Learn more about Italian wine with a map of the wine regions of Italy

Every region of Italy promotes its own wine names, yielding almost 300 DOC wine districts. Despite so many distinct zones, a map of the wine regions of Italy readily shows the country divided into three distinct areas: the north; Tuscany and central Italy; and the south and islands.

The northern region covers a range of wine districts, mostly in the foothills of the Apennines and Alps, making red and, most notably, white wines. This region includes the Barolo and Barbaresco wines of Piedmont, as well as the wines of Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Veneto. In general, foreign styles of wine, particularly German and French, and varieties of grapes have a more noticeable influence here than in the rest of the country.

The central region includes the districts in and around Tuscany, and extends to Umbria, the Marches, and Abruzzo. The Chianti vineyards of Tuscany are by far the foremost quality wine-producing region of Italy, but in recent years the winemakers of Umbria and east of the Apennines have made dynamic changes. Consequently, there has been much improvement in the Sangiovese and Trebbiano wines from this region.

In the southern region, the islands of Sicily and Sardinia as well as the southern part of the mainland--most notably Apulia--continue to follow the ancient Mediterranean wine traditions. The wines produced here are very strong and sweet; they are predominantly reds, as well as some types unique to the area, such as marsala. Although the wines here suffered from overproduction in the past, lately there has been a great effort towards production of quality wines.

How to Sew a Wine Bottle Bag
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