So Many Italian Grapes!
Italy has always been revered for its food and beverage quality. It’s common knowledge that some of the greatest recipes in the world for the tastiest foods, like pasta, tomato sauce, and many desserts, can be found in the country of Italy and passed down for generations. Their wine industry is at the top of the list, right up there with France and Spain, as one of the capitals of red wine.
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What most people don’t know is just how many Italian grape varietals there are. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Italy has authorized over 350 different grape varieties but there are over 500 different kinds of grapes in circulation within the country. In comparison, almost 100% of France’s wine only comes from about 60 different grapes.
Here are the top ten most planted grapes in all of Italy:
- Sangiovese
- Pinot Grigio
- Trebbiano
- Glera
- Montepulciano
- Catarratto
- Merlot
- Chardonnay
- Primitivo
- Barbera
How many of those have you ever heard of? And that’s just the top ten! Italy has hundreds more grapes that are planted in their 20 distinct wine regions. You’ll notice that there are some common ones, like Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, which you may not have expected. Many of the Old World wine regions keep the noble grapes in their vineyards to help with blends. Not every bottle of wine is a single varietal!
