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Grape Varieties
Italy is home to over 500 indigenous grape varieties - more than any other country. Explore the grapes behind Italy’s greatest wines, from the noble Nebbiolo to the ubiquitous Sangiovese.
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Grapes Profiled
Aglianico [ahl-YAH-nee-ko] is an ancient Southern Italian varietal with lots of charm.
Primitivo (“pree-mee-TEE-vo”) is one of the most popular red wines of Southern Italy.
Falanghina (“fah-lawn -GHEE-nah”) is a white grape variety of Balkan origin, present in Southern Italy and in particular in Campania where it represents the base varietal of many fine wines.
Pinot grigio [pee-no-gree-jo] is a white grape varietal from Northern Italy.
The Carricante grape [Car-ri-can-te] is a Sicilian white grape variety deeply rooted in the volcanic terroir around Mount Etna.
Nebbiolo (Nay-bee-OH-lo) is a native Italian variety cultivated in the northern regions, whose name derives from the word “Nebbia” which is Italian for fog.
Vermentino (vair-men-TEE-no) is an aromatic white grape variety.
Widespread in western Sicily, the indigenous Grillo (GREE-loh) grape is a key component in the production of Marsala wines.
Montepulciano (Mon-teh-pool-chee-ah-noh) is the second most widely planted red grape variety in Italy, after Sangiovese.
Nero d'Avola (Neh-roh DAH-voh-lah) is the most widespread grape variety in Sicily.
Sangiovese (san-jo-vay-zeh) is the undisputed king of red wines in central Italy, virtually present in every area of the country Thanks to its many clones and surprising versatility, Sangiovese can create a wide range of wines: from young and fresh Chiantis to complex and full-bodied Brunellos.
One of the most approachable red wines in Italy, Barbera (“bar-BAY-rah”) is a fresh and fruity wine that is always present on the tables of the inhabitants of Piedmont.
Ribolla Gialla is the ancient white grape of Friuli Venezia Giulia, native to the Collio and Colli Orientali hills around Gorizia and Udine.
Lambrusco (Lahm-BROO-sko) is a family of grapes that produces fun sparkling wines, both sweet and dry, that are among the most popular in the world.
Pignoletto (“pee-yoh-LAY-toh”) is a dry and aromatic Italian white wine produced from the homonymous grape variety, also known as Grechetto Gentile, in the central region of Emilia-Romagna.
Glera is the white grape behind Prosecco, Italy's most celebrated sparkling wine.
Embark on a vinous journey with Pecorino (peh-koh-REE-noh), a grape that encapsulates the essence of Italy's heartland.
For wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs in the UK seeking a unique sip that epitomises Mediterranean flair, the Nerello Mascalese [Neh-rel-loh Mas-ka-leh-seh] grape is a must-try.
Bombino Bianco is a white grape of Puglia's Adriatic side, especially around Castel del Monte, though it also appears in Emilia-Romagna as Pagadebit and in Lazio as Ottonese.
Bombino Nero is Puglia's late-ripening red grape for serious rosato, most clearly in Castel del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG.
Grenache is a thin-skinned red grape grown across the Mediterranean, but in Italy it goes by the name Cannonau and rules the reds of Sardinia.
Chardonnay is a white grape with a clear Italian role: Franciacorta DOCG and Alta Langa DOCG include it in metodo classico sparkling wines, while Sicilia DOC gives it a warmer still-wine voice.
Corvina is the principal red grape of Verona's wine country, forming the backbone of Valpolicella DOC, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG, and Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG.
Erbamat is an ancient white grape from the Brescia hills of Lombardy, almost lost in the twentieth century and now welcomed back into the Franciacorta DOCG as a fourth permitted variety.
Gewürztraminer, called Traminer Aromatico in Italian, is Alto Adige's lychee-scented aromatic white.
Malvasia Bianca di Basilicata is the indigenous white grape of Lucania, the backbone of Matera DOC Bianco and Spumante (minimum 70%) and a steady presence in Basilicata IGT, Grottino di Roccanova DOC and Terre dell'Alta Val d'Agri DOC.
Malvasia di Candia is a white grape with two faces: a workhorse biotype that anchors the Lazio whites of Frascati DOCG and the Castelli Romani, and the genetically distinct Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, the perfumed Emilian clone that defines Colli Piacentini DOC and Colli di Parma DOC.
Malvasia Istriana is the indigenous white grape of Friuli Venezia Giulia, anchored on the Carso plateau outside Trieste and the Collio hills along the Slovenian border.
Malvasia Nera di Basilicata is an indigenous black grape grown almost exclusively in inland Basilicata, with around 114 hectares planted nationwide.
Malvasia Puntinata is the aromatic white grape behind Frascati DOC, Cannellino di Frascati DOCG, and Roma DOC, anchored on the volcanic slopes of the Castelli Romani south of Rome.
Merlot is a red grape with a serious Italian footprint: Bolgheri DOC, Bolgheri Rosso, Cortona DOC, Suvereto DOCG, Rubicone IGT and Montello Rosso DOCG form its Italian map.
Moscato is the white aromatic grape behind Moscato d'Asti DOCG and Asti Spumante DOCG in southern Piedmont.
Müller-Thurgau is a white grape that found its truest Italian home among the high-altitude vineyards of Trentino-Alto Adige.
Prëmetta (Prié Rouge) is an indigenous red grape of Italy's Valle d'Aosta, grown mainly around Sarre and the central valley.
Prié Blanc is the lone native white grape of Valle d'Aosta, ripening between 900 and 1200 metres in the Valdigne foothills of Mont Blanc.
Trebbiano Abruzzese is the white grape behind Abruzzo's most distinctive whites, including the textural, age-worthy bottlings of Valentini, Emidio Pepe and Tiberio.
Trebbiano Toscano is the workhorse white grape of central Italy, planted across Tuscany, Lazio and Umbria.
Turbiana is the white grape of Lugana DOC, grown on the clay-rich morainic shores south of Lake Garda across Lombardy and Veneto.
