Wines of Italy

In Italy, Etruscans and Latins were already cultivating vines. When the Greeks established their colonies here, they gave part of the territory the name Œnotria, meaning "the land of wine". By the end of the Roman Empire, the area planted with vines was already considerable, thanks in particular to the land given to veterans and the authorization to plant grape varieties. 

Viticulture was subsequently maintained at a high level of production, thanks in particular to the monasteries, and expanded rapidly in the 19th century. As throughout Europe, phylloxera wreaked havoc on Italian vineyards. The wars and crises of the 20th century changed the economics of winegrowing, with production exported in large quantities, no doubt to the detriment of quality. For a long time, this change was detrimental to the most demanding Italian producers, whose know-how ensured a level of excellence that is now increasingly recognized. 

Since 1992, Italian quality wines have been usefully protected by an effective appellation system (in particular Denominazioni di Origine Controllata - D.O.C.- and Denominazioni di Origine Controllata e Garantita - D.O.C.G.-, which account for around 20% of total production), as in the case of BaroloMonferratoChianti and Moscato d'Asti.