Wine is one of the most universally loved drinks in the world, and one of the fan favorites has to be Italian wine. Italy’s glowing reputation for wine is not only due to the fact that it is a country which produces and exports more than any other country, but as well because of how it offers the greatest variety of types, ranging through nearly every color, flavor and style that you could possibly imagine.

The vast majority of Italian wine choices are red however there are some wonderful white wines to choose from as well. Of all the different white wine options, the most well known are those from the much maligned Soave region.

The Different Regions

Italian wine is basically classified according to the region in Italy where it was made, and the classification system for Italian wine then mirrors that for French. Northern Italy is one of the most predominant areas when it comes to wine production, and the northwest of Italy is divided into four separate regions, which are: Valle d-Aosta, Lombardy, Liguria and Piedmont.

Some of the best Italian wine from this area is: Aldo Conterno, Giacomo Conterno, Enzo Boglietti, Pio Cesare, Elvio Cogno, Luciano Sandrone, and Michele Chiarlo. As well, nearby is Barbaresco, which is another red wine that is made from Nebbiolo, which is much more approachable in youth as well as more affordable as well.

The central regions of Italy are well known for what is considered as quite possibly being the best red wine of all time, Chianti. This wine hails from Tuscany specifically, which is the best known and most traveled to Italian wine region. Chianti is a red wine that is made from the Sangiovese grape, with small amounts of other grapes included, such as Cabernet Sauvigon.

In the south of Italy the production generally centers around the red wine, which often results in rivaling the wines of France in terms of interest and good value. It also offers plenty of vintage Italian wine, although it is truly impossible to generalize with regard to vintages for Italian wines, because you are dealing with such a huge and vast country.

Of all the locations in the world, Italy is definitely one of the most predominant when it comes to wine manufacturing and distribution, and some of the wines from this country are known as being the most well respected and well loved wines in the world.