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Northern Italy

Five regions between the Alps and the Adriatic, home to Prosecco, Amarone, Franciacorta, Barolo and some of Italy's most celebrated white wines.

Veneto

One of Italy's largest wine-growing regions (primarily due to Prosecco DOC production), Veneto is known for a variety of other styles of wine. An expansive piece of land in northeastern Italy that reaches the top of the Adriatic Sea, Veneto is well suited to large-scale production and provides the country with red, white, sparkling, and dessert wines. Pinot Grigio and Soave DOC dominate the still white wine production, and Valpolicella makes up the famous reds of the region.

Valpolicella

The Valpolicella wine region is located just north of Verona and produces wines from a blend of grapes: Corvina or Corvinone, and Rondinella (legally required), along with Molinara, Dindarella, and others. Rivers running through the Lessini Mountains carve different valleys and allow for a variety of microclimates in the region.

Valpolicella is made into four distinct styles:

Valpolicella DOC & Valpolicella Classico DOC

Typical still red wine showing bright red fruit and floral aromas. No strong oak component, low tannins, and relatively higher acidity. A great option for Pinot Noir, Xinomavro and Langhe Nebbiolo drinkers.

Classico wines come from vineyards within a smaller, more defined area in the communes of Fumane, Marano, Negrar, San Pietro in Cariano, and Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella. "Classico" refers to the traditional demarcated region of Valpolicella production before it was later expanded.

Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG

Made after the grapes have been left to dry for 100+ days after harvest. Fermentation then happens very slowly, and the wines are fermented dry. The wines must be aged a minimum of 2 years (4 years for Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva).

The resulting wines are higher in alcohol (14% ABV minimum), have some residual sugar (5–9 g/L), and have high tannins and high acidity. Intense red fruit aromas evolve into dried fruit notes, with hints of oak and spice.

Valpolicella Ripasso DOC

A great, happy medium between the two styles above. Ripasso is made by passing freshly made Valpolicella wine over the leftover dried grape skins from the Amarone process for a second maceration. This pulls out more flavor and color and increases the alcohol content slightly.

The resulting wines are beautifully purple, with balanced, medium tannins and acidity, and flavors and aromas of stewed fruit, dark florals, and spice.

Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG

An even more intense wine than any of the above. It uses only the healthiest grapes and lays them out to dry even further than for Amarone. The resulting wine is lusciously sweet, with notes of dark berries, chocolate, and toffee.

Soave

East of Verona is the Soave DOC region, where one of Italy's most famous white wines is made. Blends of mostly Garganega (minimum 70%) and Trebbiano di Soave (maximum 30%) result in easy-drinking wines that express a bouquet of orchard fruit, white blossom, almond, and stone.

Soave Superiore DOCG was created in 2001 to improve the quality perception of Soave by restricting yields and enforcing alcohol minimums. Recioto di Soave DOCG is another denomination in the region, for sweet dessert wines made using the passito method of drying grapes.

Prosecco

The largest contributor to Veneto's wine production is easily Prosecco DOC. The region spans both Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia and produces the world-famous sparkling wine. The area is vast and the climate varies, but it is often continental with some Adriatic Sea influence.

Prosecco is made primarily (minimum 85%) from the Glera grape (both Glera Lunga and Glera Tonda are allowed) using the Charmat, or Martinotti, Method. In this system, the base wine is put in a pressurized stainless-steel tank where sugar, yeast, and yeast nutrients are added to start a second fermentation. As the yeast consumes the sugar and creates alcohol and CO2, the tank keeps the CO2 from escaping, and we end up with a bubbly, sparkling wine.

This differs from the Traditional Method, or Méthode Champenoise, used for Champagne-style sparkling wines, where the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. The Martinotti Method lets winemakers keep the base wine's flavor profile and results in wines that are clean, fruit-forward, and often playful and easy-drinking in style.

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG covers the original Prosecco region and is thought to produce higher-quality examples with a stronger sense of place.

