Although Italy is less than three-quarters the size of California, it vies with France each year for the top honors in world wine production.
In fact, almost every spare meter of land in Italy is planted with wine grapes, producing over 1.5 billion gallons of wine annually.
Italy has over 20 major wine regions, each with its own character, culture, and "terroir." Below is a thumbnail sketch of just a few of the most important regions:
Piedmont
Located in Northern Italy, in the foothills of the Alps, Piedmont produces some of the best known wines: Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, and Asti. Even the name, literally at the foot of the hills, denotes its remote and rugged location.
Wine grapes are a perverse plant and thrive in difficult and rocky terrain. Thus, the craggy, hilly landscape of Piedmont is ideal for the Nebbiolo grape, used to craft the complex Barolo and Barbaresco wines.
Within Piedmont lie the wine districts of Alba, Asti, Gavi, and the lesser known districts of Carema, Caluso, Vercelii, and Novara.
Veneto
Located in northeastern Italy, the Veneto wine region encompasses the cities of Venice and Verona, and is the largest wine region in that part of the country. The Verona landscape is mixed, with hills to the north, the Adriatic Sea to the southeast, and rolling plains in the central part of the region.
Veneto includes the wine districts of Bardolino, Soave, Valpolicella, and Prosecco di Congliano-Valdobbiadene. In addition to the eponymous wines, this region also produces the luscious red Amarone wine.
Lombardy
Bounded by the Po River to the south and the Alps to the north, Lombardy is a rich plain. It's home to Italy's fashion capital – Milan – as well as the tourist areas of Lake Garda and Lake Como. Lombardy is also home to Italy's best sparkling wine, Franciacorta and some lesser know, but interesting red wines, including Valtellina, crafted from Nebbiolo grapes.
Trentino-Alto-Adige
Nestled between Lombardy and Veneto, Trentino-Alto-Adige is a small wine region with a cool climate and hilly, even mountainous terrain. This region produces excellent Pinot Grigios and Chardonnays as well as red wines, crafted from the local red wine grape, Teroldego.
Tuscany
Tuscany: the name has become synonymous with romance, peaceful scenery, and wine vineyards – with good reason. Tuscany, located in central Italy near Florence, possesses some of the world's most beautiful terrain and is home to Italy's most famous wine – Chianti. This sun-swept region is the best place in the world to grow Sangiovese grapes, those used to create the deep red wine.
In addition to Chianti, Tuscany produces Brunello di Montalcino and the so-called "Super Tuscans," generally blends of Sangiovese and other red wine grapes.
