Primitivo (“pree-mee-TEE-vo”) is one of the most popular red wines of Southern Italy.
Italian Wine Styles
Italy produces six distinct wine styles, from bold reds to delicate sparkling. Each has its own character, grape varieties, and food pairings. Find yours.
Browse the six Italian wine styles
Red
Italy's boldest expression, structured, complex, built for food
White
Crisp and versatile, from alpine freshness to Mediterranean warmth
Rosé
Summer in a glass, bright, delicate, endlessly drinkable
Sparkling
From Prosecco to Franciacorta, bubbles for every occasion
Sweet
Liquid gold, Italy's dessert wines are among the world's finest
Orange
Ancient craft, modern obsession, skin-contact whites with soul
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Italian Wines to Explore
6 retailers
Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino
Brunello di Montalcino
6 retailers
£39.24
6 retailers
Antinori Tenuta Tignanello Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva
Chianti Classico
6 retailers
£35.86
£42.73
5 retailers
Taurasi - Feudi San Gregorio
Taurasi
5 retailers
£23.19
5 retailers
Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto
Toscana
5 retailers
£43.15
£55.72
5 retailers
Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso
Brunello di Montalcino
5 retailers
£54.04
5 retailers
Colore - Bibi Graetz
Toscana
5 retailers
£139.29
5 retailers
Antinori Tignanello
Toscana
5 retailers
£156.75
5 retailers
Solaia
Toscana
5 retailers
£260.00
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Common Questions
Italy produces six distinct wine styles: red, white, rosé, sparkling, sweet, and orange. Each style has its own character, grape varieties, and food pairings. We currently list 3637 Italian wines across 115 denominations.
Red wines are made with dark-skinned grapes and fermented with their skins, giving them colour, tannin, and body. White wines use green-skinned grapes (or dark grapes without skin contact), producing lighter, crisper wines. Italy excels at both, from bold Barolo to crisp Pinot Grigio.
Orange wine is white wine made like red wine, the juice stays in contact with the grape skins for days or weeks, giving it an amber colour and a tannic, textured character. Italy, especially Friuli-Venezia Giulia, is one of the world's leading producers of orange wine.
White wines like Pinot Grigio and sparkling wines like Prosecco are approachable starting points, they're light, refreshing, and widely available. From there, try a medium-bodied red like Chianti or a rosé for something versatile.
Prosecco (sparkling) and Pinot Grigio (white) are the UK's best-selling Italian wines by volume. However, Italian reds, especially from Tuscany and Piedmont, are increasingly popular among wine enthusiasts looking for depth and food-pairing versatility.