GuildSomm International
GuildSomm International
Menu
  • Join
  • Sign in
  • Site
  • Search
  • User

Guides

  • Staff Training Guides
  • Entrenamiento del Personal
  • Study Guides
  • Expert Guides

Articles

  • Feature Articles
  • MW Perspectives

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Webinars

E-Learning

  • 101 Courses
  • Regional Courses

Resources

  • Producer Profiles
  • Vintages
  • Wine Law Compendium
  • Review Quizzes
  • Blind Tasting
  • Maps

Community

  • Discussions
  • Study Forums

Explore

  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Beer
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Coffee & Tea
  • Eastern Europe
  • Eastern Mediterranean
  • Fortified Wines
  • France
  • Germany
  • Grape Varieties
  • Greece
  • Italy
  • Mexico
  • New Zealand
  • Portugal
  • Sake
  • Service & Hospitality
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Spirits
  • Studying & Certification
  • Switzerland
  • Tasting
  • United States
  • Viticulture & Vinification
  • Wine Business
  • About GuildSomm
  • GuildSomm Events
  • Industry Events
  • Find Members
  • Job Board
  • Shop
  • Study Guide Overview
  • Alsace, Jura, and Savoie
  • Australia and New Zealand
  • Beer, Sake, and Spirits
  • Beverage Service
  • Beverage Service (Spanish)
  • Bordeaux
  • Burgundy
  • Central and Southern Italy
  • Champagne and Sparkling Wine
  • China
  • Coffee
  • Eastern Mediterranean
  • Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
  • Greece and Eastern Europe
  • Loire Valley
  • Mead and Fruit Wine
  • North America
  • Northern Italy
  • Port, Sherry, and Fortified Wines
  • Portugal
  • Rhône Valley and Southern France
  • South Africa
  • South America
  • Spain
  • Tasting
  • Viticulture and Vinification
  • Wine Program Management

You are currently reviewing an older revision of this page.

  • History View current version

Northern Italy

Table of Contents
  1. Italian Wine Law
  2. Northern Italy
  3. Piedmont (Piemonte)
  4. Valle d'Aosta
  5. Lombardy
  6. Liguria
  7. Emilia-Romagna
  8. Trentino-Alto Adige
  9. Veneto
  10. Friuli-Venezia Giulia
  11. Review Quizzes

Italian Wine Law

The Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) system was introduced in 1963 as a means of formalizing and protecting Italian wine appellations.

The French AOC system acted as a model for Italian authorities, as they established maximum yields, approved varieties and viticultural practices, set geographical boundaries, and authorized vinification techniques, styles, and minimum (or maximum) alcohol levels for each DOC wine. The Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) category, a more prestigious and—theoretically—higher quality designation designed to represent the best of Italian wine, was also introduced in 1963, although the first DOCG was not awarded until 1980, when Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano were upgraded from DOC. Most DOCGs (and many DOCs) stipulate minimum aging requirements for the wines—a notable departure from the legal requirements set by most French appellations. Over time, the system became unwieldy and too lenient; yields and geographical restrictions became too generous. Hundreds of DOC zones were established, leading to consumer confusion. Even the DOCG category, which should only include the recognizable benchmarks of Italian wine, was watered down by such unlikely promotions as Romagna Albana. As criticism of the system amplified in the 1970s and 1980s, many of Italy’s finer producers resorted to the Vino da Tavola category, releasing experimental wines produced in a manner conflicting with DOC legislation. Vino da Tavola, or table wine, cannot bear any geographical designation other than “Italy” itself, yet some of Italy’s most iconic wines—in particular the “Super Tuscans” Sassicaia and Tignanello—got their start as simple Vino da Tavola.

GuildSomm
  • About
  • FAQs
  • Incident Reporting
  • Contact
  • How to Pitch
  • Policies
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy
App Store Google Play
© 2025 GuildSomm

Join to continue reading.

GuildSomm members enjoy exclusive access to educational content, classes, and a robust professional network. If you're a wine professional, GuildSomm is for you! Our members represent every facet of the industry and stage of a beverage career.

Join now