A simple flow chart outlines nearly 50 different red wines by taste, plus has a list of the top 8 Italian red wines to know. Find what Italian red to try next in a useful and relatable way. There are hundreds of wine grape varieties from Italy and very few of these varieties grow outside of Italy. So, don’t worry, you’re not the only person who thinks getting into Italian wines is challenging! Here are a few tips to give you a head start on mastering Italian reds: Try The 8 Main Italian Reds: Taste Italy with just 8 major Italian red wines (see list below) Fruit vs Earth: Italian red wines tend to be fruitier in the South and more earthy when from the North. Decant Italian Reds: It’s a great idea to decant all Italian red wines before drinking. See white background version here. Flow Chart of Italian Red Wines

Nebbiolo-based wines comes from Northwest Italy in Piedmont.

photo by Brett Jones Drink By: Typically best after 4-7 years, although fine examples last longer. 173,000 Acres – All of Italy – Italy’s champion red variety, Sangiovese, goes by many names. You’ve probably heard of a few of them: This grape grows all over Italy and because of this, you’ll notice that Sangiovese wines vary widely from one region to the next. In Tuscany, you can find very earthy Sangiovese wines with black cherry notes and bold tannins, and in Southern Italy, around Campania, you can find lighter Sangiovese wines tasting of strawberries and roses with medium tannins. Drink By: Typically best after 4-7 years of vintage, although fine examples last longer. 75,000 Acres – Central Italy – Even though Montepulciano is Italy’s second most planted grape, many have never heard of it. Montepulciano grows in Central Italy and can be found under a few common names as well: Montepulciano is deeply colored, similar to Syrah, and with very bold tannins, although some producers will blend it with other grapes to round out the flavor.

Supposedly, there are less than 100 acres of this grape growing outside of Italy. Drink By: Typically best within the first 3 years. 70,000 Acres – Piedmont – Barbera is the most produced Italian red wine of Piedmont. best wine for gift giving 2016Over 60% of the world’s Barbera vineyards exist in the region. best wine rating magazineBarbera almost always has a unique note of licorice in the taste, which is what makes it so unique. best places in europe for wine tastingWhile American Barbera can be quite fruit-forward, Italian Barbera is often herbaceous with juicy acidity and tart black cherry flavors.the best homemade wine recipe

Drink By: Typically in 5-7 years, although fine examples last longer. 47,000 Acres – Sicily – A bold but fruit-forward variety hailing almost exclusively from Sicily. list of best dry winesNero d’Avola can, at times, be surprisingly similar in style to Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon.best time to visit wine country in france 60,000 Acres – Puglia – Primitivo is Italy’s name for Zinfandel (which is actually a Croatian grape called Tribidrag!) and Negroamaro grows alongside it in Southern Italy. These sweet tasting fruity and lighter bodied Italian wines often exhibit strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and leather notes. Primitivo provides the fruity punch and Negroamaro has more dark fruit flavors and structure. It’s common to find them blended together. Drink By: Varies by style of Valpolicella.

22,000 Acres – Veneto – Varies on Style. A blend of Corvina, Molinara, and Rondinella. This signature blend of grapes makes everything from Veneto’s tart and simple Valpolicella Classico to the highly prized Amarone wines –a wine made by partially dehydrating Valpolicella grapes to increase the intensity of the resulting wine. Check out this article on Valpolicella wines with a hierarchy of the styles. Drink By: Typically within the first 3 years. 18,000 Acres – Piedmont – A deeply colored red wine with high tannins but lower acidity. Dolcetto is one of the easiest wines to drink immediately instead of after several years of cellaring. This wine is made mostly in Piedmont, although it grows in Lombardy too. It can commonly be found by these names: Drink By: Typically best after 7-10 years. 12,000 Acres – Piedmont – Piedmont’s most well respected red wine is actually quite tiny in terms of how much exists in the world. Just so you have a relative comparison, there are nearly 50 times more Cabernet Sauvignon grapes planted in the world than Nebbiolo.

Nebbiolo has many regional names and styles: Nebbiolo from the hotter growing areas can be very bold, tannic, and long-lived, as is the case with Barolo. In the north, as with Ghemme and Gattinara, Nebbiolo can be quite delicate and tart in taste, smelling of roses and bing cherries. Map of Italian Wine Regions How to: Italian Wine Labels Reading Italian Wine Lists Statistics are from the 2000 Italian Agriculture census found in the Wine Grapes book.Food & DrinkDrinksWineItalian Wine For Dummies Cheat Sheet Italian Wine For Dummies Cheat Sheet To enjoy Italian wine, all you have to do is drink it. But if you want to get just a bit under the grape skin, you can explore the major varieties of Italian red and white wines, the grapes they’re made from, and how to say their names. Major Italian White WinesItalian white wines come in varieties that run from sparkling and sweet to smooth and fruity to crisp and dry. The following list describes each of the major Italian white whites:

