prosecco Frizzante

    Italy

    Frizzante is a very lightly sparking form of Prosecco - with less pressure this…

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  • Fuoribolla Prosecco Brut

    Italy

    ‘Fuoribolla’ is an expression used in Veneto to indicate a non perfect inclination of…

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  • La Pieve Prosecco Spumante

    Italy

    La Pieve Spumante demonstrates the ability of Mionetto's winemakers to produce a highly appreciated,…

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  • Mionetto Vivo Rose

    Italy

    Whilst Prosecco continues its dominance of the global sparkling market, there is a development…

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  • Jadis Bianco

    Italy

    A captivating blend of the Falanghina and Trebbiano grapes. Falanghina is a characterful grape,…

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  • Jadis Rosso

    Italy

    An interesting blend of Aglianico and Montepulciano - two grapes of south and central…

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  • Falanghina ‘Taburno’, Cantine Iorio

    Italy

    Falanghina is a characterful grape, one of the native varietals of the region that…

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  • Aglianico del Sannio, Cantine Iorio

    Italy

    Aglianico is a specialty grape of Campania, where it prefers the volcanic soils, and…

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  • Gavi, Poderi della Collinetta

    Italy

    Gavi is, perhaps, Italy's most fashionable white and certainly the most famous example of…

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  • Barbera Cornale

    Italy

    A fine example of the famous grape Barbera from its homeland of Piedmont where…

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  • Dolcetto del Alba, Poderi della Collinetta

    Italy

    Dolcetto ‘little sweet one’ is a major grape of Piedmonte - the everyday wine of the…

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  • Barolo Poderi della Colinetta

    Italy

    Barolo is “the king of wines and the wine of kings”. A full-bodied, dry taste that’s…

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  • Chianti Volpetto

    Italy

    Chianti is the UK's favourite Italian DOCG wine and Volpetto's is well structured and…

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  • Chianti Riserva Volpetto

    Italy

    Volpetto Chianti Riserva has 12 months in oak, a highly concentrated bouquet, is well…

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  • Montepulciano Ca ‘Brigiano

    Italy

    Montepulciano d’Abruzzo which is made from the Montepulciano grape in the Abruzzo region is…

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  • Frascati Superiore, Fontella

    Italy

    Frascati is one of the most famous names in the Italian wine vocabulary. It…

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  • DeCanal Zinfandel Blush

    Italy

    Zinfandel is closely related to Primitivo, which has been grown in southern Italy for…

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  • Levorato Primitivo

    Italy

    High levels of fruit and alcohol from this characterful southern Italian grape - a…

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  • Dea del Mare Catarratto / Pinot Grigio

    Italy

    Catarratto is the major white grape of Sicily, making in second to Trebbiano as…

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  • Dea del Mare Pinot Grigio

    Italy

    The warmer and sunnier Sicily gives a more rounded style of Pinot Grigio than…

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  • Miopasso Fiano

    Italy

    Fiano is an aromatic and strongly flavoured grape from the south of Italy. It…

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  • Levorato Nero d’Avola

    Italy

    One of the best red grapes of Sicily, here Nero d'Avola is offered as…

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  • Canapi Shiraz

    Italy

    A 100% and unoaked Shiraz that provives soft and easy drinking with very soft…

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  • Miopasso Nero d’Avola

    Italy

    A robust Nero d'Avola: some of the grapes have been air dried bringing an…

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  • Rocca Bastia Chardonnay

    Italy

    The well travelled Chardonnay grape produced full and fresh wines when grown in the…

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  • Antico Casale Pinot Grigio

    Italy

    Pinot Grigio is a specialty of Cantine Levorato. Their grapes are vinified by soft…

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  • Santi Apostoli Pinot Grigio

    Italy

    Pinot Grigio is a speciality of Cantine Levorato, Santi Apostoli is their off dry…

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  • I Gadi – Pinot Grigio

    Italy

    I Gadi is a lovely full and rich style premium Pinot Grigio with a…

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  • Corte Pitora Pinot Grigio

    Italy

    Corte Pitora is a premium Pinot Grigio for those looking for a more traditional…

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  • Soave Classico ‘Libet’ Soraighe, IGT

    Italy

    Casa Vinicola Bennati is an old established house, founded in 1920 by Annibale Bennati,…

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  • Antico Casale Pinot Grigio Blush

    Italy

    A typically pale and fruity - and ever popular - Pinot Grigio Blush from…

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  • Dea del Mare Pinot Grigio Rosé

    Italy

    A delicately coloured, great value Pinot Grigio Blush; fruity but not too sweet. Dea…

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  • Bardolino La Quercia – Chiaretto

    Italy

    Chiaretto is a dry and crisp rosé wine made from red wine grapes using…

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  • Rocca Bastia Merlot

    Italy

    Merlot is the 5th most widely planted grape variety in Italy and the north…

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  • Bardolino Classico ‘Corte Pitora’

    Italy

    Bardolino is closely associated with the beautiful landscape around Lake Garda, with the region…

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  • Valpolicella Classico I Gadi, DOC

    Italy

    The grapes - Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, for Valpolicella Classico are sourced from this…

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  • Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso, DOC

    Italy

    Casa Vinicola Bennati has from its outset been devoted to producing the local wine…

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  • Amarone della Valpolicella Elite, DOCG

    Italy

    Casa Vinicola Bennati has from its outset been devoted to producing the local wine…

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  • Amarone della Valpolicella Cerasum, DOCG

    Italy

    Casa Vinicola Bennati has from its outset been devoted to producing the local wine…

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