{"id":15923,"date":"2019-04-02T11:01:02","date_gmt":"2019-04-02T11:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/devourromefoodtours.com\/?p=2729"},"modified":"2022-02-28T21:42:33","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T21:42:33","slug":"italian-wine-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dev.devourtours.com\/blog\/italian-wine-list\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Navigate a Wine List in Italy"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

From understanding wine culture in Italy to a little cheat sheet with some of our favorite Italian wineries by region, here\u2019s everything you need to know when faced with a wine list in Italy!<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We\u2019ve all been there… you go to a restaurant, you\u2019re handed the wine list, and you have absolutely no clue on which wine to order. That\u2019s when your eyes turn to the right column of the list and you base your selection on the price of the bottle. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You think to yourself that the most expensive wine bottle is going to be the best one, right? WRONG! That\u2019s not how to navigate a wine list in Italy (or anywhere else for that matter)! Keep reading as we give you precious advice on how to order wine in Italy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"With<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n

Red, white or sparkling wine? <\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

First things first, when navigating an Italian wine list you need to ask yourself whether you\u2019re going to have red wine (vino rosso)<\/em>, white wine (vino bianco) <\/em>or sparkling wine (prosecco)? <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

On what should you base your decision? On the type of food that you intend to order! Your best bet is always to ask the sommelier. He or she will know how to pair your wine with food!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Most people think that white wine should be ordered with seafood, and red wine with meat. But that\u2019s not entirely true! There are many red wines that are great with seafood too; it all depends on balancing out the flavors. Prosecco, a famous Italian sparkling wine produced in the north of Italy, is usually ordered for aperitivo<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The best places to try wine in Italy? In the famous wine bars<\/a>, called enoteche.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"First
Yes, you CAN order red with seafood!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Glass, bottle or \u2026?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Should you order a glass of wine or a bottle of wine? It all depends on how much you want to drink! But if you\u2019re two people and you plan on having two glasses each, definitely go for the bottle\u2014it\u2019ll turn out cheaper in the end since one bottle of wine is usually five glasses! <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you\u2019re at a restaurant, you\u2019re going to have the option of ordering a bottle of wine (750 ml), a half bottle of wine (una mezza bottiglia<\/em>, 375 ml) or a glass. But if you\u2019re in a no-frills restaurant like a Roman trattoria <\/em>or osteria<\/em>, you\u2019ll also have the option of ordering other sizes of the house wine.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The most famous wine carafe sizes in Rome are known as un<\/em> litro<\/em>, for a liter, the mezzo litro <\/em>or foglietta<\/em> for half a liter (500 ml), un quartino, <\/em>for a quarter of a liter (250 ml), and the chirichetto<\/em> for a fifth of a liter (200 ml). The smallest of all is the sospiro<\/em> or sottovoce<\/em>, which literally means sigh or whisper. The sospiro<\/em> is a tenth of a liter and it\u2019s called this because the customers who ordered it would whisper it to the waiter, as it was the smallest wine size and usually meant you didn\u2019t have enough money to buy a bigger carafe.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Considering the wine glasses are smaller at these no-frills restaurants, a litro <\/em>is around 8-10 glasses, a mezzo litro<\/em> is around 4-5 glasses, a quartino<\/em> is about 2-3 glasses, a chirichetto <\/em>is around 1-2 glasses and the sospiro<\/em> is one glass. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"When
Dining with a crowd? A bottle (or several) may be your best bet.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Wine Classifications: DOCG, DOC or IGT?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Any wine enthusiast will tell you that knowing your wine classification is important! But what do \u201cwine classifications<\/a>\u201d mean? <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Simply, they\u2019re a way to indicate and trace where the grapes were grown and where the wine was produced. As you may know, certain wines can only be produced in specific geographical areas, and therefore are classified by their place of origin, or appellation. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The strictest type of wine classification in Italy is DOCG, Denominazione di Origina Controllata e Garantita<\/em>. Wines with these classifications have to be made in DOCG-protected zones in Italy and have to meet strict standards. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Another famous classification is DOC, Denominazione di Origine Controllata<\/em>. Like its sister DOCG, these types of wines have to be produced in specific areas with specific regulations. It\u2019s the Italian version of the French AOC classification, Appellation d\u2019Origine Controlee.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Then we have the IGT classification, Indicazione di Geografica Tipica.<\/em> This type of wine label means that the wine has to be made in a particular region, but the wine can be a mix of different grapes. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Don\u2019t make the mistake of thinking that DOCG wines are the best though! Some of the Super Tuscans are made with blends of grapes grown in different areas, such as the Merlot and Cabernet, and are therefore \u201cdowngraded\u201d to the IGT classification, but they\u2019re incredible wines!  <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"When
