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This regularly updated post lists some of the more significant proposals for new official Italian wine-producing areas or changes to the rules of production for existing denominations.
OIV’s global wine report shows production was strong in 2020 while covid cut consumption and exports. And the idea of China as the savior for exporters now looks illusory.
It’s common for a sparkling wine region to make both white and rosé versions, but the world’s favorite, Prosecco, has only been white—until now.
European Union wine laws made no room for Italy’s DOCG quality level, but that hasn’t stopped the Italians from promoting its DOCGs and even making new ones.
For years, the main trend in Italian denominations has been to go smaller. It seems that in 2016, the opposite has become popular: creating larger denominations out of smaller areas.
Gran Selezione and New Labeling Terms Posted June 11, 2015 For a three-century-old denomination, a lot has been going on in Chianti Classico lately. Much of the activity follows from a major scientific study known as Chianti Classico 2000, which spent 16 years (1987–2003) doing experiments in the vineyards to determine what “best practices” means […]
Posted May 19, 2015 Fresh from creating a new quality level (gran selezione) for their wines, the producers of Chianti Classico are now contemplating another way to distinguish the best of their wines from the rest of the pack. Taking a cue from Barolo, Barbaresco, and a few other regions, Chianti Classico is thinking about […]
Posted August 10, 2014 With the Nizza DOCG nearing reality, Italian Wine Central interviewed some leading producers of Barbera d’Asti DOCG Superiore from the Nizza subzone about the future of this region. The participants were Stefano Chiarlo, winemaker at Michele Chiarlo; Luca Currado, winemaker at Vietti; Erika Abate, export manager for Bersano; and Ignazio Giovine, […]
Posted May 28, 2014 Under the new European Union wine law that went into effect in 2008, DOC and DOCG were technically lumped together in the new quality wine designation of DOP (PDO in English). Everyone studying for a wine test breathed a sigh of relief, because they wouldn’t have to memorize the growing list […]