In 2020, the Prosecco DOC rules were updated to allow Prosecco Rosé, in response to the growing popularity of pink wines worldwide. The rules require 10–15% Pinot Nero in the blend, which gives the wine its color and berried fruit aromas.

International varieties and dessert wines

Veneto also has a long tradition of wines made from international grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir all make an appearance here. There are also other dessert wines made by the passito method using local native grapes.

Grape varieties

  • Glera
  • Corvina
  • Corvinone
  • Rondinella
  • Molinara
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Merlot
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Garganega
  • Chardonnay

Notable DOCs

  • Valpolicella DOC
  • Valpolicella Ripasso DOC
  • Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG
  • Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG
  • Prosecco DOC
  • Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG
  • Soave Superiore DOCG

Lombardia

Situated squarely in the middle of northern Italy, Lombardy shares borders with Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, and Trentino-Alto Adige. The region is protected by the Alps to the north and feels a moderating effect from the large Lake Iseo. The wines here are crafted with the local palate in mind and rarely make it into international markets.

Nevertheless, the region boasts 22 DOCs and 5 DOCGs.

Franciacorta DOCG

The region is most famous for Franciacorta DOCG: traditional method sparkling wine made from Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, and Pinot Bianco. These are serious sparkling wines with extended lees ageing (and sometimes oak), and they are Italy's response to the Champagnes of France. They are generally high in acidity, with notes of green apple, pear, and lots of minerality.

As climate change warms the region considerably, harvest dates have been pushed earlier and earlier. Some producers are finding innovative ways to adjust, one being the use of once-forgotten grapes. The almost-extinct indigenous grape Erbamat is naturally high in acidity and late ripening. These characteristics made it a perfect addition to the legally allowed grape varieties in Franciacorta DOCG, and producers can now include up to 10% Erbamat in their blends. Moves like these have become necessary in many regions affected by climate change.

Lambrusco Mantovano DOC

Lambrusco Mantovano DOC is a sparkling wine of a completely different style. Lambrusco is produced in parts of both Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. The wines are made using the Charmat Method and are blends of different strains of Lambrusco grapes: Lambrusco Grasparossa, Lambrusco Maestri, Lambrusco Marani, Lambrusco Montericco, Lambrusco Salamino, and Lambrusco Sorbara. These wines are red, sometimes sweet, and have beautiful notes of candied red fruit and chocolate.

Grape varieties

  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot Nero
  • Pinot Bianco
  • Erbamat

Notable DOCs

  • Franciacorta DOCG
  • Lambrusco Mantovano DOC

Friuli Venezia Giulia

In the far northeastern corner of Italy, bordering both Austria and Slovenia, lies Friuli Venezia Giulia. For centuries, upper-class Austrians used Friuli as a vacation destination, and that is part of why the region was able to build a quality wine culture early on.

Here, the "super whites" reign supreme: white wine makes up around 75% of Friuli's total production. Lower-quality, higher-yield wines come from the fertile low plains near the Adriatic Sea. Most of the region's best wines come from higher elevations in the hills, which are affected by both the cool winds of the Alps and the warm winds of the Adriatic.

These hills' soils are made up of calcareous marl and sandstone and drain water excellently. That's a valuable trait, since the area gets 1,200 mm of rain a year, about a third more than Bordeaux.

Winemaking techniques and styles are heavily influenced by Austria's historical impact in the area. White wines are often made in a "clean" style, using temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks for fermentation and ageing, along with gentle pneumatic presses and cultivated yeasts.

Grape varieties

  • Pinot Grigio
  • Merlot
  • Chardonnay
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Riesling
  • Gewürztraminer
  • Müller-Thurgau
  • Friulano
  • Ribolla Gialla
  • Verduzzo
  • Schioppettino

Notable DOCs

  • Collio DOC
  • Friuli Colli Orientali DOC

Trentino-Alto Adige

Part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1919, this alpine region west of Friuli Venezia Giulia is made up of two distinct regions side by side: Trentino and Alto Adige.

