Keeping an Eye on Changes to Italian Wine Denominations

Updated June 27, 2026

The list of officially approved Italian wine-producing areas (denominations and geographic indications) and the rules of production for those areas is in a constant state of flux. Many changes don’t have a noticeable effect on the end product or are for relatively obscure wines, but some affect key exported wines in ways that could be important to consumers and/or salespeople. The first section below lists some of the more significant changes that have been approved over the last couple of years. The second section lists proposals for wine law changes that would be of general interest in the wine world.

In the Rearview Mirror

This section catalogs some of the more significant changes to Italian wine laws (from a consumer’s or wine sales professional’s point of view) passed in the last couple of years. These have all been through the entire process and published as law.

New/Renamed/Upgraded Denominations (Approved)

1. DOCG #79: Casauria. The former Casauria subzone of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC has graduated to become Abruzzo’s third DOCG, joining Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Tullum. With about 35 hectares of vineyards declared and production of 20,000–25,000 cases, Casauria DOCG falls between the other two DOCGs in size. Like Colline Teramane and the larger DOC, Casauria is devoted entirely to Montepulciano-based red wines.
2. DOCG #78: Cirò Classico. Calabria attained its first DOCG in 2025 with the approval of Cirò Classico DOCG. Nothing much changed about the existing Cirò DOC, which continues to produce red, rosato, and white wines but will no longer have a Classico subzone. The DOCG is strictly for a more powerful version of the red wines of the DOC, with a higher minimum proportion of Gaglioppo (90% vs. 80%), longer aging (3 years minimum vs. 2 years for the DOC’s Riserva), and of course grown entirely within the Classico subzone comprising the communes of Cirò and/or Cirò Marina.
3. DOCG #77: Canelli. The former Canelli subzone of Asti DOCG was elevated to DOCG status in 2023, becoming Italy’s 77th and Piedmont’s 19th DOCG. Canelli DOCG produces only frizzante Moscato d’Asti–style wine, using 100% Moscato Bianco grapes. There is also a Riserva version with at least 30 months of aging.
4. Name change: Pignoletto DOC to Emilia-Romagna DOC. The denomination spun off from Colli Bolognesi DOC for wines based on Grechetto—known for a decade as Pignoletto DOC after the local name for Grechetto—was changed to Emilia-Romagna DOC in 2023 to quell EU objections to the use of Pignoletto as a denomination name (thereby preventing its use as a grape variety name). Though it sounds like a region-wide denomination for all sorts of wines, it is actually a medium-size DOC only for varietal Grechetto wines (still, sparkling, and dessert styles).
5. Abruzzo: Consolidation of IGPs. Abruzzo has created a single region-wide IGP named Terre Abruzzesi to replace its eight prior smaller ones (seven of which have been officially cancelled; one producer is fighting the dissolution of IGP Terre Aquilane). If nothing else, this will simplify Abruzzo’s marketing message. The new IGP—the only new one since the 2011 wine law revision—became official in early 2024. Italy now has a total of 111 IGPs.

Revisions of Denomination Rules (Approved)

