Italian Wines

Wine has been made in Italy for at least 3,000 years, and today the country is the world's largest wine producer. The local Etruscans and Greek settlers were the first to plant vines here, followed by the Romans who started making wine in the 2nd century BC. Italian wines are typically very food-friendly and pair perfectly with the country's delicious pasta dishes, hearty game and red meat stews, and fresh seafood from the coast. Buy Italian wines online at 8Wines and enjoy our curated selection of hard-to-find wines.

Key Italian Wine Regions

Wine is produced all over Italy and the country has 77 legally-defined appellations or regions which are given the label DOCG (Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin). Producers must follow strict rules to label their wines under these Italian wine appellations which helps to maintain high quality standards across the country. Key Italian wine regions for red wines include the Piedmont in the north which is home to Barolo and Barbaresco, Veneto which is known for its Amarone, and Tuscany in central Italy. For white wines, look at wine regions in Italy like Soave in Veneto, Le Marche for Verdicchio, and the island of Sardinia for Vermentino.

Italian Grape Varieties

Indigenous Italian wine varieties range from the powerful Nebbiolo used to make Barolo to ethereal and refreshing whites like Pinot Grigio, Verdicchio, and Garganega which is used to make Soave. Other top Italian wine grapesto know include Tuscany's iconic Sangiovese which is grown throughout the country, the humble Glera grape used to make Prosecco, and Primitivo, Negroamaro and Aglianico which make powerful red wines in the southern region of Basilicata and Puglia.