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Northern Italy is considered the financial and economic hub of the country, generally more industrialized than the agrarian south, with historic centers of wealth and influence, such as Milan and Venice. After the unification of most of the peninsula in 1861, Rome was designated as the capital, but Italy’s first leaders came from the north: King Vittorio Emanuele II was from Turin, and Italy’s first prime minister, Count Camillo Benso, from Barolo.
Northern Italy borders France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia, and the area has a history of trade and cultural exchange with various European kingdoms and duchies. The rich cuisine tends toward heavier meats, butter, and cream, reflecting northern Italy’s history of wealth and French and Germanic influences—in contrast to the olive oil, pasta, and red sauce of the south.
Some parts of northern Italy did not become annexed to the country until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following World War I, and the regions across the north remain culturally and linguistically diverse. German, French, and local dialects are as likely as Italian to be heard on the streets and seen on signs. Three of Italy’s five autonomous regions—granted a greater degree of local governance by the Italian Constitution to help preserve regional and cultural identity—are in the north: Aosta Valley, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Northern Italy’s diversity extends to its land and climate. The topography ranges from the high elevations of the Alps and Dolomites to the flat plains of the Po River valley, and from the rivers and glacial freshwater lakes to the coastline of the Ligurian and Adriatic Seas. Dramatic differences in elevation, temperature, and soil types lead to an exciting range of grape varieties and wine styles produced across the top of Italy’s boot.
Many of the key grape varieties of northern Italy—Pinot Grigio, Glera, Vermentino, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and several international ones—are covered in the Introduction to Italy Expert Guide. Below are additional grapes and families that are important to northern Italy, while others are discussed in the regional sections below.
Arneis: From the Piedmontese dialect meaning “rascal,” the name Arneis likely refers to the challenges the grape presents in the vineyard, or to its characteristic early ripening, which makes it the first grape sweet enough to attract birds—sparing the more expensive, later-ripening Nebbiolo often planted alongside it. Arneis has low and irregular yields and is sensitive to disease and pests. Its vines grow tall and erect like those of Nebbiolo, and it has also been called Nebbiolo Bianco and Barolo Bianco. Arneis has always had an association with producers more famous for their Nebbiolo; it was resurrected in the 1960s by winemakers including Vietti and Bruno Giacosa, and it became Italy’s most popular white wine in the 1980s largely because of Ceretto’s Blangé bottling.
Arneis has a round, creamy texture. The grape performs well in the sandy soils of Roero DOCG and needs to be harvested early to retain its acidity. Some producers blend wine from multiple pickings to ensure a range of acidity levels. Arneis oxidizes easily and requires care in the cellar for freshness to be retained.
Garganega: One of the oldest and most important white grapes of Veneto, Garganega is the principal grape of Soave and Gambellara. Despite being grown almost exclusively in Veneto, it is the 12th most planted grape in Italy. It is also one of Italy’s most ancient varieties and a parent of many others, including Trebbiano Toscano, Albana, Malvasia Bianca di Candia, and Catarratto. Garganega has many clones and biotypes, some of which have loosely packed bunches that are suitable for air-drying and sweet recioto wines.
Garganega is thick skinned and very late ripening, and it produces reliable and generous yields. Garganega can be a varietal wine in Soave and is also often blended with Trebbiano di Soave (Verdicchio) or Chardonnay. The sweet recioto wines based on Garganega are rich, honeyed, and floral, usually without any botrytis.
Ribolla Gialla: Ribolla wines have a long history of trade along the Adriatic, but, as with Malvasia, there is confusion around the many Ribollas. Historically, the name likely referred to a generic brand or blended wine rather than a grape variety, and its popularity spawned many imitators. Ribolla Gialla, believed to be of central European origin, is a high-quality and important grape grown primarily in Friuli Venezia Giulia; it has the name Rebula across the Slovenian border. It is not the same as the lesser-quality Ribolla Verde and is unrelated to Ribolla Nera (Schioppettino); Ribolla Spizade (Prosecco Lungo); Rèbola (Pignoletto) of Emilia-Romagna; and Robola of Cephalonia, Greece.
Gialla, Italian for “yellow,” refers to the deep yellow color of the berries. The highest-quality wines come from old vines planted on hillsides. In the glass, Ribolla Gialla has very high acidity and flavors of white pepper, lemon, and tangerine. It is made in a wide range of styles but is often associated with orange wines produced using extended skin contact and oxidative winemaking practices. Because of its high acidity, some winemakers are experimenting with sparkling Ribolla Gialla.
Timorasso: Once one of the most planted white grapes of Piedmont, Timorasso was nearly abandoned because of viticultural challenges. Its berries ripen unevenly, its thin skins make it susceptible to gray rot, and it is subject to coulure. It is very late ripening and can struggle to achieve full ripeness. Today, however, there is a Timorasso renaissance among quality producers. It is an ageworthy white, characterized by very high acidity, a rich and powerful body, and an intensely herbal and mineral character, exhibiting TDN-based flavors of petrol and kerosene, similar to those of some dry Rieslings.
Corvina: Found in Veneto and Lombardy, Corvina means “little raven,” a reference either to the dark color of the berries or to the birds’ attraction to the ripe grapes. It is best known as the principal grape in the blend for Amarone and other red wines from Valpolicella. Corvina is thick skinned with small berries, making it suitable for air-drying and the appassimento process. In the vineyard, it is vigorous, high yielding, and sensitive to botrytis and sunburn. Corvina brings elevated acidity, fine tannins, and flavors of red cherry, violets, and herbs to blends.
Corvina is an offspring of Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, a parent of Rondinella, and related to Oseleta and Marzemino. But it shares no relation with Corvinone, its frequent blending partner. Corvinone was given its name, meaning “big Corvina,” because it was once thought to be a Corvina clone with larger berries and bunches.