1. Chianti DOCG, among Italy’s most historic wines, has introduced some significant changes to its rules of production. Of these, the most obvious and commercially important is branching out beyond its centuries of red winemaking to market Chianti rosé, made from a minimum of 60% Sangiovese (with 15 white and red grape varieties eligible to comprise the remainder). There was already quite a bit of rosato production in Chianti that was classified as IGP Toscana. Much of this will now be eligible for DOCG status, with production possibly exceeding 800,000 cases annually.
   .....The new rules also reduce the minimum percentage of Sangiovese in the red blend from 70% to 60%, potentially expanding the flavor profiles of the denomination. In addition, a new, eighth subzone—Terre di Vinci, around Leonardo’s hometown of Vinci—has been created.
2. Asti and Moscato d’Asti Join the Pink Wave. The consorzio in charge of Asti DOCG has taken the next logical step in their efforts to follow trends as a means of increasing market share: pink. Asti will now be available as a rosato—for both sparkling wine and Moscato d’Asti—by allowing producers to blend 10–30% red Brachetto grapes (another aromatic variety native to the area) with the denomination’s mainstay Moscato Bianco.
   .....With the burgeoning demand for rosé wines globally, several Italian DOPs have added one or more pink versions of their wines to get in on the category’s popularity. There are various traditional terms for these wines such as rosato or chiaretto, but rosé (or rosè) is becoming more common lately to help the marketing efforts. The most prominent examples are Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC and Prosecco DOC, both of which now make rosato wines. Others include Cònero DOCG introducing a Montepulciano-based rosato and Friuli Colli Orientali DOC adding a ramato (meaning “coppery”) made from Pinot Grigio.
3. Chianti Classico: New UGA Subareas. The Chianti Classico DOCG consorzio has revised the Gran Selezione quality designation to better distinguish those wines from the Riserva level and capture more attention from sommeliers and consumers. Eight mostly commune-based unitá geografiche aggiuntive (UGAs) are now permitted for use on GS labels if at least 85% of the wine comes from that part of the Chianti Classico denomination; a further three will be added as of 2027. More interestingly, beginning with the 2027 vintage, GS wines will require a minimum Sangiovese content of 90% (as opposed to the current 80%) and will forbid the inclusion of international grape varieties in the blend
4. Vino Nobile: Pieve Quality Level. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG has introduced a new “Pieve” quality designation above Riserva level as its flagship category. The denomination has been divided into 12 districts called pievi. Wines that carry a pieve name on the label must have a minimum of 85% Sangiovese (vs. 70% for lower-level wines), with the possibility of four other traditional grape varieties blended in, all grown in estate-controlled vineyards within the pieve.
5. More White Bubbly from Red Grapes. Reversing the go-pink trend described above, Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC and Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC (both of which already had sparkling rosato and red versions) have added a white sparkling wine to their offerings. Like all their wines, the new entries are made from Lambrusco or Nebbiolo, respectively, but fermented like a white wine, without skin contact.
6. Abruzzo: Provincial Subzones for Regional Denominations. The four region-level denominations in Abruzzo—Abruzzo DOC, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC, and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC—have each added subzones, basically breaking out Abruzzo’s four provinces individually. The subzone designations are available only for wines at the Superiore and Riserva levels. Numerous other changes were introduced at the same time, generally intended to nudge quality levels higher.

On the Horizon

This section lists a few of the noteworthy proposals for wine law changes that, if passed, would be likely to affect key exported wines in ways that would be important to consumers and/or salespeople. These range from well-founded rumors to proposals just on the verge of official acceptance, but they are not the current state of affairs (and may never be). Depending on the type of proposal, the approval process can take a very long time. This page will be updated as new information becomes available.

Proposed New/Renamed/Upgraded Denominations (Not Yet Official)

1. Oltrepò Pavese, the small outcropping of Lombardy on the south side of the Po River, was the site of some of the earliest sparkling winemaking in Italy, dating back to 1865. The area’s one DOCG, Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico, today produces only Pinot Nero–based sparkling wine of generally high quality. However, for various reasons, few producers have put much emphasis on that denomination, and it has little traction in the export market. But now, years of discussion have resolved many of the issues, and a new version of the DOCG is up for approval (likely sometime in 2026) with strong support from many members of the GSnew-and-improved denomination will go for brevity over geography in adopting the name Classese (klah-SAY-zay), a mashup of (metodo) classico and (Oltrepò) Pavese. The standards will reportedly be tightened to require a minimum of 85% Pinot Nero, whether vinified as white or rosé wine. Aging time on the lees will be lengthened to at least 3 years before disgorgement, or 4 years for riserva level. And the denomination will be divided into subareas whose names can appear on the label.
2. Having already changed its name from Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva in 2011, Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva DOCG now plans to remove Verdicchio from the name entirely, becoming just Castelli di Jesi DOCG. It will remain a Verdicchio-based wine, but the intent is to put the focus on the place and not on the grape variety (and perhaps to fit better on wine lists). The far smaller Verdicchio di Matelica DOC has also expressed an intent to do the same, becoming just Matelica DOC.
3. Colli di Rimini DOC is asking approval for rebranding as Rimini DOC.
4. A consorzio of a dozen or so growers in Belluno province, north of Valdobbiadene in Veneto, have been working for several years to get approval for a new denomination called Coste del Feltrino.

Proposed Revisions of Denomination Rules (Not Yet Official)

1. Both Fiano di Avellino DOCG in Campania and Monti Lessini DOC in Veneto have proposed to add sparkling wines to their repertoire. The Spumante versions of Monti Lessini would be made with at least 85% of the area’s Durella variety, and those of Fiano di Avellino would of course be Fiano based. These changes require approval at the EU level, which will slow down the process, but there is no reason they shouldn’t be approved eventually.
2. Romagna DOC, a large-production area in southeastern Emilia-Romagna, has proposed a blizzard of changes to its disciplinare, effectively creating a constellation of de facto denominations as subzones of the umbrella DOC, but with varying individual rules. The primary Romagna DOC will also for the first time allow non-varietal wines, adding a Bianco style based on Trebbiano Romagnolo as well as Rosato and Rosso categories based on Sangiovese. The changes are so voluminous and confusing that this will probably take a long time to gain approval.

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