The best Italian wine regions to visit

Some of the world’s oldest wine-producing regions can be found here too, with over 350 different grape varieties grown across the country. But with so much variety, and some unique grapes not found elsewhere, the choice of wine can be confusing, so here’s a little guide to the different wine regions of Italy.

Piedmont is well known for its red wine

Home to Lake Maggiore and the city of Turin, Italy’s northern region of Piedmont is also famous for its food and drink, from truffles to a huge variety of cheeses and red wines with plenty of impact – perfect if you’re venturing into the mountains as well. One of the top Italian red wine regions, look out for classic flavours of sour cherries and a high acidity, with Nebbiolo grapes used for the famous big, burly Barbaresco and Barolo wines that the region is known for.

Notable wines: Barbaresco and Barolo

Pair with: The bold flavours of Barolo and Barbaresco are both great for steak or heavy red meat.

Lombardy is one of the largest wine regions in Italy

Packed with art, culture and some fantastic scenery, Lombardy is home to one of Italy’s most famous lakes, Lake Como, and the glamour and style of Milan. But it’s also a wonderful location to visit picturesque traditional villages and explore the mountains here on the border with Switzerland.

The home of a few of Italy’s best-known foods, such as gorgonzola and Grana Padano cheeses and melt-in-your-mouth ossobuco alla Milanese, it’s also one of the largest Italian wine regions, producing sparkling wines which deserve to be as well-known as Prosecco, plus as robust reds from the Valtellina valley.

Notable wines: Franciacorta and Lambrusco sparkling wines, Valtellina

Pair with: The sparkling whites are ideal with creamy, cheesy dishes or with fish and seafood.

Veneto is the best-known Italian sparkling wine region, producing Prosecco

The Veneto is synonymous with romance, the region that’s home to the floating city of Venice and the setting for Romeo and Juliet in Verona, as well as part of Lake Garda. But you’ll find acres of vineyards in the rolling hills too, helping to make the Veneto one of Italy’s most important wine regions and perhaps the best-known Italian sparkling wine region, producing Prosecco from Glera grapes.

You’ll also find Soave, a dry white wine made from Garganega, plus Valpolicella, a lighter red using Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes, and Amarone de Valpolicella, a richer, full-bodied red.

Notable wines: Prosecco, Soave, Valpolicella

Pair with: Prosecco and Soave work well with seafood and fish and light pasta dishes, while Valpolicella pairs well with lighter meat dishes and pasta.

Tuscany, home of Chianti, is one of the most famous wine regions in Italy

It’s no surprise that Tuscany is one of the most popular regions to visit in Italy; from art and Renaissance architecture in Florence, Siena, Lucca and Pisa to the rolling Tuscan hills dotted with cypress trees and its stretch of coast, you’ll never tire of exploring this area. And, of course, it’s also renowned as one of the most famous wine regions of Italy, particularly for Chianti but also the full-bodied red wines from the San Gimignano and Montalcino regions.

Sangiovese grapes flourish here, used both in Chianti, where they’re blended with cabernet, merlot, or syrah, and alone in a wine that’s similar to Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo. You’ll also find some sweet and dry whites in Tuscany.

Notable wines: Chianti, Brunello

Pair with: Chianti is perfect with tomato-based pasta dishes, and rich meats including pork, lamb and salami, or with steak.

While Marche (or Le Marche) and Abruzzo are off the beaten tourist track, the mix of rolling hills, traditional villages and Adriatic coast make for a very tempting area to explore. And these two Italian wine regions have a history of producing wine that dates back to the Etruscans and Romans – it’s thought that when Hannibal made his famous journey through the Alps, his soldiers took wine from Abruzzo with them. You’ll find white wines made from Trebbiano and Verdicchio grapes and red wines made from Montepulciano grapes.

Notable wines: Verdicchio, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Pair with: Verdicchio is ideal with truffle-based dishes, while Trebbiano works well with seafood, cheeses like pecorino and white pizza. Montepulciano pairs nicely with meat dishes, including sausage, or pasta with rich sauces.