Alto Adige, or Südtirol in German, sits in the foothills of the Dolomites. Here, warm days contrast with cool nights all year long, which lets the grapes keep beautiful acidity deep into the growing season. Although the region is farther north than the rest of Italy, it gets over 300 days of sunshine a year. That boosts photosynthesis and lets the grapes' anthocyanins and flavor compounds develop, resulting in wines with developed color, tannins, and complex fruit aromas. The focus is on fragrant, single-variety wines in a clean, crisp style influenced by Germanic winemaking techniques.

Trentino is known for wines that are slightly less aromatic than those of neighboring Alto Adige, but still quality-focused, single-variety wines. The Trento DOC appellation is used for classic method sparkling wine, which is slowly growing in popularity.

Grape varieties

  • Pinot Blanc
  • Pinot Gris
  • Teroldego
  • Lagrein
  • Müller-Thurgau
  • Riesling

Notable DOCs

  • Trento DOC
  • Alto Adige DOC
  • Trentino DOC

Piemonte

In northwest Italy at the foot of the Alps lies Piemonte, home to some of Italy's most famous and prized wines (Piemonte translates to "foot of the mountain"). The region has a moderate continental climate with warm summers and cold winters, and it is protected from extreme weather by both the Alps and the Apennines.

Nebbiolo: Barolo and Barbaresco

Nebbiolo is the grape behind Piedmont's most famous red wines. It is a thin-skinned, early-budding, late-ripening, notoriously finicky grape that is susceptible to spring frost. Its most unique characteristic is that it has three seeds inside, as opposed to the usual two. This increases its potential tannins tremendously (tannins come from the seeds, skins, and stems of grapes).

The grape thrives in the Langhe hills, where the nebbia (Italian for fog) descends each early morning. The fog cools the region in the morning and further extends the ripening period of the Nebbiolo vines grown in Barolo and Barbaresco vineyards.

Barolo DOCG is made up of 11 communes spread over rolling hills that provide an array of aspects and microclimates. After harvest, Barolo DOCG wines are aged a minimum of 38 months (18 in barrel), and Barolo Riserva wines a minimum of 62 months (18 in barrel). This extended ageing is necessary for Nebbiolo's harsh, rigid tannins. In the best vintages, these wines are still drinkable after 20 or 30 years, as the tannins slowly soften and the flavors develop into dried fruit, spice, and earth. The grapes' naturally high acidity gives these wines life, allowing good vintages to age sometimes 50+ years.

Barolo's sister, Barbaresco DOCG, is made from the same grape in the neighboring village and must be aged a minimum of 26 months (9 in barrel). These wines are still big, but have noticeably less tannin than Barolo. For a younger, more approachable (and affordable) experience, Langhe Nebbiolo is made from the same grape grown on less prized sites and still results in beautiful wines.

A changing style: For a very long time, Barolo was so astringent that a minimum of 10 years of ageing was often recommended before opening the bottle. In the last few decades, producers have intentionally shifted toward wines that are ready to enjoy sooner, by using gentler extraction methods and shorter maceration.

Barbera, Gavi and Moscato d'Asti

The region is also known for wines made from the Barbera grape. In contrast to Nebbiolo, Barbera can produce plush, juicy red wines that are ready to enjoy much sooner.

Gavi can't be forgotten either: a white wine made from the Cortese grape that pairs citrus aromas with sharp minerality and mouth-watering acidity.

Sparkling wine also exists in this northern region. Moscato d'Asti is a sweet sparkling wine made from Moscato grapes using the Asti method. It is frizzante, meaning it has fewer bubbles than a spumante sparkling wine, and it expresses aromas of white flowers and ripe stone fruit. It is considered a dessert wine and is enjoyed sweet.

Grape varieties

  • Nebbiolo
  • Barbera
  • Dolcetto
  • Arneis
  • Moscato
  • Cortese

Notable DOCs

  • Barolo DOCG
  • Barbaresco DOCG
  • Barbera d'Asti DOCG
  • Barbera d'Alba DOC
  • Moscato d'Asti DOCG
  • Gavi DOCG
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