Italian Wine Law

The Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) system was introduced in 1963 as a

means of formalizing and protecting Italian wine appellations.

The French AOC system acted as a model for Italian authorities, as they established
maximum yields, approved varieties and viticultural practices, set geographical
boundaries, and authorized vinification techniques, styles, and minimum (or maximum)
alcohol levels for each DOC wine. The Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita
(DOCG) category, a more prestigious and—theoretically—higher quality designation
designed to represent the best of Italian wine, was also introduced in 1963, although the
first DOCG was not awarded until 1980, when Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo and Vino
Nobile di Montepulciano were upgraded from DOC. Most DOCGs (and many DOCs)
stipulate minimum aging requirements for the wines—a notable departure from the legal
requirements set by most French appellations. Over time, the system became unwieldy
and too lenient; yields and geographical restrictions became too generous. Hundreds of
DOC zones were established, leading to consumer confusion. Even the DOCG category,
which should only include the recognizable benchmarks of Italian wine, was watered
down by such unlikely promotions as Romagna Albana. As criticism of the system
amplified in the 1970s and 1980s, many of Italy’s finer producers resorted to the Vino da
Tavola category, releasing experimental wines produced in a manner conflicting with
DOC legislation. Vino da Tavola, or table wine, cannot bear any geographical
designation other than “Italy” itself, yet some of Italy’s most iconic wines—in particular
the “Super Tuscans” Sassicaia and Tignanello—got their start as simple Vino da Tavola.

The 1992 Goria’s Law represented an attempt at reform. This law established the
category of Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT), a more relaxed regulation, offering
winemakers wider freedoms. The first IGTs appeared in 1994. IGT wines are often
varietally labeled, and IGT wines range from basic quality to some of Italy’s most sought-
after bottles. Today, IGT wines are considered PGI (Protected Geographical Indication)
by the European Union, whereas DOC and DOCG wines are considered PDO
(Protected Designation of Origin), on par with France’s AOC/AOP. IGT status may be
used as a springboard to DOC, and regions recognized as DOC for at least five years
may apply for DOCG status.
 As the EU Common Market Organisation reforms came online from 2008 through 2011,
jurisdiction over the final approval of new appellations transferred from Rome to
Brussels, the political center of the EU. An unintended effect of this administrative power
shift witnessed a host of new, unknown, or heretofore unremarkable appellations apply
for DOC or DOCG status while Rome still held authority over the process, resulting in a
wave of new appellations. From 2009 to late 2011 the number of DOCGs shot from
under 50 to 73, as officials rushed to fulfill over 300 requests to approve or change the
status of appellations across the country. DOCs likewise multiplied. The critical backlash
was quick and nearly unanimous: Italy's appellation system, never a model of clarity for
the consumer, was finally and truly broken. Nevertheless, progress: Italy's 74th DOCG
(Nizza) was approved by Rome in late 2014. 

Italian Wine Classifications

 Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) / Denominazione di Origine

Protetta (DOP)
 Donominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) / Denominazione di Origine Protetta (DOP)
 Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) / Indicazione Geografica Protetta (IGP)
 Vino (formerly Vino da Tavola)

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Northern Italy

The wines of Italy elude easy categorization and definition.

An ever-expanding host of DOCGs, coupled with an enormous range of DOC and IGT
styles, provides a wide variety of wines culled from both indigenous and international
grapes. Italy's axis runs north-south, resulting in a spectrum of climactic zones, and the
country's terrain is generally rugged: the Apennine Mountains serve as the spine of Italy
and the Alps bracket the northern regions. The culture of Italy is as fractured and
segmented as its landscape. Despite its ancient prestige as the center of Roman
civilization, modern Italy was unified as recently as 1861, and the province of Trentino-
Alto Adige was not added until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of
World War I. Today, German and Slavic influences abound in the Tre Venezie, and the
regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto-Adige are nearly autonomous.
Lombardy, Italy's most populous and most industrialized region, stands in stark modern
contrast to the Valle d'Aosta, Italy's most sparsely populated. The Valle d'Aosta includes
French as an official language, and Piedmontese viticulture shows a depth of French
influence. Furthermore, the northern Italy of Turin in Piedmont is wholly dissimilar from
the southern Italy of Naples in Campania: the climates, the cultures, even the languages
—all are distinct. These permutations, influences and sharp differences are reflected in
the country's unique pantheon of wines.

