There are so many Italian wines to choose from. In fact, Italian wines have the largest selection of all available wines. There are very strict guidelines set up for Italian wines to preserve the reputation of the Italian wines and ensuring the quality is not diminished due to so many different producers out there.

Authenticity is very important for that perfect vino! Cultivated fruits of the vines really matter, as does process, origin, processing, bottling and so much more. Italian wines form about one fifth of the product globally. The wines are typically more acidic and dry than most other regional wines from Europe, Australia, NZ, or the Americas, even South African wines. Light-to medium bodied wines, with subtle flavors and aromas are quite typical. It can be easily included in most social functions, menus, either for cooking, drinking, toasts and more. Paired and matches with the right type of cuisine, they find their perfect stalemate, fitting hand in glove, more-so than being enjoyed on its own. Viticulture in the Southern part of Italy and Sicily has come a long way and still influence many a vitner today. Next to France, they are the second largest in the wine cellars worldwide when it comes to some or most vintages. Some would argue that the wide selection of Italian wines, make them amongst the choice accompaniment and definite contender for any winelist or menu. Sources divide the available wines into FOUR different categories, including:

TWO table wines, namely: Vino da Tavola (wines for the table loosely translated), or table wines from Italy, as well as wines from specific regions, bearing a seal and labeling known as Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT), for newer, quality wines (Tuscan, Tignanello etc.)

TWO MORE labeling categories or seals are DOC and DOCG respectively (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), referring to zoning or zones, more specific than the IGT label. The Italian ministry of Agriculture `certifies and guarantees these. The only difference between them being the DOCG wines passing a blind taste test and being from an area it is certified and claimed from coming from. There are different regions and varietals for and of Italian wines.For Rosso or red wines, Sangiovese, Chianti, Nebbiolo (Piedmont-grown), Montepulciano (Abruzzo coast), Barbera, Corvina (Valpolicella and Amarone), Nero d'Avola, Dolcetto, Negroamaro, Aglianico, Sangrantino, Malvasia Nera, Ciliegolo, Gaglioppo, Lagrein, Lambrusco, Monica, Nerello Mascalese, Pignolo, Primitivo, Refosco, Schiava, Schiopettino, Teroldego, and Uva di Troia, as well as several international varietals, like Cabernet, Merlot and others. White jug-wines, sweeter Muscat-type grapes, Apertif wines and others are common selections and crowd-pleasing whites.

When you do opt for a good Italian wine, you need to understand and know, be able to tell where the grapes come from, origin, grown, make sense of the labeling, area characteristics and start tasting and experiencing the wines for all their bounty and area-specific charm and features. Elegance and refinement will vary for the different types, geographical zones, varietals and processing methods. Know where the most popular drinking wines come from (elevation, mountains, slopes and coast, all have different soils and climate, which affects the final outcome and taste of the wines. Sparkling and dessert wines are also well-known from this part of the world.