7 facts about Italian wines!

1) A long history of winemaking.

According to legend, it was Dionysos (for the Greeks) or Bacchus (for the Romans) who revealed to humanity the secret of wine in Sicily. Whether or not that’s true, Italy has a very long history of winemaking dating back to 800 BC. That is earlier than France, but later than Spain or Portugal.

2) Wine is all over!

The first vineyards were planted in the south of the country (Sicily and Calabria), before spreading north to be enjoyed by Florentine painters and Roman armies. Vines were eventually planted in every single of Italy’s 20 regions; it is the only country where this is the case. The production of wine stretches from the clay soils of the Aosta Valley to the volcanic soils of Sicily.

3) It’s the MVP.

Italy is currently the world leader in terms of production, ahead of its French and Spanish neighbours.However the gap between the three is very slim.The gap between the three, however, is very slim. Between the three, they produce 47% of all the wine on the planet!

4) Proof of origin.

Just like Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in France, or American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in the US, the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) protects 300 wine appellations, with exact specifications for each one. It's impossible to define ‘Italian wine,’ as its richness is born of an exceptional, constantly evolving diversity that is a beautiful playground for the curious wine taster.

5) The main grape varieties are…

There are many grape varieties (learn more about grape varieties) cultivated in Italy : Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Trebbiano. The most renowned, however, has to be Nebbiolo, which makes the famous red wines of Piedmont and its globally known Barolo, while Sangiovese shines in Tuscany.

6) Prosecco leads the sparkling wine industry!

Champagne is extremely famous worldwide, but did you know that Prosecco is actually the most popular sparkling wine? It’s actually almost four times more popular! Yes, they aren’t exactly in the same price range, but there are 37 million bottles of Prosecco produced each year, while Champagne “only” produces a little less under 10 million bottles. Salute!

7) The Pope likes his wine.

As a picture is worth a thousand words, we think you’ll enjoy our poster of Italy vineyards, as it includes all the information you need to know in one glance.

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