Understanding Italy's Wine Designations from VdP, IGT, DOC to DOCG

Although I love highlighting Italy’s indigenous grapes, wine regions, and producers I think it’s also good to take a step back from time to time and highlight some of the basics in understanding Italian wine.   

Italy is home to over 2,000 native grape varieties with about 400-500 of them being actively being commercially produced.  It’s always a challenge to understand wine labels, especially ones that you’re not too familiar with when it comes to the land, the grapes, nor the language. Let’s break down one of those barriers today in understanding the 4 classifications or designations of Italian wine, VdT, IGT, DOC, and DOCG. 

Sourced from Federdoc

What do Italy's wine classifications mean? 

It’s important when looking at wine labels to understand the many different elements listed on the label that will help you understand more about what is in the bottle.  One of the main components of understanding Italian wine labels is understanding where the wine is from and what grapes were used in producing the wine.  Much of this can be understood depending on which Italian designation is listed that will provide more information. 

The Italian wine classification system was modeled after France’s AOC wine classification system.  With each designation listed, it helps the consumer to have certain expectations about the quality of the wine.  Depending on the classification you will understand more about the grapes permitted, the alcohol level, the territory, aging requirements, yields, and the production methods in which the wine was made.  Not every designation requires all of these elements, but the higher up the pyramid the wine climbs, the stricter the regulations. 

The differences between VdT, IGT, DOC and DOCG on Italian wine labels

As previously mentioned, Italy has 4 wine classifications: 

• VdT – previously known as vino da tavola  
•  IGT – Indicazione Geografica Tipica 
•  DOC – Denominazione di Origine Controllata 
•  DOCG – Denominazione di Origine Controllata Garantita 

Let’s take a further look at each of the Italian wine classifications. 

Vino da Tavola – VdT wines 

The VdT, or vino da tavola, classification is a catch-all for all the Italian wines that don’t qualify into the other classifications.  The wines produced in this category can come from anywhere within Italy so they don’t represent a particular identity of a winemaking region.  It’s your basic table wine and is considered the lowest quality level when we look at the overall pyramid of Italy wine designations. 

IGT wine designation

The next step up in quality would be the IGT wines.  Although, you can’t judge all these wines by their designation only.  Some of Italy’s top fine wines including Tignanello are actually IGT wines.  The reason for this is because some wine producers want flexibility to experiment and make wines the way they want to make them.  Unfortunately, with such strict regulations the higher you climb in the Italian wine pyramid of classifications it doesn’t allow some of these producers to make wines in such a way.   

The IGT designation was created in 1992 with over 120 IGT classifications found throughout Italy.  Today you may also see these wines labelled PGI, Protected Geographical Indication.  Typically, IGT wines will come from a region or particular area within the region that you will find on the label, but on a broader scale.   

As you'll see this particular wine is in the Colline Teatine of Abruzzo

DOC wine designation

The DOC designation was created in 1963.  Can you guess what was the first DOC Italian wine created?  If you’re familiar with the medieval tower filled town of San Gimignano in Tuscany and have tried their white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, then you tasted Italy’s first DOC granted wine, along with Frascati and wines from Ischia.  Today there are over 330 DOC Italian wines.   

These wines, along with the wines under the DOCG, must adhere to strict guidelines in comparison to the VdT and IGT designations.  To be labeled as a DOC and DOCG, these wines require certain percentages of grape varieties, aging requirements, alcohol levels, grape yields, and specific territories in which the grapes are grown and produced.  Every DOC has different requirements so you must look up that particular DOC to understand their regulations. 

DOCG wine designation 

Topping the Italian wine pyramid is the DOCG designation.  The wines labeled with the DOCG status are considered the highest quality Italian wines per the name, Denominazione di Origine Controllata Garantita, where these wines are guaranteed for their quality. To qualify with the DOCG designation the wines must be analyzed and taste tested by the government.   The DOCG wines show a sense of identity for the terroirs in which they grow.    

Vernaccia now as a DOCG

Established in 1980, many of Italy’s great Italian wines fall under this category including the first two wine appellations that were granted the Italian DOCG designation, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano in the Tuscan wine region.  The appellation must have been a DOC for at least 10 years.  Today there are about 77 DOCGs with the regions of Tuscany, Piedmont, and the Veneto leading the pack with the most DOCGs. 

