Stories of the wine-growing countries · Italy

Italian wines

The whole of Europe owes thanks to the Romans, who spread viticulture across the continent. To this day, Italy remains the quintessential wine country.

Italy grows wine on more than 900,000 hectares and produces over 60 million hectolitres per year: world-leading figures. The regulations permit 400 grape varieties, but in fact more than 1000 varieties grow in the country: each region cultivates its own special wines, from South Tyrol to Sicily.

Vineyard area: over 900,000 ha
Production: over 60 million hectolitres per year
Grape varieties: 400 permitted, over 1000 in practice
Ancient name: «Oenotria», land of wine

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The history of wine in Italy

No precise date can be given for the beginning of viticulture in what is now Italy. Finds show, however, that the vine was already known in prehistoric times. Greek colonists recognised early on that Sicily and Calabria were ideal growing areas and named the region «Oenotria»: land of wine.

The rise of the Romans to world power led to the spread of viticulture throughout Europe; demand for quality wines grew, and the wine trade was born. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, wine was produced mainly for personal use. It is thanks to the monasteries that knowledge of wine and the vine was not lost.

In the 19th century, most of the vines fell victim to phylloxera. Production could only resume once resistant American rootstocks became available. After the Second World War, Italy passed new laws on controlled designations of origin, and Italian wine returned to its former popularity.

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Winegrowing today

Wine is grown on more than 900,000 hectares. Viticulture is an important economic factor. The differing climatic conditions and soil types of the regions account for the well-known diversity, from alpine South Tyrol via Tuscany to Mediterranean Apulia.

03/Grape varieties