Italian Wine Denominations
This page is a supplement to our Ultimate Guide to the Best Italian Wine.
Contents
- Introduction to Italian Wine Denominations
- The largest Italian wine denominations by production volume
- Production statistics for DOC, DOCG and IGT
Introduction to Italian Wine Denominations
“Denomination” is how Italian wine type is identified on the label (“Asti DOCG” or ” Barbera d’Alba DOC”). In Italy, high-quality wines are produced according to tightly-specified rules of winemaking (colloquially called “wine laws”). There are three rule-based quality levels: DOC, DOCG, and IGT (or IGP, which is the same thing). As of 2021, there are 75 DOCGs, 333 DOCs and 118 IGTs in Italy [1].
DOC means Denominazione di origine controllata, and DOCG is Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita. Legally speaking, DOC and DOCG both belong to a single group DOP (Denominazione di origine protetta). But practically, rules for DOCG wines are much more stringent than for DOC. Because of that, DOCG wines are more valuable. IGT stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica, and stretches over a given territory. IGT usually gives winemakers lots of flexibility in terms of which grapes they can use.
If you are interested in learning more about the difference between DOC, DOCG and IGT, read the “Introduction to quality levels of Italian wine” section of our Ultimate Guide.
High-quality DOP and IGT wines are very important for the Italian economy. In terms of litres of wine produced, Italy makes much more low-cost, generic vino than quality DOP wines. However, quality wines account for three quarters of the sector by value.
The largest Italian wine denominations by production volume
On this page, you will find the most important Italian wine denominations. For each region, we have selected the largest denominations by their production volume. If you are interested in Italian wines, we hope you’ll find this information useful.
Key Wines of Piemonte
| Wine Type | Main Grape | Production, 75 cl bottles* |
|---|---|---|
| Asti DOCG | Moscato Bianco | 87,730,667 |
| Barbera d’Ast DOCG | Barbera | 20,073,200 |
| Gavi o Cortese di Gavi DOCG | Cortese | 11,839,307 |
| Barolo DOCG | Nebbiolo | 11,662,053 |
| Barbera d’Alba DOC | Barbera | 10,327,080 |
| Dolcetto d’Alba DOC | Dolcetto | 5,255,347 |
| Barbaresco DOCG | Nebbiolo | 3,834,853 |
| Barbera del Monferrato DOC | Barbera | 3,617,053 |
| Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC | Nebbiolo | 2,295,280 |
| Grignolino d’Asti DOC | Grignolino | 1,098,287 |
Key Wines of Lombardia
| Wine Type | Main Grape | Production, 75 cl bottles* |
|---|---|---|
| Bonarda dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC | Croatina | 19,351,733 |
| Franciacorta DOCG | Chardonnay | 17,900,933 |
| Lugana DOC (Lombardia)** | Turbiana (Trebbiano di Soave) | 8,535,653 |
| Valtellina Superiore DOCG | Nebbiolo | 1,659,427 |
| Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG | Pinot Nero | 436,969 |
Key Wines of Veneto
| Wine Type | Main Grape | Production, 75 cl bottles* |
|---|---|---|
| Prosecco DOC | Glera | 371,329,333 |
| Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG | Glera | 88,499,333 |
| Soave DOC | Garganega | 47,238,533 |
| Valpolicella DOC | Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella | 18,791,733 |
| Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG | Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella | 13,537,200 |
| Asolo-Prosecco DOCG | Glera | 12,341,840 |
| Lugana DOC (Veneto)* | Turbiana (Trebbiano di Soave) | 8,535,600 |
Key Wines of Alto Adige
| Wine Type | Main Grape | Production, 75 cl bottles* |
|---|---|---|
| Alto Adige DOC | Schiava | 7,281,185 |
| Alto Adige DOC | Pinot Grigio | 6,701,512 |
| Alto Adige DOC | Gewürztraminer | 4,650,431 |
| Alto Adige DOC | Weißburgunder (Pinot Bianco) | 4,510,497 |
| Alto Adige DOC | Lagrein | 4,368,283 |
| Alto Adige DOC | Pinot Noir | 3,181,063 |
Key Wines of Tuscany
| Wine Type | Main Grape | Production, 75 cl bottles* |
|---|---|---|
| Chianti DOCG | Sangiovese | 91,308,667 |
| Toscana IGT | Sangiovese | 80,594,800 |
| Chianti Classico DOCG | Sangiovese | 33,595,733 |
| Brunello di Montalcino DOCG | Sangiovese | 9,327,440 |