Both the DOC and DOCG wines have a unique label wrapped around the neck of the bottle that contain a serial number from their production.  As of the European reform of 2008, both of these designations fall under the protected class of authenticity, DOP, or Denominazione d’Origine Protetta.  You will also see many authentic Italian foods with the DOP label that have been certified by the European Union. 

Use these designations as a guide for quality, especially with the DOC and DOCG wines, but understand there may be some hidden gems in the IGT category.  Drink what you like!

Also, in support of Vino Travels, if you plan to purchase wines I may receive commissions if any wines are purchased directly from Wine.com.

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Shrimp Scampi Pizza Paired with Masciarelli Montepulciano Rosé

If you haven’t discovered Italy’s many styles of rosé wines what are you waiting for?  If you have yet to jump on the rosé bus then there is no better time than the present.  You can find many Italian rosé wines from northern to southern Italy utilizing a variety of native grapes.  Today’s rosé feature will be based on the Montepulciano grape, Abruzzo’s signature red grape, from Tenuta Agricole Masciarelli.   With Valentine’s Day right around the corner the enticing pink hues and flavor profile of Abruzzo’s rosé will be sure to please yourself or that special loved one in your life.

Montepulciano rosé 

For those of us that are regular rosé drinkers or Italian wine lovers at that, if you’ve had the opportunity to drink rosé in Abruzzo you’ve probably had Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo.  Although, this wine I’m sharing today doesn’t fall under the Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC.  It Is part of the Colline Teatine IGT.  Per winesearcher, the name Teatine is believed to be named after Teate, which was the name for Chieti in Roman times.   The Colline Teatine IGT was created in 1995 and covers the hilly terroir around Chieti.  Here the hills meet the foothills of the Central Apennines as well as the Maiella Mountains.  The cooling breezes from the mountain range along with its close proximity to the Adriatic Sea is what creates ideal conditions with its Mediterranean climate. 

Montepulciano not only makes great red wines, but rosé wines as well.  Even though Montepulciano I think really claims its home in the Abruzzo region, you can also find Montepulciano produced throughout several other regions in Italy.  It tops the charts for Italian grapes produced throughout the country.   The Montepulciano grape has thick skins that creates wines with deep colors and concentration and is part of the reason it does well as a rosé.  This grape needs a long growing season to reach its full maturity.  You’ll see a variety of colors in rosé wines made from Montepulciano based on the producer and how long they choose to macerate the skins with the juice, although not much time is really needed before it imparts its rich colors and flavors. 

The Wine

I’m not going to dig into the Masciarelli estate much today as I have featured them previously as I shared Montepulciano wines from around Abruzzo .  The 2022 Masciarelli Rosato Colline Teatine IGT that I’m featuring today is made from 85% Montepulciano grapes and up to 15% other red grapes.  Masciarelli has been making this wine along with their Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo since 1981 from the owner, Gianni Masciarelli’s, original 12 acres at his home vineyard.

The free-run must is fermented in stainless steel to preserve the freshness in this wine along with its acidity.  The grapes are sourced from 3 of Masciarelli’s vineyard sites around the area of Chieti in the Bucchianico, Martino sull Marrucina and Ripa Teatina vineyards mostly made up of calcareous clay. 

The 2022 Masciarelli Rosato Colline Teatine IGT was a beautiful salmon color in the glass.  Fresh on the nose with aromas of wild strawberries.  Simple and delicate on the palate, but refreshing acidity with notes of slightly tart strawberries. 

If you’re looking for an introduction to Italian rosé without dropping too much on a bottle, this is a satisfying and easy-drinking wine priced at $15 a bottle.  Plus, it has a screw cap for easy accessibility. 

Montepulciano Wine Pairing

After tasting this wine I could see its versatility with a variety of dishes, but I chose to make a white pizza of shrimp scampi.  It’s been a long time since I’ve made a white pizza.  As a child, I grew up with my mom making pizzas on Friday nights, usually your typical cheese, but as I grew I got to appreciate a white pizza as well. Although, my two young boys looked at me funny when I took this one out of the oven and then proceeded to tell them it had shrimp on it.  They’ll learn.

