Collection: Italy

Italy accounts for around a quarter of the world's total wine production, and the country has been growing wine for at least 4,000 years. Vines are found in practically every region, and it is precisely this geographic breadth that makes Italy one of the most diverse wine countries of all. Here you will encounter everything from fresh, light everyday wines to big, age-worthy red wines, often based on the country's many indigenous grape varieties.

At Copenhagen Wine the weight lies in Toscana, home to the characterful Sangiovese. From here we also carry a broad selection from Piemonte, where Nebbiolo sets the agenda. We also carry wines from Valle d'Aosta, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sicilien, Campania, Umbrien and Lombardiet, so you can move from the cooler alpine valleys in the north to the sunny south and the islands.

The Italian classification system helps you find your bearings. DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) was introduced in 1963, but the original scheme rewarded high yields, and in the early 1980s several of the country's most acclaimed wines were sold as vini da tavola. In February 1992 Goria's Law (Law 164) replaced the old scheme and introduced the IGT category (Indicazioni Geografiche Tipiche) as an intermediate step between DOC and vini da tavola. Today there are 309 DOCs, 30 DOCGs and 118 IGTs, where DOCG status requires a longer documented track record as well as recognition both at home and abroad.

Italy is also a rich country for mousserende vin. More than 100 DOCs contain an optional spumante clause, and the styles span widely: dry, off-dry, sweet, passito, frizzante and spumante. In 1995 Franciacorta became the first Italian appellation to require bottle fermentation according to the traditional method, while most other sparkling appellations use the tank method (cuve close).

Whether you are looking for a structured red wine to go with food or a fresh everyday wine, you will find here a good starting point for exploring Italian wine region by region.