意大利虽然面积仅占法国的六分之一，但在葡萄酒生产方面却远超法国。多年来，意大利一直是世界葡萄酒产量的领导者！(意大利或法国总是排名第一或第二。) 葡萄酒对意大利人民来说至关重要。葡萄藤遍布全国，每次传统晚餐都少不了几瓶葡萄酒。目前，意大利拥有超过1000种不同的葡萄品种，其中至少有440种用于酿造佳酿。在文化中，葡萄酒被视为理所当然的一部分。例如，尽管花费了比法国更多的时间建立分类体系，但直到现在，意大利仍未像法国那样，对其最佳葡萄园进行官方认证。
对于外国的葡萄酒爱好者而言，了解意大利葡萄酒的一个挑战在于，大部分国产红和白两类都是使用其他地方无法培育的本土品种。这意味着内比奥罗、桑娇维塞、阿格里亚尼科和巴贝拉等著名品种，在国外并不那么知名，这些品种可以酿造出高质量的佳酿，但它们名字并没有广泛流传海外。
然而，有利之处在于，其丰富多样的土壤和气候条件为各式各样风味迥异的地理特征提供了无限可能，从北部阿尔卑斯山麓到地中海沿岸线，一切都适合生长各种不同类型的果实。此外，无论是在南部还是北部，都能找到高海拔地区，使得环境适宜。
Italian wines are categorized into two main types: the more affordable and widely available ones for everyday consumption, and the higher-end varieties that cater to connoisseurs. Among the former is Pinot Grigio, a crisp white wine that has become a staple in many countries. The latter includes Barolo, one of the world's best red wines, as well as numerous other high-quality options.
From a legal standpoint, Italy's wine classification system must adhere to EU regulations. At its highest level – protected designation of origin (PDO) – Italian wines fall into two categories: DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), meaning "controlled and guaranteed geographical indication," which represents Italy's elite wines; and DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), or DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta), meaning "protected geographical indication," which comprises Italy's basic PDO wines.
At an even lower tier – PGI-protected geographic indications – Italian producers offer another category of wines with IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) labels featuring both a geographic name and often grape variety names. For example, while DOCG Brunello di Montalcino must come from specific regions within Tuscany for production, IGT/IGP Tuscan wines may hail from anywhere within the region.
Italy boasts 20 distinct wine-producing areas corresponding to its regions. Many top-tier wineries can be found in northern regions such as Piedmonte in northwest Italy, Tuscany in central north Italy, and three non-officially recognized Venetian areas collectively known as Tre Venezie; however quality grapes also thrive in southern parts of the country making their mark on global markets.
