Wines by Country
Italy
Italy produces more wine than any country in the world and also has more diversity of styles and grape varieties than any other country. Indeed, Italy’s vineyards are home to more than 2,000 grape varieties, many of which are on the brink of extinction.
Italy is divided into 20 administrative regions which all produce wine to some extent, and all of which contain various wine regions. The most significant, when both quality and quantity are taken into consideration, are Tuscany, Piedmont and Veneto.
Each region has its flagship wine styles. Some are famous because they are produced in large volumes and can be found all over the world, others because of their consistently high quality. Tuscany is known for its generic Chianti, but among devoted wine aficionados its Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano – as well as Chianti Classico – are more highly regarded. Similarly, Veneto’s vast output of Prosecco, Soave and varietal Pinot Grigio does little to boost its reputation as a fine wine region, and yet it produces one of the world’s richest, finest wines: Amarone della Valpolicella.