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Piedmont (Piemonte)

The region of Piedmont produces some of the finest wines in Italy, and is cited alongside
Tuscany as one of Italy’s two most significant wine regions.

Piedmont—“the foot of the mountain”—is cradled on three sides by the Apennines and
the Alps. The Po River cuts through the heart of the region as it flows eastward from its
headwaters in the Western Alps, creating a fertile alluvial plain well-suited for standard
agriculture but too rich for viticulture. Thus, most of Piedmont’s grape-growing occurs in
the foothills south of the Po Valley, in the provinces of Asti, Alessandria, and Cuneo.
Within these three provinces, the Monferrato and Langhe hills are peppered with
vineyards. Thinner, calcareous marl and sandstone soils with varying percentages of
clay and sand, coupled with the sub-mountainous landscape, create a number of distinct
mesoclimates throughout the region. Piedmont experiences a continental climate and
the Alps provide a “rain shadow” effect, although autumn hail can be a worry in the
Langhe hills—Barbaresco producers of lore were fond of firing cannons into the skies,
attempting to disperse threatening cloudbanks.

In the Langhe and Monferrato hills, many of the prized southern exposures, known
as sorì in the Piedmontese dialect, are home to the region’s most noble and ageworthy
red grape: the native Nebbiolo. The thin-skinned Nebbiolo, purportedly named for the
morning fog (la nebbia) that prolongs the grape’s ripening process in the fall, produces
wines of high acid, alcohol and extreme tannin, yet the best examples offer haunting
aromatic complexity and great longevity. Nebbiolo’s worth was recognized centuries
ago: a 1431 statute of La Morra in the Langhe extracts a punishment ranging from the
loss of a right hand to death for uprooting the vine. The late-ripening Nebbiolo, Dolcetto
and Barbera form the trio of major Piedmontese red grapes. Dolcetto, the “little sweet
one,” is the earliest to ripen and provides tannic, fruity wines that are lower in acid and
are generally designed for youthful consumption. Barbera, Piedmont’s most planted red
grape, demonstrates high acidity but low tannin and is now subject to a range of stylistic
interpretations. The incursion of modern winemaking techniques has, in some cases,
diminished some of the obvious varietal differences between Nebbiolo, Barbera, and
Dolcetto. Other lesser indigenous red grapes of Piedmont include Brachetto, Grignolino,
Ruchè, Croatina, Vespolina, and Freisa.
Moscato Bianco (Muscat à Petits Grains) is Piedmont’s most planted white grape and is
generally funneled into the production of the sparkling wines of Asti. Cortese, Arneis,
Erbaluce and Favorita (Vermentino) are also grown in the region, in diminishing order of
importance. International grapes—Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah,
Sauvignon Blanc, etc.—have been growing in significance since the 1980s, although
usage of such non-traditional grapes is currently limited to the less-specific DOCs.

Piedmont is home to more DOC zones than any other region in Italy—as of 2018,
Piedmont could claim 17 DOCGs and 42 DOCs—and almost half of the region’s vinous
production is of at least DOC quality. The most prestigious DOCGs in Piedmont
are Barolo and Barbaresco, located along the Tanaro River in the Cuneo Province, an
area encapsulated by the larger Langhe DOC. Both zones produce red wines from the
Nebbiolo grape; Barolo wines are typically more powerful and long-lived, whereas
Barbaresco is slightly softer and regarded as Barolo’s more feminine counterpart,
although many individual examples contradict this generalization. The aromas of tar,
truffle, rose petals, and dried fruits are classically attributed to both wines, and their color
is characteristically moderate in concentration and orange-tinged even in youth.