It was rather simple to put together.  I cooked the shrimp first in oil, garlic, butter, and salt making sure there was enough use as the sauce in prepping the pizza.  I put the dough into the oven first for about 4-5 minutes before putting the toppings on.   I brushed the garlic butter sauce from cooking the shrimp on top of the pizza with some parsley and topped it with shrimp I chopped up along with mozzarella cheese.  I cooked it an additional 8-10 minutes and it came out perfect!  Plus, the Masciarelli Rosato pairing couldn’t have balanced any better with the flavors in the pizza.  It had a nicely matched body of the wine in comparison with the shrimp scampi pizza and complimentary flavors. 

If you’re looking for casual and easy preparation this Valentine’s Day without skimping on satisfaction this may be the pairing to try.

This month I'm joining the Wine Pairing Weekend group as we chat about rosé wines and suggested pairings.  Follow my fellow wine writer friends as they share a wide variety of pairings.

• A Dozen Rosés for Valentines and Galentines Part 1: 6 Old World Wines + Croque Monsieur and Part 2: 6 CA Wines + Monte Cristo Sandwiches by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
• Is Pink Wine the New Winter White? by My Full Wine Glass
• Kimchi Spaghetti with Black Girl Magic Rosé by Cooking Chat
• Marry Me Chicken and Cantina Zaccagnini Il Vino Dal Tralcetto Rose; A Perfect Pairing for your Valentine by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pink Pét-Nats from Around the World with Some Loved Up Bites by Culinary Cam
• Please Be Vine, Rosé Bubbles! by The Quirky Cork
• Rose-shaped pasta and Rosé! by Crushed Grape Chronicles
• Salmon en Papillote with Coopers Hawk Katie Lee Biegel Rosé by Our Good Life

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*This wine was provided as a sample, but opinions are always my own.

 

Importer on the label: Vintus

Slow Cooked Brisket Pairing with Bulichella Wines of Suvereto

Over the past few months I’ve been highlighting some of the wines of southern Tuscany highlighting some of the differences of those from the more northernly neighbors in Tuscany.  This week we’re exploring the area of Suvereto checking out the Bulichella winery and their “super Tuscan” style wines.

The southern Tuscany region

Suvereto is said to be the “borghi piu belli di Italia”, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, based in the Livorno province of Tuscany about 50 miles southwest out of Florence bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea.  This area is considered the Maremma, which you may recall me talking about some weeks back.  It’s situated between the hills and the sea, also known as the Etruscan coast, “costa degli Etruschi”. 

Suvereto is in the Val di Cornia which is full of forests and a variety of trees, especially the cork trees from which it takes its name, sughero translating to corks.  Records show that back in 973 the area was known as Suberetum and in local dialect, Sughereto.  It’s no wonder this area is full of craftsmen including carpenters and cork workers. 

The closest I have come to visit this area is the nearby island of Elba right off the coast.  The area surrounding Suvereto is full of wonderful outdoor activities including walking and biking trails as well as thermals baths.  Multiple festivals take place throughout the year including the “Calici di Stelle”, the chalice of the stars, that takes place in mid-August.  There is also the Sagra del Cinghiale, the wild boar festival, held the first week of December.   

The winery – Bulichella

I’ve mostly always written about the decades or centuries of traditions within wineries that families have passed down from generation to generation.  Today, the story behind Bulichella is different.  Owner Hideyuki Miyakawa first ventured to Italy in 1960 from Japan during the Olympics with some friends.  To earn more money during his travels he became a correspondent covering the car show in Turin, where he happened to meet his future wife, Maria Luisa Bassana, that he married 2 years later in 1962. 

Hideyuki Miyakawa

Hideyuki established strong relationship with prominent figures in the car design industry where he later became partner in 1968 to the company Italystyling that is now known as ItalDesign.  He also became a large influence in exporting the Italian car design to his home country of Japan, which earned him in 2007 the award and honor of Grand Officer Order of Merit of Italian Republic by the President at the time, Giorgio Napolitano.

Hideyuki Miyakawa

The clay mineral rich soils of the surrounding land along with the maritime climate create ideal conditions for making quality wine.  The vineyards are well ventilated from the breeze off the sea.  The Maremma territory is known for their “super Tuscan” style wines, which are Bordeaux based wines primarily made of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot that show great balance and elegance.  They don’t conform to Tuscany’s regulations and the rules of its northernly neighbors so winemakers have branched out experimenting with how they would like to produce wines without the restrictions. 

