With more than a thousand years of winemaking experience, Italy continues to aspire to produce some of the world’s best wines. Beginning in the 1960s, a comprehensive, nation-wide programme was drawn out to regulate the entire sector. Today Italian wines can be classified according to the following classifications.
DOCG: in 1980, Italian authorities established a superior classification of DOC wines. The initial batch of Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) wines consisted of only five types – Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Chianti, all Tuscan, Barolo and Barbaresco wines. The five wines are derived primarily from two native grape varieties, Neblliolo for Barolo and Barbaresco, and Sangiovese for the three others. Apart from Brunello, the other four wines had been produced in Italy for centuries, and have thus firmly established their reputations amongst connoisseurs. Today a total of 24 wines have been awarded the prestigious DOCG status. A DOCG wine must meet standards much stricter than those set for DOC wines. The main differentiating factor is the lower yields imposed by DOCG rules; in reducing output, this provision prompts winemakers to place all emphasis on the quality of their produce, hence resulting in vastly superior wines in this category. The rules set for DOCG wines also require in-depth chemical analysis for all DOCG wines. Wines are sent to laboratories recognised by the government for chemical testing to make sure their compositions meet the standards specified in the DOCG regulations. In addition, committees of expert tasters sample each producer’s wines – these have full authority to reject wines that fail to meet the specific sensory standards. Once a producer’s wine has met the standards of the chemical and sensory tests, they would be issued small pink numbered seals that fit over corks in the bottles of the DOCG wines. Strict controls are applied to ensure that the number of seals issued is limited according to the numbers specified DOCG regulations. The National DOC Wine Committee has been relatively niggardly in recognising DOCG appellations, ensuring only the highest quality wines are recognised in this category. These strict controls placed on DOCG ensures that what finally is served to connoisseurs all over the world, is of only the finest that Italy has to offer.
DOC: in order to enforce a standard of quality for wines, Italy created the controlled wine appellation system in 1963, known as the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC). It was an arduous task for experts who went about implementing the DOC laws as Italy cultivates more varieties of grapes than any other country, and an even greater array of wines. The production codes of the DOC delimit zones which wines originate and specify characteristics such as type(s), colour, grape variety, minimum alcohol levels, maximum yields of grape (per hectare), basic sensory characteristics, minimum period of aging and other special designations such as sub-zones. Producers’ consortia, either pre-existing or formed as a consequence of the adoption of the DOC system, are in charge of overseeing production in each zone. The national and local police forces, and anti-fraud units also help in inspecting and regulating wineries and wine shipments, cumulating in a comprehensive regulatory system for DOC wines. A common confusion regarding the term “Denominazone di Origine Controllata” is that refers to quality of the wine. This is true to a certain extend, however it term actually refers to the guarantee of origin (of the grapes used), and the winemaker’s adherence to the methods specified in the regulations governing the production of the wine. Today more than 300 wines are listed under the DOC classification, with the number looking to grow as more winemakers continue to improve their produce. Italy’s wines have indeed enjoyed improved quality thanks to the implementation of the DOC regulations; its consumers will be the first to affirm such a claim.
IGT: in 1992, the Italian authorities modified and expanded the DOC system, with it, introducing the Indicazion Geografica Tipica (IGT) category. The IGT opened up a new path for winemakers who wanted to venture outside the relatively strict demarcations of the DOC and DOCG systems, without compromising on the quality of their wines. The IGT category allowed for winemakers to use grape varieties previously not available in the DOC and DOCG categories; however there still remains a list of authorized varieties, which are to be included in a given percentage (85%) of the composition of the produced wine. For consumers, IGT primarily means that a wider variety of wines of good quality are available to them at highly competitive prices.