Although Barolo wines may be produced in 11 communes, the five communes of La

Morra, Barolo, Serralunga d’Alba, Monforte d’Alba, and Castiglione Falletto represent
almost 90% of the DOCG’s demarcated land. Only sites with appropriate aspects can
produce fully ripe Nebbiolo, and a division between soil types marks subtle differences in
each commune’s wines. Tortonian soils, which contain a higher proportion of calcareous
marl, characterize the vineyards of La Morra and Barolo and provide a softer style of
wine. Serravallian (Helvetian) sandstone soils are more common in Monforte d’Alba and
Serralunga d’Alba and supply more structure in the wine. Nevertheless, Barolo is a
massively tannic wine by nature, and prior to 2010, regulations called for a minimum
three years of aging before release, two of which were in oak—or, rarely, chestnut—
casks. Today, Barolo must be aged at least 38 months from November 1 of the harvest
year, but only 18 months need be in oak. Barolo Riserva requires a total 62 months prior
to release. Historically, longer periods of aging occurred in large neutral casks after
extended macerations of 30-50 days, requiring the consumer to cellar the wine for years
—sometimes decades—before it was approachable, but a modernization in technique
entered the region by the 1980s, resulting in an often-too-convenient split amongst
producers. Barolo was divided between the "traditionalists” who retained faith in older
winemaking techniques—Giacomo Conterno, Bartolo Mascarello, Giuseppe Rinaldi—
and the “modernists” who embraced barriques, shorter macerations, and a rounder style
of wine—Paolo Scavino, Luciano Sandrone, Elio Altare. This is a useful division in
Barolo (and Barbaresco) although the distinction is becoming more fluid in many cases
today.

Like Barolo, the Nebbiolo wines of Barbaresco DOCG are perfumed, tannic, and
ageworthy, yet slightly lighter in body and more elegant. Although a portion of Alba is
permitted to make the wine, production is concentrated in the three towns of Barbaresco,
Neive and Treiso. The wines must be aged for a minimum of 26 months from November
1st of the harvest year ( including at least 9 months in cask) prior to release, or for a
minimum of 50 months if labeled riserva. The wines have a much shorter history than
Barolo and are really a phenomenon of the 20th century, achieving acclaimed cult status
through the efforts of the modernist Angelo Gaja, whose Nebbiolo-based wines are often
no longer released as Barbaresco DOCG but rather as the regional Langhe DOC. The
less iconic but equally talented Bruno Giacosa espouses the traditionalist approach in
Barbaresco, and the local co-operative, Produttori del Barbaresco, offers great value and
exemplifies the terroir of the region.

Barolo and Barbaresco are frequently compared to Burgundy—the wines show similar
aromatic richness, and the Langhe’s climate, the importance of single vineyards, and the
modern emphasis on domaine bottling parallel the structure of Burgundy. In the past,
large commerciant (négociant) houses dominated the business, but an emphasis on
domaines and estate-bottling sparked in the 1960s, leading to an unofficial yet critical
determination of the single vineyards (crus) of both Barolo and Barbaresco. Single
vineyard bottlings from the best crus, such as Cannubi in Barolo or Rabajà in
Barbaresco, fetch high prices. In 2007, the Barolo/Barbaresco/Langhe Consorzio finally
voted to enshrine the crus of Barbaresco as legal menzioni geografiche
aggiuntive (geographic areas) of the DOCG; in early 2010 Barolo followed suit.

Barolo Chinato is a curiosity; a DOCG aromatized wine that is flavored with quinine.
Once ridiculed by the wine press, Barolo Chinato has been resurgent—particularly
amongst sommeliers. Cappellano is the standard bearer. 

The Roero DOCG, elevated from DOC in 2004, lies on the northwestern bank of the
Tanaro River, opposite Barolo and Barbaresco. While the DOCG's red wines are based
on a minimum 95% Nebbiolo, Roero also produces fresh and floral white wines from the
Arneis grape. The sandy soils of Roero, north of the commune of Alba, provide a lighter
style of Nebbiolo than Barolo or Barbaresco, and many producers here are
experimenting with modern approaches. Two other Nebbiolo-based DOCG reds are
produced in the hills north of the Po River, as Gattinara DOCG and Ghemme DOCG.
These appellations straddle the Sesia River and offer Nebbiolo-based reds exclusively.
Vespolina and Bonarda grapes are often blended with Nebbiolo—here known as
Spanna—to produce the wines, which are typically lighter and even more focused on
acidity than their southern counterparts. Uva Rara, or Bonarda Novarese, is used for
blending in Ghemme, whereas another clone, Bonarda di Gattinara, is used in Gattinara.
Neither grape is related to the Bonarda of Argentina. The Lessona and Sizzano
DOC zones near Ghemme produce similar Nebbiolo-based red blends, and the more
isolated Carema DOC near the border of the Valle d'Aosta produces fragrant Nebbiolo
wines, especially in warmer vintages.

