There are more than 350 indigenous Italian wine grape varieties to choose from, which can be quite overwhelming. Worse still, many of the red grapes have similar looking names. However, you don’t have to memorize an encyclopedia to find the perfect wine for dinner. Just knowing a few key elements will ease the confusion and simplify the shopping trip.

Naming Convention - Grape | Classification | Region | Vineyard

Popular Grape Types in Italian red wines - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Malbech, Pinot Nero

Top Regions producing red wines - Venezia, Veneto, Pramaggiore

Italy’s best red wines tend to share two common characteristics - bold in flavor intensity & lean heavily into familiar fruit flavors and aromas.