| Bolgheri DOC | Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot | 6,440,533 |
| Vino Noble de Montepulciano DOCG | Sangiovese | 6,065,147 |
| Maremma Toscana DOC | Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot | 5,871,547 |
| Rosso di Montalcino DOC | Sangiovese | 5,065,453 |
Key Wines of Marche
| Wine Type | Main Grape | Production, 75 cl bottles* |
|---|---|---|
| Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC | Verdicchio Bianco | 17,191,200 |
| Rosso Piceno / Piceno DOC | Montepulciano | 6,080,147 |
| Falerio DOC | Trebbiano Toscano, Pecorino, Passerina | 2,780,387 |
| Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva DOCG | Verdicchio Bianco | 184,801 |
Key Wines of Abruzzo
| Wine Type | Main Grape | Production, 75 cl bottles* |
|---|---|---|
| Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC | Montepulciano | 86,799,867 |
| Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC | Trebbiano Toscano, Trebbiano Abrruzzese, Bombino Bianco | 14,335,867 |
| Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC | Montepulciano | 8,040,467 |
| Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane DOCG | Montepulciano | 598,525 |
Key Wines of Umbria
| Wine Type | Main Grape | Production, 75 cl bottles* |
|---|---|---|
| Orvieto DOC | GRECHETTO B. | 10,376,133 |
| Montefalco DOC | Sagrantino | 2,603,827 |
| Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG | Sagrantino | 1,145,848 |
Key Wines of Campania
| Wine Type | Main Grape | Production, 75 cl bottles* |
|---|---|---|
| Sannio DOC | Aglianico | 6,112,507 |
| Falanghina del Sannio DOC | Falanghina | 5,248,920 |
| Greco di Tufo DOCG | Greco | 3,293,827 |
| Irpinia DOC | Aglianico | 2,270,987 |
| Fiano di Avellino DOCG | Fiano | 1,894,093 |
| Taurasi DOCG | Aglianico | 850,840 |
Key Wines of Puglia
| Wine Type | Main Grape | Production, 75 cl bottles* |
|---|---|---|
| Salento IGT | Negroamaro, Primitivo | 65,039,867 |
| Primitivo di Manduria DOC | Primitivo | 19,622,933 |
| Salice Salentino DOC | Negroamaro | 8,089,653 |
Key Wines of Basilicata
| Wine Type | Main Grape | Production, 75 cl bottles* |
|---|---|---|
| Aglianico del Vulture DOC | Aglianico | 2,205,867 |
Key Wines of Sardinia
| Wine Type | Main Grape | Production, 75 cl bottles* |
|---|---|---|
| Vermentino di Sardegna DOC | Vermentino | 13,163,920 |
| Cannonau di Sardegna DOC | Cannonau | 10,439,667 |
| Vermentino di Gallura DOCG | Vermentino | 4,135,960 |
| Monica di Sardegna DOC | Monica | 1,893,333 |
Key Wines of Sicilia
| Wine Type | Main Grape | Production, 75 cl bottles* |
|---|---|---|
| Sicilia DOC | Nero d’Avola, Grillo, Catarratto Bianco | 77,393,467 |
| Marsala DOC | Carricante, Catarratto Bianco, Grillo | 6,671,107 |
| Etna DOC | Carricante, Catarratto Bianco | 3,601,347 |
| Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG | Calabrese, Frappato | 809,461 |
Note:
* The number of 75cl bottles is an approximation, because some wine is sold in bulk or in other volumes, such as half-bottles or 1.5 litre magnums.
Production statistics for DOC, DOCG and IGT
Some regions of Italy produce more DOC, DOCG and IGT wines than others. Below, you can see the most productive Italian wine regions in terms of hectolitres produced each year.
| Region | Volume in hectolitres | % |
|---|---|---|
| Veneto | 7,631,000 | 31.03% |
| Emilia-Romagna | 2,609,390 | 10.61% |
| Toscana | 2,021,470 | 8.22% |
| Sicilia | 1,848,410 | 7.52% |
| Piemonte | 1,816,160 | 7.38% |
| Puglia | 1,746,890 | 7.10% |
| Friuli-Venezia Giulia | 1,718,220 | 6.99% |
| Abruzzo | 1,415,120 | 5.75% |
| Lombardia | 1,103,190 | 4.49% |
| Lazio | 476,080 | 1.94% |
| Marche | 451,610 | 1.84% |
| Trentino | 367,919 | 1.50% |
| Campania | 353,450 | 1.44% |
| Sardegna | 316,330 | 1.29% |
| Alto Adige | 289,588 | 1.18% |
| Umbria | 232,100 | 0.94% |
| Calabria | 77,340 | 0.31% |
| Basilicata | 43,280 | 0.18% |
| Liguria | 31,720 | 0.13% |
| Molise | 30,810 | 0.13% |
| Valle d’Aosta | 12,650 | 0.05% |
| Total, Italy | 24,592,728 | 100% |
Production for Alto Adige: Alto Adige DOC + Caldaro DOC
Production for Trentino: Trentino DOC + Trento DOC
Does not include Valdadige DOC shared between Veneto, Trentino and Alto Adige
Sources:
1. Ministero delle politiche agricole alimentari e forestali, Catalogo Nazionale Delle Varietà di vite