In 2008, the Barbera grape finally came into the DOCG fold, with two appellations in the
Monferrato hills east of the Langhe: Barbera d’Asti and Barbera del Monferrato
Superiore. Both reflect a newer, more serious approach to Barbera production in the
region. Barbera d’Asti may be released as normaleafter a short four-month aging period,
whereas Barbera del Monferrato must be superiore and spends 14 months aging prior to
release, including six months in cask. Modern Barbera often sees new wood. The
Monferrato hills received a third DOCG in late 2010: Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato,
an aromatic red wine produced from the local Ruchè grape. The grape's name suggests
either a strong resistance to the viral disease roncet, which plagues other varieties of the
region, or its arrival in Piedmont alongside French monks, who dedicated a medieval
monastery to Saint Rocco in the region. The region's fourth DOCG, Nizza, was approved
for 100% Barbera varietal wines at the end of 2014. Formerly a subzone of the Barbera
d'Asti DOCG, Nizza was the shot that broke a three-year silence in DOCG elevations,
showing the world that Italy's top category was alive and well in the post-EU reform era. 

Three DOCG wines are produced from 100% Dolcetto: Dogliani, Dolcetto di Ovada

Superiore (Ovada), and Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba (Diano d'Alba). Ovada wines must
be superiore to qualify for DOCG status, whereas Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba and Dogliani
may be released in both normale and superiore versions, with the latter designation
stipulating a heightened level of alcohol. The minimum aging for all
three superiore styles is one year. Like Barolo and Barbaresco, Diano d'Alba DOCG
wines may include menzioni geografiche aggiuntive on the label—77 sorì are classified
as superior exposures. Dogliani’s fame rests, in part, on the wines of Luigi Einaudi, who
was elected as the second President of the Italian Republic in 1948. The Dolcetto wines
show sweet black fruit in a typically rustic frame, although denser and more polished
interpretations are available.

Gavi (Cortese di Gavi) was the first still white wine in Piedmont to be promoted to the
DOCG level. The appellation is located in the extreme southern portion of Alessandria
province and shares its western border with Ovada. Gavi’s dry, mineral-tinged whites are
produced from the Cortese grape. Although the wines are generally still
(tranquillo), spumante or frizzante versions are sometimes encountered. Erbaluce di
Caluso, an appellation just south of Carema, transitioned from DOC to DOCG in late
2010. The white wines, produced from the high-acid, herbal-scented Erbaluce grape,
may be still, spumante, or passito in style, with the latter type generally provoking the
most praise.

Of far more importance are the sparkling wines of Asti/Moscato d’Asti DOCG. Nearly
650,000 hl (or more) is produced each year, making Asti the largest producer of DOCG
wine in Italy. Asti shed the pejorative “Asti Spumante” label with its move from DOC to
DOCG, but the wines are always fully sparkling (spumante). The wines are comprised
solely of Moscato Bianco and blended from vast vineyards across the southern
provinces of Piedmont before undergoing secondary fermentation, usually via the
Charmat Method. Moscato d’Asti is a rarer and more artisanal product crafted from riper
Moscato Bianco grapes. Although the maximum allowed pressure for the wine was
raised from 1.7 to 2 atmospheres in 2011, Moscato d’Asti is still only slightly sparkling
(frizzante) rather than spumante, and the wine remains delicate, with an alcohol level
between 4.5% and 6.5%. Both wines are sweet, but the hedonistic fragrance of the
Moscato grape is preserved more effectively in Moscato d’Asti. More serious traditional
method sparkling wines are produced as Alta Langa DOCG from Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay grapes, made in the style of Champagne or Franciacorta. In deference to
the qualities impacted by aging on the lees, Alta Langa spumante wines may not be
released for 30 months after the harvest, and riserva versions may not be released for a
full three years. Despite the fact that Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have been planted in
Piedmont since the early 1800s, the DOCG, awarded in early 2011, represents a rapid
culmination of successes for an appellation that earned its DOC as recently as 2002 and
contained only a scant 20 hectares of experimental plantings in 1994. While Alta Langa's
producers, including notable Nebbiolo craftsmen Fontanafredda and Enrico Serafino,
aim for greatness and international appeal with their sparkling wines, the sparkling reds
of Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG retain local rustic charm. The wines are usually sweet and
suitable as a dessert accompaniment. Both dry and still versions of Brachetto exist,
although they are increasingly rare.