Italy, the ancestral land known for producing great wines, has been cultivating vines since antiquity. More than 4,000 years ago, men lived on these great soils and pressed wild grapes to obtain fermented juice. The country's early stages of wine-growing were later bolstered by the Greeks, who called the country "oenotria", or "the land of wine". The Etruscans and the Romans then elevated the illustrious reputation of Italian wines.
Today, Italian wines are among the greatest in the world due to the country's long and uninterrupted wine-making history and the exceptional terroirs that it comprises. As one of the world's largest wine producing, consuming and exporting nations, the surface area of Italy's vineyards is particularly impressive and its wine regions are very diverse.
Boasting 533 appellations (DOCG, DOC and IGT, known as Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita and Indicazione Geografica Tipica in Italian) that spread over almost 690,000 hectares, the area of its vineyards makes up for around 9% of the world's vineyard surface area.
The appellations extend throughout the territory, from North to South, from East to West, including red and white wines such as the wines of Piedmont or Tuscany. There are over 400 different grape varieties, including emblematic indigenous varieties such as Nebbiolo and Sangiovese.
Italy is also known for having greatly developed the cultivation of international grape varieties such as the typical Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These grapes perfectly showcase their sublime expressions through the illustrious Super Tuscan wines.
Throughout the rest of Italy, the encounter between an age-old know-how and great lands gives rise to fine wines whose names are synonymous with refinement, elegance and authenticity. Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico, to name but a few, embody the quintessence of Italian finesse.
The quality of Italian wines is such that they have earned a place among the best wines in the world, making Italy a legendary region in the collective mind.