Italy produces 50% red wine and 50% white wine.

- 2nd largest producer after France, with over a million vineyards

- Italy has 20 regions and 96 provinces

- Italy has been producing wine since before the 2nd century BCE

Definitions
Ripasso: adding back grape skins from Amarone wine to Valpolicella to give it extra alcohol and more flavor
Classico: central historical region
Superiore: higher levels of alcohol and longer aging
Amarone: a type of Valpolicella wine made in Veneto by picking the grapes and leaving them to dry out on a mat, then the wine maker will ferment most of the sugar to alcohol (14-16%)

Quality Classification
VdT: Vino da Tavola, most basic wine in Italy, rarely exported into the American market
IGT: Indicazione Geografica Tipica, there are 120 IGT zones, a step above VdT
DOC: Denominazione di Origine Controllata, there are over 300 DOC zones, most wines are DOC, above IGT, only certain grapes can be grown in a DOC
DOCG: Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, there are 36 DOCG zones, above DOC, “special” regions (quality, history, improvement, and contribution to Italy’s wine economy), only certain grapes can be grown in a DOCG

---

12 of the 36 DOCG Wine Regions
Brunello di Montalcino
Carmingnano
Chianti
Chianti Classico
Morellino di Scansano
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Asti
Barbaresco
Barbera d’Asti
Barbera del Monferrato Superiore
Barolo

Some of the 300+ DOC Wine Regions
Bolgheri
Bolgheri Sassicaia
Moscadello di Montalcino
Pomino
Rosso di Montalcino
Rosso di Montepulciano
San Gimignano
Sant’ Antimo