Italian Wine Regions

Italy is the 3rd largest wine producer in the world, as well as being the oldest wine producing area. There are 20 wine producing regions in Italy (corresponding with the 20 political regions).

Abruzzo: this regions vineyards cover 33, 252 hectares and its yearly wine production is 4, 184, 000 hectolitres. The volumes produced exceed those of the entire nations of Austria, Chile, Hungary or even Greece. And not only are they proving to dominate in quantities produced, but quality is not lacking.

Aosta Valley: a small region nestled in the Western Alps along the French border. Vineyards cover 635 hectares and yearly production is 22, 000 hectolitres of fine Itanlian red wine and white wine.

Apulia: 107, 715 hectares are covered by vineyards and the yearly wine production is 7, 236, 000 hectolitres. Dry, fruity whites and reds of notable character are produced here, where the conditions are ideal

Basilicata: vineyards cover 10, 848 hectares and wine production is a yearly 481, 000 hectolitres. This is a historically desolate region at the heart of the southern peninsula.

Calabria: vineyards cover 24, 339 hectares and production is 752, 000 hectolitres a year. This region is known as the metaphorical toe of the Italian boot, referring to the shape of the country. It was noted as a garden of the ancient Greeks, who referred to southern Italy as Enotria, the land of wine.

Campania: this region covers 41, 129 hectares and its yearly wine production is 1.971,000 hectolitres. It was called “Campania Felix” by the ancient Romans, because vines prospered on the sun-drenched slopes of the region’s volcanic rise like nowhere else in the Empire.

Emilia-Romagna: 58, 237 hectares are covered in vineyards which produce a yearly 4, 733, 00 hectolitres. Emilia and Romagna meet at the capital of Bologna. They rely on native vines for wines that are affordable, easy to drink and ideally suited for Italian cooking.

Friuli-Venezia-Giulia: vineyards cover 18, 704 hectares and yearly wine production is 1, 018,000 hectolitres. The nation’s first dry whites of modern class blossomed forth here, Italy’s northeast corner simply referred to as Friuli.

Latium: 47.884 hectares are covered by vineyards and yearly wine production is 2,940,000 hectolitres. White wines account for more than 90% of production, although reds have challenged this supremacy, but whites still remain majority.

Liguria: 19th in production among Italy’s 20 regions, vineyards cover 4, 837 hectares and yearly wine production is 165, 000 hectolitres. The slopes of this Italian Riviera extend along the Ligurian Sea from the border of France to the border of Tuscany and provide little space for vines.

Lombardy: covering 26, 951 hectares and producing a yearly 1, 665, 000 hectolitres, this is probably Italy’s most populous and prosperous region, although not very well known for its wines as its neighbours.

Marches: vineyards cover 24,590 hectares and yearly wine production is 1,815,000 hectolitres. This peaceful Adriatic region is known for Verdicchio, which has become one of Italy’s most dignified white wines.

Molise: vineyards cover 7,650 hectares and yearly production is 360,000 hectolitres.

Piedmont: vineyards cover 57,487 hectares and wine production is a yearly 3,405,000 hectolitres. This region is renowned for wines from native varieties grown in vineyards that have been cultivated with devotion for centuries.

Sardinia: 43,331 hectares are covered by vineyards and 1,062,000 hectolitres are produced yearly. This is an enchanting Mediterranean island which produces a variety of wines, all distinguished.

Sicily: vineyards cover 133,518 hectares and yearly wine production is 8,073,000 hectolitres. Ranking as the largest island of the Mediterranean and the largest region of Italy, Sicily is also the nation’s most prolific producer of wine.

Trantino-Alto Adige: vineyards cover 12,810 hectares and yearly wine production is 953,000 hectolitres. The vines here climb the slopes of the Alps. This region is mostly known for its white wines.

Tuscany: vineyards cover 63,633 hectares and yearly wine production is 2,156,000 hectolitres. Including the region of Florence, which has rapidly evolved into Italy’s leading provider of modern red wines.

Umbria: vineyards cover 16,503 hectares and yearly wine production is 740,000 hectolitres. Umbria is home to the wine of enduring fame, Orvieto. This region is known as “green heart of Italy”.

Veneto: vineyards cover 73,314 hectares and yearly wine production is 6,785,000 hectolitres. Veneto is Italy’s leader in the production of classified wine, with Bardolino, Soave and Valpolicella accounting for hundred of millions of bottles a year.