The background to Italian wine Wine Laws Wine regions Grape varieties Reading An Italian Wine Label Zones and quality grades Producers and vineyards Style and quality The Language Of Italy The Essentials Of Italy Cities

Italy's 20 administrative regions each have their vineyards, some of which are DOCs and some just for table wine. Each has its own range of micro-climates and soils, and the mountainous nature of much of the country means that conditions can vary widely over a few miles. Generalizations about wine zones are thus less than helpful. To make matters even more confusing, DOC zones sometimes overlap, and producers make wines from several DOC areas. It is possible, however, to spot broad distinctions across the country. The north-east of Italy has much in common with Austria and Switzerland and their light, fresh whites. The extreme south, especially Sicily, is part of the Mediterranean wine tradition of rich, strong wines. In between are innumerable zones with excellent conditions for red and white Wines, such as Tuscany and Lazio.

Italy is also known for its production of vermouth, the name given to any of several wines that contain aromatic herbs, other flavourings and sweetenings, and grape spirit. Vermouth has an alcohol content of about 16º, and is produced chiefly a few large companies in Piedmont.