Italian's Wine Laws + Regulations
Just like Frances Wine Laws + Regulations, Italy has a very similar style in the way they classify their particular regions and wines, and they are just as strict, if not, stricter. It all comes down to the European Union! Italian efforts to protect the names and origins of wine date back to the early 1700s when the Grand Duchy of Tuscany delineated areas of production for the Chianti region. Modern Italian wine laws regulate many aspects of wine production, such as the grape varieties allowed to be planted, crop yield(how much crop can actually be grown and the boundaries they are allowed to exceed.) viticultural practices, and winemaking techniques! Although, the modern Italian system was modeled after the French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée structure, like you can see from the picture above, it did develop somewhat differently, resulting in four quality designations instead of three. They are as follows: Vino de Tavola(basic or table wine), Indicazione Geografica Tipica(IGT), Denominazione di Origine Controllata(DOC) *controlled place of origin*, and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita(DOCG) *controlled place of origin, guaranteed*.
Vino de Tavola
The lowest level or most basic level is known as Vino de Tavola. Like the rest of Europe, the table wine designation was inteded for simple wines that were subject to few rules and regulations or whose grapes were grown outside of recognized quality production areas. Initally, no vintage date. grape variety or zone of production was allowed on the label, but thankfully for the EU, that has changed. Wines in this category presently are referred to as either wine(vino) or varietal wines and account for 40% of Italy's wine production.
Indicazione Geografic Tipica(IGT)
The next level above Vino de Tavola is known as the Indicazione Geografic Tipica(IGT). This category was created in 1992, largely in response to winemaker's who felt like the next two levels above, DOC and DOCG involved too many restrictions. For example, many wanted to use a grape variety not approved in their designated area or to modify the percentages of the sanctioned grape varieties in a blend. They felt that by doing so they would produce a higher-quality wine that if they chose to follow the DOC restrictions, yet these often excellent wines would therefore not qualify for any classification level other than basic table wine. Some of these wines met with great commercial success and commanded high prices. Because the first wines of this type were from Tuscany, the term Super Tuscan was coined to refer to these outstanding, limited production wines.
In the EU scheme, IGT represents the category of table wines with geographical indication which is the PGI level. These wines must rise to a higher standard of production than basic wines, but the winemakers have a considerable amount of leeway in their choice of grapes and methods than do those producing wines in a higher classification category. IGT wines are allowed to carry a vintage date, the name of the grape variety(which has to be at least 85%), and the name of the IGT region on the label. There are currently more than 100 IGT zones, producing about 30% of Italian's wine.
Denominaione di Origene Controllata(DOC), &
Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita(DOCG)
I decided to group these two together because they both are represented under the EU system in the PDO category, which is the Protected Designation of Origin. The only difference between these two is the DOC stands for controlled placed of origin, and DOCG stands for controlled place of origin, guaranteed. For example, DOC wines are subject to a lengthy set of specifications that are meant to protect the reputation of a place-name by maintaining high standards and by ensuring that the wine fits the typical style of the area. On the other hand DOCG designates a higher classification level among quality PDO wines that are not only controlled but also guaranteed. DOCG wines that have been successfully evaluated bear a special, numbered government seal over the cork. Like seen below. Although the category was originally created in 1963, the first DOCG's weren't awarded until 1980. Examples are Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. As of December 2020, Italy had 76 DOCG's and 330 DOC's. This is obviously going to change now that we are in 2023, as it may go up or may go down, but that is a lot and shows the true excellence of this country!
Terminology on a Label
Classico - This term indicates a central or historic subzone within a larger geographic region. Such a territory is often the original center of wine in the area and is often considered to be superior to the surrounding areas.
Superiore - This term indicates a wine that has a specific higher level of ABV than required of the corresponding normale wine. These wines are usually produced using a lower yield of grapes per acre or riper grapes.
Riserva - This term is applied to wines that have been aged for a longer minimum period of time than regular wines. The total time varies according to the type and style of wine.
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