Italy | Italian Natural Wine

Italy boasts an incredible range of grape varieties. Because the climate varies considerably between different regions, as well as the terrain (think mountains, dormant/active volcanoes, sea, hills, and plains), Italian wines have a huge range of styles and flavour profiles. Cooler climates in the north are known for their fresher wines - these are higher in acidity, and show tart fruit, and herbal notes. Generally the further south the wine is from, the less acidic with tastes of sweeter, riper fruit.

In northwestern Piedmont (bordering France and Switzerland), Barbera is the most planted grape variety, though cultivation of the Nebbiolo grape produces two of the most well-known Italian wines, Barolo and Barbaresco. In the northeast, the Friuli region is known for some of the finest orange wines in the world - among them Radikon.

Sicily, Italy’s most southern region, is known for aromatic and juicy grape varieties such as Nerrello Mascalese, Nero d’Avola, Grillo, and Zibbibo. Due to ample hills and mountains on the island (including Mount Etna), Sicilian wine has a freshness and elegance that sets it apart from other southern warm-climate wines. Until recently, Sicilian wine was a write-off seen only for bulk wine exports used for blending in France and Spain - now their terroir and focus on quality is really paying off and wines can command a much higher price than 30 years ago.