Chianti Colli Senesi is one of the Italian wine regions that boasts the DOCG label. Photo credit: Revol Web<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What about the house wine?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There are restaurants, especially trattorias<\/em>, that serve what is known as vino della casa<\/em>, house wine. It\u2019s a type of wine that belongs to the least strict wine classification in Italy: VdT or vino da tavola<\/em>. These types of wines don\u2019t have strict regulations, they just need to have been produced in Italy. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Back in the days, the vino della casa<\/em> was wine that was produced by the restaurant\u2019s owners. Today, house wine is actually a wine that has a good price-quality ratio, that the owners purchase at a very low price, and is generally ordered by customers who don\u2019t want to spend too much money on wine. For this reason, you can\u2019t know if the house wine that you\u2019re being served is of good quality or not. If you don\u2019t want to risk it, ask for the wine list.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In any case, if you\u2019re ever in Rome at Trattoria Da Teo<\/a>, their red house wine is quite good, and you can definitely go for it! <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"Don't
Don’t always be afraid of the house wine\u2014some are actually quite good.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some of our favorite Italian wineries<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So after all this chit chat, let\u2019s get to the point! What are some good wines that you can order during your stay in Italy? <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Most Italian wine lists are divided into the regions<\/a> where the wine was produced, so read on for some of our favorite wineries by region. And don\u2019t worry, there\u2019s something for every budget!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Lazio region around Rome is famous for white wines like Malvasia and Trebbiano and red wines like Merlot, Sangiovese and Cesanese. It\u2019s not one of the most famous Italian wine regions but you\u2019ll find some good wine here! While ordering at a restaurant, keep in mind wineries like Casale del Giglio, Falesco and Marco Carpineti. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you\u2019re searching for a red, then a wine from Tuscany is the way to go. Tuscany is famous worldwide for its red wine, from the Sangiovese (Chianti) to the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Canaiolo Nero. Some wineries to keep in mind as you order are Castello Banfi, Marchesi Antinori and Bolgheri. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"When
The idyllic vineyards of Tuscany are home to some of Italy’s best reds. Photo credit: To Tuscany<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Go for a Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine if you\u2019re into white wines with more aromatic flavours. Famous for Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but also look out for their Merlots. A-list wineries are Jermann, Livio Felluga and Lis Neris. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For one of the best reds, choose from the Veneto region and keep your eyes open for the Valpolliccella (Corvina) and Merlot for reds, and Soave and Pinot Grigio for whites. Not to mention the world-famous prosecco! Wineries to keep in mind are Masi, Bolla and Quintarelli Giuseppe.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Another great region for red wine is Umbria. This region is known for its sweet Sagrantino, Merlot and Sangiovese. If you\u2019re into white, Grechetto and Trebbiano are the local production. Arnaldo Caprai, Perticaia, Lungarotti are all great wineries to remember!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Piedmont is yet another world-famous wine region, and they have a great mix of reds and whites. They\u2019re famous for the Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto for reds and the Arneis, Cortese (Gave) and Moscato D\u2019Asti for whites. Wineries to remember are Marchesi di Barolo, Ceretto and Braida. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From understanding wine culture in Italy to a little cheat sheet with some of our favorite Italian wineries by region, here\u2019s everything you need to know when faced with a wine list in Italy! We\u2019ve all been there… you go to a restaurant, you\u2019re handed the wine list, and you have absolutely no clue on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":15839,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[1448,1449],"tags":[195,104,1465,1172],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDevour Tours<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/dev.devourtours.com\/blog\/italian-wine-list\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Our Ultimate Insider's Guide to Reading an Italian Wine List\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Once you know your way around an Italian wine list, you'll be ordering vino like a born-and-bred Roman. 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