The practical difference between DOC and DOCG is one of quality: DOC and DOCG wines are both wines with a designation of origin, but DOCG wines have an additional “garantita,” or guarantee, by the Italian government to be wines of especially high quality.
What is the quality wine law for Italy?
The Italian wine laws establish four “levels” of quality. The basic level is Vino da Tavola, or literally “table wine.” This is your everyday drinking wine. If you think of the wine levels as a pyramid, Vino da Tavola would be the ground level of the structure.
What information is provided by a DOCG wine?
The regulations for each DOC wine delimit the production area, wine color, permitted grape varieties and max/min proportions, styles of wine, max/min alcohol levels as well as permitted or mandated viticultural, vinification and maturation techniques There are 330 DOC wines in Italy today.
What is DOCG wine classification?
DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) is the highest classification for Italian wines. It denotes controlled (controllata) production methods and guaranteed (garantita) wine quality. Those which show consistently high quality earn promotion to DOCG status. See Soave DOC.
Is Chianti dry or sweet?
Chianti Classico is a dry, red wine made only in a specific part of Tuscany in central Italy.
What wine comes from Piedmont?
Piemonte wine is the range of Italian wines made in the region of Piedmont in the northwestern corner of Italy. The best-known wines from the region include Barolo and Barbaresco. They are made from the Nebbiolo grape.
What are the wine laws in Italy?
The Law no. 193 introduced, in 1963, more order in a much more systematic way than in any other major wine-producing countries. The laws are exemplary, clear and detailed. If you want to get acquainted with the Italian wine laws, the challenge is not the law itself, but rather the Italian mentality.
How many DOCG wines are there in Italy?
As at December 31, 2014, Italy counted 74 DOCG appellations and 5 regions out of 20 (25%) with no DOCG appellations. The three regions with the most DOCG appellations are Piemonte (16), Veneto (14) and Toscana (11).
How do you read an Italian wine label?
In This Article. An Italian wine label will usually include certain information: the name of the winery, perhaps also the name of the vineyard that produced the grapes, the vintage (the year in which the wine was made), and either an abbreviation (e.g., DOC, DOCG) or a phrase (Vino da Tavola) that indicates a category.
What are the different levels of wine quality in Italy?
The Italian wine laws establish four “levels” of quality. The basic level is Vino da Tavola, or literally “table wine.”. This is your everyday drinking wine. If you think of the wine levels as a pyramid, Vino da Tavola would be the ground level of the structure.
