‘A tempting glimpse into the latest and greatest Italy has to offer...’
Welcome to Decanter’s Italy Guide 2022. Our expert authors – all of whom are either Italian by birth, or live and work in Italy, or frequently visit and specialise in Italy’s many wine regions (see p6) – have tasted more than 120 wines from every nook and cranny of the Italian peninsula to bring you a tempting glimpse into the latest and greatest Italy has to offer in the coming year.
Kicking off with one of the world’s most in-demand wine categories, we focus on Italy’s celebrated and coveted SuperTuscan wines (from p8) as the category hits its 50th anniversary, discovering the roots of the movement and the challenges faced by the protagonists over the last five decades. It’s an intriguing story of ambition, experimentation and human connection that no fan of Italian wine should miss.
If that doesn’t sate your hunger for Italy’s fine wines, we’ve also packed in expert opinion on Barolo and Brunello vintages that are on great form for drinking now (p20), the premium white blended wines of Alto Adige and FriuliVenezia Giulia in the northeast (p66), and Italy’s top wine consultants, who are steering the industry today (p30).
To update you on recent developments, we profile the redefined Chianti Classico sub-zones you need to know, newly ratified after years of discussions (p50), and head back to the north to discover the newest categories of Prosecco: extra brut, Sui Lieviti and DOC Rosé (p60).
Away from the big names, our expert authors take you off the beaten track to investigate areas around Italy's regions as disparate as Monferrato (p42), where Barbera reigns supreme, to the east of Barolo’s heartland in Piedmont; next-door Franciacorta (p100) in Lombardy, central north Italy, where top-quality metodo classico sparkling wines are the order of the day; and to the south over the regional border into the small DOC of Romagna (p91), neighbouring Tuscany, where Sangiovese has an expression all of its own.
If that wasn’t enough, we also discover ‘Italy’s best-kept secrets’ with a tour down through the delightful Adriatic east-coast regions of Marche, Abruzzo and Molise (p72).
And if you’re not able to visit any time soon, to whet your appetite we’ve highlighted 20 great-value and characterfilled wines priced below £20 per bottle that you can easily find on the UK high street (p94). I hope you enjoy reading this guide as much as we have enjoyed putting it together.