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 […]
Unità geografiche aggiuntive (UGAs) are geographical subdivisions within denominations that you may see on labels. Here is a summary of what UGAs were, are, and are not.
The four region-level denominations in Abruzzo have each added four subzones and made a variety of other changes to their rules.
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.
New rules for Bardolino DOC in April 2021 have introduced, among other innovations, three subzones for red Bardolino that will define a premier level of wines with longer aging and stricter requirements.
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.
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 […]
