Vineyards for Sale in Italy

Vineyards in Italy

Italy was one of the first places in the world to make wine and it is the world’s largest producer of wine by volume. The winemaking tradition is incredibly important in Italy, and there are currently over one million active vineyards in the country. Because of this, tourists flock to Italy for wine-tasting vacations, particularly to the country’s more well known wine regions.

Italian Red Wine Grape Varieties

While there are many kinds of red wine grapes grown in Italy, a few grapes get the lion’s share of attention. These grapes are grown extensively throughout the county, though the grapes’ region defines the particular characteristics of its wine.

• Sangiovese

  grapes are native to Italy and are the most common red wine grape variety in Italian vineyards. Sanviovese is particularly popular in Umbria and Tuscany, wine-producing regions in central Italy. Sangiovese is often blended and used in several kinds of wines, notably Chianti and Montepulciano. Winemakers often choose to blend it with Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.

• Barbera

  grapes are grown across Italy, but the best Barbera wines come from Piedmont. Barbera wines are unusually refreshing for red wines, as they have almost no tannin.

• Aglianico

  grapes are grown in Italy’s Basilicata and Campania regions in southern Italy. The grapes are used in Aglianico el Vulture wine in Basilicata and Taurasi wine in Campania. It is one of Italy’s most well-regarded red wine varieties.

• Nebbiolo

  grapes are grown extensively in Italy’s Piedmont region. Nebbiolo grapes are native to Italy and are used in Barbaresco and Barolo wines.  Nebbiolo wines tend to be acidic and full-bodied, though the color isn’t as intense as you might imagine. Nebbiolo wines can have a range of notes depending on the region in which the grapes were grown.

Italian White Wine Grape Varieties

Italian soil is ideal for growing wine grapes, and dozens of white wine varieties thrive across the country. Some of Italy’s white wine grape varieties are better known than others. Here are some of Italy’s most commonly grown white wine grapes:

• Pinot Grigio (known as Pinot Gris in France) is primarily grown in northeastern Italy where the climate is closest to that of the grape’s native France. Pinot Grigio wines are tremendously successful commercially. They tend to be light-bodied and acidic.

• Vernaccia wines are high in acid with a light to medium body. They are primarily grown in Tuscany and Sardinia, although the Vernaccia grapes grown in each region have different characteristics.

• Trebbiano (known as Ugni Blanc in France) is the most common variety of white wine grapes in Italy. However, Trebbiano grapes are not known for creating particularly complex or flavorful wines on their own, and are typically blended with other grapes. Trebbiano wines tend to be dry and acidic, so they pair well with spicy food.

• Verdicchio wine grapes are grown extensively on the Adriatic coast. Verdicchio grapes produce medium-bodied, acidic wines with more complexity than Trebbiano wines.

• Tocai Friulano grapes are the most commonly grown grapes in Italty’s Friulano region. These grapes make more complex, flavorful wines than the typical Italian white. Tacai Friulana might be related to Sauvignon Vert.

Italian Wine Regions

Italy has 350 officially recognized wine varieties grown in 20 different wine regions. The cuisine of each region has developed to complement wines made from grapes native to that region. Though table wine is produced across the country, the most high quality drinking wines are concentrated in these three regions:

• Tuscany is a wine region located in central Italy. It is best known for its red wines – particularly in its Chianti region, where the best Sangiovese grapes are grown. Trebbiano and Vermentino, two white wine grapes, are also widely grown in Tuscany.

• The Piedmont region of Italy borders France and Switzerland. It is best known for its high quality Nebbiolo grapes.

• The Veneto region in northeastern Italy is known for making high quality red wine blends. Their most famous red blend is called Amarone della Valpolicello, which is made from Rondinella, Corvina, and Molinara grapes. The region also has a rich white wine called Soave that’s similar to Chardonnay.