Italian wine labels

When you don't know what to look for, entering a wine store can be like that scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade... you know near the end where he has to pick out the Holy Grail. Luckily, if you pick a bad bottle of wine you won't turn to dust as a 900 year old knight says, "He chose... poorly." That being said, here are some basics to help you decipher Italian wine labels. 

The first thing you need to know is how Italy classifies its wines. As it is with many major wine producing countries, the Italian government regulates and certifies its wines. The criteria considered include where the grapes are grown, what grapes go into the wine, and what methods are used to make the wine.

There are three levels of classification (or appellation): 

DOC - Denominazione di Origine Controllata - These wines are produced in a specific region using a defined method and meet quality standards.

DOCG - Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita - In addition to meeting DOC requirements, these wines have been determined by tasting to exceed standards. 

IGT - Indicazione Geografica Tipca - These are wines that do not meet one or all of the DOC standards.

While these classifications can be helpful when blindly picking a bottle of Italian wine, they do not by any means guarantee a great bottle. In the case of IGT wines, there are many that do not qualify for DOC certification simply because the wine maker has developed alternative blends and methods that they think produce a better or more unique wine. In the end, you just have to give it all a try.

One you've got the classifications figured out, get to know your map of Italy. A little basic geographic knowledge will help you figure out where your wine is coming from. If you are researching a wine, also check out where it was produced on a relief map. All of this is important because the climate and geography in which the grapes were grown have a direct impact on how a wine ends up tasting. 

If you REALLY want to learn about Italian wine, we recommend picking up Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy by Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch. In addition to being perhaps the most detailed single source of information on the subject, it also contains a great chapter about how to read Italian wine labels.

FAQ

What blog is complete with out some Frequently Answered Questions? The truth is, no one actually asked us these questions, and thusly they cannot have possibly been asked with any sort of frequency. Nonetheless, they are questions... and we have answers.

Can you recommend a nice Strawberry Zinfandel?

Actually no, no we cannot. The truth is (and thanks for asking), we primarily drink Italian wine. Its not that we don't like wines that aren't from Italy, and in fact we do plan on sharing some of our favorites from other lands, its just we REALLY like Italian wine. Italy has so much to offer and we have so much to learn, so we have chosen to primarily focus our libations on Italian wines.

I really just like cheap wine, what do you recommend in the under $5 range?

We at The Vintage Knows share your affection for cheap wine; though, with one distinction, that it is cheap in cost but not cheap in quality. You can find a good "cheap" bottle of wine for around $10-$20 (occasionally even a little less than that), but we implore you to up your minimum a few dollars and seek out a wine that you can really enjoy.

A wine blog, eh?

We are just two guys who happen to like wine. We aren't rich and we try not to be snobby, but wine just tastes good. Our initial motivation was to create a database for the research we do on the wines we like. Our more valiant motivation is to help other people explore wine in a simple and enjoyable way. 

I'm lost, where can I get these wines?

Whenever we can, we try to include a link to where we purchased the wine in question. Often, you will find, that link will lead you to our favorite shop (Italian Wine Merchants) here in New York City. This site is a great resource for learning about and ordering Italian wine. From time to time, we also showcase some of our other favorite local wine shops; though, we always try and include information on broader availability. Please let us know if you need help finding one of the wines we've reviewed.

I have 2 bottles to drink, which one should I drink first?

A bit of a lush, aren't you? That's a good question, and one we have often answered incorrectly through our actions. Imagine the following - You get home, you've got a great bottle of wine to drink, you pop the cork and dive in. The bottle is empty, but your thirst has yet to be satiated, so you grab a dusty bottle you picked up the other day for $7 at the corner wine shop... It tastes terrible. You don't remember it being so bad. What's the deal? - Always warm up with the cheaper wine! If you start with good stuff, you'll always be a bit disgusted by the cheaper stuff. However, if you are bent on consuming an excessive quantity of wine in one sitting, don't leave the good stuff for last... you'll be too drunk to taste it.

Any other questions? Leave a comment.

BEHOLD! A rating system.

"And the Lord sayeth to them: Drink wine, and describe it in a way that pleaseth me."

I give you... THE VERDICT

No, this isn't an episode of Law & Order. Seriously, though, what does 85 points mean anyway? We don't know. So rather than come up with some new and unimproved rating system, we are going to keep things simple. 

Wines are separated into 3 categories based on price; they are then given a thumbs up or thumbs down accordingly. Here's the break down:

under $20 - GOOD AND CHEAP or TASTES CHEAP

$20 to $50 - GREAT VALUE or NOT A VALUE

$50 and up - SHELL OUT or SIT OUT

This makes it easy to find a wine that has a positive review and fits your budget.

Now, get on with it. Drink up and be somebody.