Soils of Montepeloso

Some of Italy’s top wines hail from the Maremma.  Point proven that it isn’t always about the designation that one label bears, but rather the quality within the bottle.  Personally I’ve always been hesitant when I see wines marketed in the US as “super tuscans” as I feel many have used this as a marketing technique, but you decide.   

For a couple of the wines that I’m sharing from Bulichella, these wines fall under the Suvereto DOCG that was established in 2011 in which Hideyuki played a large role in getting established when he was the prior President of the Val di Cornia DOC Wine Consortium.  This area had previously fallen under the Val di Cornia DOC.  You may find wines produced there as single varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese or blended with at least 85% minimum of one of the grapes.

Bulichella was one of the first organic estates in Tuscany and is ICEA Organic certified throughout their entire production chain including their photovoltaic system.  Today their estate is comprised of about 103 acres of which 35 acres are vineyards and 25 are olive groves. 

The Wines

I sampled 4 wines from the Bulichella winery mostly made of blends with one based 100% on the Syrah grape.  I’m not a huge fan of oak usage, primarily newer oak, but what stood out to me about these wines was their elegance.  My favorite of the bunch was the Montecristo, but I tend to prefer Merlot and with a blend dominated by Merlot that took my preferable spot.

The 2020 Bulichella Rubino Costa Toscana Rosso IGT was made of 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 14% Petit Verdot.  This wine was fermented in stainless steel, macerated for 8 days.  It was matured in stainless steel and spent 6 months in 3^rd and 4^th usage of French oak.  This was an enjoyable every day wine.  Transparent ruby colored with sweet cherries with a hint of licorice on the nose.  Medium bodied, but on the lighter end of the scale, with fresh acidity, red fruits and savory notes.  A nice silkiness on the palate, light on the tannin with a lingering finish.  ABV 14%

The 2018 Bulichella Hide Syrah Costa Toscana Syrah IGT is made of 100% Syrah.  This wine had spontaneous fermentation in French oak with 25 days maceration.  Aged for 18 months in 100% new French oak barriques and tonneaux plus an additional 6 months in the bottle.  Transparent ruby colored with ripe, sweet red fruits with a hint of white pepper.  Medium to fuller bodied with juicy acidity.  Blackberry fruits with smoky notes.  Smooth tannin with cedar towards the finish that was lengthy.  ABV 14.5%

The 2018 Bulichella Montecristo Suvereto DOCG Rosso is made of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon (old vines) and 10% Petit Verdot.  This was was fermented in stainless steel with 24 days maceration.  Aged 22 months in 100% new French oak barriques and 6 months in the bottle.  More intense and deeper ruby in color than the prior wines.  Bold aromas of ripe cherry and cocoa with a touch of balsamic.  Full-bodied with mouthwatering acidity up front upon opening.  Plush red fruits and black currants. Fine, elegant tannin with a lengthy finish. ABV 14.5%

The 2018 Bulichella Coldipietrerosse Suvereto DOCG is made of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20%Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Fermented in stainless steel with 25-30 day maceration.  Aged 18 months in 50% new French oak barrique and 6 months in the bottle.  Transparency ruby colored with notes of cassis on the nose.  Medium bodied with nice brightness and freshness that I wasn’t expecting.  With a 15% alcohol level I found it to be rather balanced.  Dark fruits with notes of tobacco and polished tannins.  

Wine Pairing

One of my favorite dishes when in Tuscany is eating wild boar.  I was intrigued to discover that Suvereto has a wild boar festival.  Although I didn't prepare wild boar to taste with these wines I used the brisket that we bought from our local farm and cooked it in the slow cooker for about 7-8 hours for a quick, but delicious meal.  I browned the brisket first on both sides for 2-3 minutes for added flavor and set it on low with some water and wine (of course) along with garlic, onions and varied seasonings to include bay leaves, salt and pepper.  Once the brisket was done I pulled it out and added some corn starch to the remaining juice to thicken the sauce.  I added the brisket back in once the sauce thickened and shredded the brisket upon removing much of the fat.  

I have to say all these wines paired just lovely with this dish.  Between the complexities of the flavors and fat in the meat matched to the flavors in these wines with their fruit, acidity and tannin  made for a delightful pairing.    

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*These wines were provided as samples, but opinions are my own.