This sun-drenched corner of Italy, the heel of the country’s ‘boot’, seems made for lazy days relaxing by the coast, exploring the fairytale white trulli houses of Alberobello and wandering through baroque Lecce, known as the ‘Florence of the South’. But as well as the almond and olive groves which stretch across the countryside in Puglia, the region is one of the most productive wine regions in the country, known for its rich, full-bodied red wines, especially Primitivo (known as Zinfandel elsewhere) and Negroamaro with its deep berry flavours. You’ll also find the sweeter, golden Moscato di Trani white wine in Puglia.

Notable wines: Primitivo, Negroamaro

Pair with: Primitivo pairs well with cured meats and cheeses, or tomato-based pasta, while Negroamaro is a great match with red meat and aged cheese.

Campania is also one of oldest wine regions of Italy

The home of some of Italy’s most visited locations, including the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Sorrento, the ancient city of Pompeii and Naples, Campania is famous for its spectacular landscapes, its history – and its food. The birthplace of pizza, it’s also known for its buffalo mozzarella and limoncello. But Campania is also one of oldest wine regions of Italy, with winemaking dating back to the 12th century BCE.

Falerno is one of the most ancient wines in the country, whle Aglianico grapes were introduced by the ancient Greeks, now used to make Taurasi and Aglianico del Taburno red wines. You’ll also find white wine varieties Fiano and Greco.

Notable wines: Taurasi, Aglianico del Taburno, Falerno

Pair with: Taurasi, Aglianico del Taburno and Falerno all pair well with red meat, aged cheese and dark chocolate.

Nerello Mascalese thrives in the volcanic soil of Mount Etna

The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily is packed with history but it’s also the largest of the Italian wine regions, with a climate that’s ideal for growing grapes needed to produce its world-class vintages.

Most famous among its rich, dark, fruity reds is Nero d’Avola, but you’ll also find Frappato, often blended with other red grapes, and Nerello Mascalese, which thrives in the volcanic soil of Mount Etna. There’s white wine too, such as Catarratto, which makes a soft white wine, peachy Grillo and dry Carricante, along with Marsala, a dessert wine made in the west of the island.

Notable wines: Nero d’Avola, Marsala

Pair with: Nero d’Avola pairs well with tomato-based pasta and pizza, as well as red meat and cheese, or try it with another Sicilian classic, Spaghetti alla Norma, using aubergine and smoked ricotta.

Italian wines are made for Italian food – and you’ll find that the wine produced in each individual region often reflects the local cuisine. So whichever Italian wine regions you visit, choosing the right wine to complement your meal doesn’t have to be tricky, including the following pairings.

Each region of Italy has its own traditional pasta dishes, as well as some which you’ll find country-wide. So if you’re not sure what to drink alongside your new favourites, here’s what to try.

• Tomato-based pasta – this pairs nicely with a medium-bodied red wine.

• Pasta with cheese sauce – best with a full-bodied white wine or a light-bodied red wine

• Seafood pasta – this suits either a light or medium-bodied white wine

• Vegetable (or herb) based pasta – these dishes are best with light-bodied white wines.

Restaurants will always be happy to recommend a good wine when you’re ordering but it’s always helpful to know what to look out for on the wine list, from Italian wine regions to specific dates.

Here’s an example of what you might see – it’s worth knowing that 2021 was a particularly good year for Italian wine, along with 2019, 2018 and 2016. Emidio Pepe - Producer

Montepulciano D'Abruzzo - Type of wine

Abruzzi - Region

2021 - Vintage

And if you have ever wondered what the words on the wine label mean, here are translations of some of the ones most commonly found on Italian wine labels.

Poggio – hill or elevated place, describing the landscape where the grapes were grown.

Vigneto – vineyard

Castello – similar to the word ‘chateau’ on a wine estate.

Cascina or Cantina – winery or cellar

Fattoria – wine farm

Riserva – wine that’s been aged usually a year longer than normal.

Classico – a classic wine growing area.

Superiore – has more alcohol than the regular version of the wine

Explore the wines of Italy on one of our holidays to Italy