Asti: Sparkling wine made from Moscato grapes around Asti, in Piedmont. Deliciously sweet, low in alcohol, with pronounced fruity and floral flavors. Usually non-vintage, but freshness and youth are essential to its quality. Frascati: From the Frascati area, south of Rome, and mainly Trebbiano grapes. Dry or slightly off-dry, light-bodied, and un-oaked with crisp acidity and subdued flavor. Gavi: Dry, medium-bodied wine from Cortese grapes in the Gavi area of Piedmont. Typically crisp and un-oaked (sometimes slightly oaky) with delicate notes of honey, apples, and minerals. Orvieto: A generally medium-bodied wine made mainly from Grechetto grapes around Orvieto, in the Umbria region. Dry, crisp, with flavors of pear and apple and a pleasantly bitter finish. Pinot Grigio: Generally light-bodied, dry, and crisp, with subdued aromas and flavors and no oakiness. Made from Pinot Gris grapes, usually in Northeastern Italy. Wines from Collio or Alto-Adige DOCs (controlled origin denomination) are usually the best.

Soave: From the Soave zone in the Veneto region, made mainly from Garganega grapes. Generally dry, crisp, un-oaked, and light- or medium-bodied, with subdued flavors of pear, apple, or peach. Verdicchio: Dry, medium-bodied, crisp white with minerally flavor and a sea-air freshness. From Verdicchio grapes in the Marche region. Major Italian Red WinesItalian red wines bring up the image of grape-stomping parties that provide fun for the whole village. Fortunately, you don’t have to press the grapes yourself to enjoy a bottle of good Italian red wine. The major reds are described in the following list: Amarone: Lusty, full-bodied wine from partially-dried Corvina grapes, in the Veneto region. Dry and firm wine, but its ripe, concentrated fruitiness suggests sweetness. Needs rich, savory foods or flavorful cheeses. Barbaresco: Similar to Barolo, from the same grape in a nearby area, but generally a tad lighter in body and slightly more approachable. Drinks best at 8 to 15 years of age, depending on the producer.

Barbera: Varietal wine produced mainly in the Piedmont region. Dry, light- or medium-bodied, with intense berry flavor, mouth-watering acidity, and little tannin. Particularly versatile with food. Many of the best wines are from the Alba or Asti zones. Barolo: Dry, full-bodied, magisterial wine from Nebbiolo grapes in the Barolo area of Piedmont. Has complex aromas and flavors of strawberries, tar, herbs, and earth, as well as a firm, tannic structure. Drinks best at 10 to 20 years of age, depending on the producer. Brunello di Montalcino: Full-bodied, intense, concentrated wine from Sangiovese grapes grown in the Montalcino zone of Tuscany. Dry and quite tannic, it drinks best when it’s at least 15 years old. Chianti: Very dry, medium-bodied, moderately tannic wine with lovely tart-cherry flavor, mainly from Sangiovese grapes grown in the Chianti area of Tuscany. “Chianti Classico” is often the best. Some wines are good young; wines labeled riserva, and pricier wines, are generally more concentrated and age-worthy.

Lambrusco: Most commonly a sweet, fizzy wine with delicious, grapey flavors. Made from Lambrusco grapes usually in the Emilia-Romagna region. Dry and sparkling styles also exist. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo: Generally medium-bodied and flavorful with red fruits and a slightly vegetal note. Lighter examples are smooth and easy to drink; the best wines are concentrated and denser in texture. From the Montepulciano grape, in the Abruzzo region. Salice Salentino: Dry, full-bodied wine from Negroamaro grapes in part of the Puglia region. Generally has somewhat intense aromas and flavors of ripe, plummy, baked fruit, and rich, dense texture. Suitable with robust foods. Valpolicella: Medium-bodied wine mainly from Corvina grapes in the Valpolicella area of Veneto region. Dry, lean, and only moderately tannic, with more or less intense cherry aromas and flavors. Some versions, such as single-vineyard wines, are particularly good. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano: Medium-bodied, dry, and lean, with red cherry flavor, similar to Chianti but slightly fuller.

Made from Sangiovese grapes in Montepulciano, in the Tuscany region. Italian Wine GrapesSometimes you know the name of the grape used to produce the nice Italian wine you’re drinking because the name of the grape and the name of the wine are the same. But that’s not always the case, so if you want to match the Italian wine to the principal grape (or grapes) used to make it, consult the following table: Pronunciation Guide to Italian Wine NamesTo fully enjoy your Italian wine-drinking experience, practice with the following pronunciation guide — the syllable in all CAPS is the one to accent. Soon, you’ll be speaking Italian like a true wine lover. Amarone: ah mah RO nae Brunello di Montalcino: brew NEL lo dee mahn tahl CHEE no Chianti Classico: key AHN tee CLAHS see co Dolcetto: dohl CHET toh Frascati: frah SKAH tee Lacryma Christi: LAH cree mah CHREE stee Montepulciano: mon tae pull chee AH noh Moscato d’Asti: mo SCAH toh DAHS tee