The 3 Most Popular Italian Wines and What To Drink Them With

Italy is renowned for its wines, and winemaking is a centuries old tradition that has never died out. That ideal combination of climate, quality ingredients, and master craftsmanship has cemented Italy at the top of the wine list. It is currently the country that produces the most, corking over 7 billion bottles in 2020 alone! But with all those options, it can be hard to know which wine to choose. That’s why we’ve rounded up a selection of some of the most popular Italian wines, so next time you’re browsing in the supermarket, you’ll know just what to pick! There are also lots of very good restaurants out there like Grapevine Shoreditch, an Italian Restaurant which offers very nice and authentic pasta dishes and Italian Wine.

Red or white is normally dictated by what dish you’re pairing your wine with, or your personal taste, but Italy produces more red than white wine, at a 53/47 percent split. The top-rated wines in Italy are all reds, and here they are!

The Top Three

• Barolo

Barolo wine is made from Nebbiolo grapes. These grapes are small with a thin skin, and they tend to be high in acid and tannins. The bitter note that these grapes produce becomes subtler as the wine ages, which it must do for at least 38 months, and then a following 18 months more in wooden barrels. This qualifies Barolo wines for the ‘Riserva’ label; meaning it has been aged in a cellar for at least five years. Classified as a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garanita, the highest qualification of Italian wines, Barolo’s are a minimum 13 percent alcohol, and are well-loved for their bright, acidic notes, and aromas of rose, tar and dried herbs. Pairs well with steak and strong cheeses.

• Primitvo

The grapes of the Primitivo variety were recently discovered to be genetically identical to those of the California Zinfandel, though this does not mean the two wines are anything alike. Both grapes originate from a common ancestor, the Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski. However, the Apulia region of Italy, where the Primitivo grapes are cultivated, has altered the fruit through natural factors. The wine itself is dark and rustic wine, rich with powerful tannins that mellow the acidity with aging. Younger styles offer a fruiter bouquet, heavy with the essence of cherries, plums, and blackberries, while the aged varieties take on notes of tobacco, cocoa, and spices. It pairs well with lamb, game, and aged cheeses.

• Sangiovese

The red grapes that makeup wines such as Chianti or Montepulciano hail from the Tuscany region of Italy. While Tuscany produces many a well-known bottle of wine, it is those with the high percentages of Sangiovese grapes that stay on the shopping lists. Packing a rich savoury base note, loaded with black cherry, cocoa, and a complex star anise finishing note. Often described as perfectly balanced in terms of flavour profile, this award-winning grape pairs will with a range of dishes: everything from pasta and pizza, to charcuterie and cheese.