Croatina: Rarely seen on labels but widely planted across northern Italy, Croatina is usually in a supporting role, as a blending partner with a range of grapes, including Barbera, Nebbiolo, and Corvina. It is grown in several regions but is the top-planted grape (with 17% of plantings) in Lombardy and among the top 15 red grapes in Italy overall. It is confusingly called Bonarda in some regions but is not the same as other Bonarda-named grapes, such as Bonarda Piemontese or Argentina’s Bonarda. It is also called Nebbiolo di Gattinara and Spanna di Ghemme but should not be confused with the Nebbiolo (Spanna) found in Alto Piemonte.
The thick-skinned Croatina is an irregular producer, buds later, and is resistant to frost and powdery mildew. It succeeds best in clay soils, where it can achieve higher quality, with smaller bunches and more concentration. Croatina can lighten the sharp acidity of Barbera and add soft tannins and a round, creamy texture to Amarone wines. Some producers use shorter macerations and barrel aging to soften Croatina’s tannins.
Dolcetto: Meaning “little sweet one,” Dolcetto is the everyday wine of Piedmont, often overshadowed by the more famous Nebbiolo and Barbera. Although the wines are dry, the grapes are sweet and, historically, were often eaten as table grapes. Dolcetto is the earliest ripening of the three main Langhe red varieties and difficult to work with in both the vineyard and the cellar. It is sensitive to frost, storms, and cold temperatures and grows close to the ground, making picking difficult. It can also be reductive. Given these challenges, Dolcetto plantings have steadily decreased in recent years, as more vineyard space has been planted to Nebbiolo, and to Chardonnay and Pinot Nero for sparkling wines made in the traditional method (metodo classico). Dolcetto plantings decreased by 18% between 2000 and 2010.
Dolcetto yields medium-bodied wines with a purple hue that tend to be relatively low in acidity and high in tannin. They have “grapey” flavors, with notes of lavender, orange peel, and black tea. When harvested earlier, Dolcetto retains acidity and is more floral. The wines are usually monovarietal.
Dolcetto is called Dosset in the Piedmontese dialect and Ormeasco in Liguria. It is not the same as Douce Noire of Savoie (called Charbono in California and Bonarda in Argentina), though once believed to be identical. Although on the decline in Italy, Dolcetto is being grown in the United States, Australia, and other New World countries.
Schiava: Schiava, Italian for “slave,” references vines that were “enslaved” on trellises in ancient Rome, rather than supported by trees or other crops as other vines were. The Schiava group includes several similar but genetically unrelated varieties that are often blended and, when combined, represent the most planted grape in Alto Adige. The DOC regulations do not specify which Schiava variety must be used, so the wines are usually a blend of two or three of the main varieties.
Schiava Gentile, also called Schiava Piccola because of its small bunches, is the lightest bodied and most perfumed of the Schiava varieties, and it is especially prized for rosato. Schiava Grigia, referring to the gray bloom on its berries, is the most refined. Schiava Grossa, with large berries and bunches, has the most delicate aromas and is a parent of Kerner and Malvasia del Lazio. In addition to these three main Schiavas found in Alto Adige, Schiava Nera is found in Lombardy. The Schiava group is also known as Vernatsch in Alto Adige and Trollinger in Austria and Germany.
These wines are typically light colored and light bodied, with high acidity and fragrant strawberry, violet, and sweet almond flavors.
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Piedmont, or Piemonte in Italian, meaning “foot of the mountain,” is surrounded on three sides by the Alps and Apennines. The Po River valley extends to the east, with many tributaries of the Po River and lakes nestled in the foothills. Piedmont is the most mountainous region in Italy, with 43% of its land covered in mountains and another 30% in hills.
Piedmont’s climate is largely continental. The warm air from the Po River valley meets the humid air from the Mediterranean Sea, creating precipitation and fog. The central band of foothills is protected from the most extreme weather by the Alpine and Apennine ranges. The hilly terrain provides a wide range of slopes and aspects for grape ripening.
What is today Piedmont was originally settled by Celtic tribes and was part of the Cisalpine Gaul territory. The Taurini people likely dominated this area until their capital city, Taurasia, was destroyed by Hannibal during the march of his Carthaginian army in 218 BCE. The city was reestablished by the Romans in 25 BCE as Augusta Taurinorum, which is today Piedmont’s capital city of Turin.
The region was important during ancient Rome as a trade route with the Gallic provinces. In contrast to the Greeks and Etruscans, who used ceramic pottery and amphorae to store wine, the Gauls used barrels, and the Gallic influence helped facilitate the transport of wine beyond alpine areas. The Etruscan viticultural influence reached this area as well, particularly the maritata or alberate system of training vines high on trees or other live supports to provide protection from humidity.
In the Middle Ages, Piedmont was an important stronghold of the House of Savoy. The Holy Roman Empire awarded the House of Savoy ducal status in the 15th century, and the region’s role in commerce led to increased prosperity as well as exposure to new ideas of the European Enlightenment. The Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, with its capital in Turin, was influential in the 19th-century campaign for Italian unification, with Vittorio Emanuele II, who was born in Piedmont, becoming the first king of Italy.
Piedmont has 18 DOCGs, the most of any Italian region, and 41 DOCs, tying with Tuscany for the most. Many of these denominations are overlapping, with multiple names referring to the same places, such as Alba, Asti, Acqui, and Monferrato. Perhaps owing to its cultural relationship with eastern France, Piedmont is often divided into many subzones and single-vineyard sites with fractured ownership. Piedmont has no IGT for less strictly controlled wines, although its large regional denominations, such as Piemonte DOC and Langhe DOC, are broad enough to allow for a wide range of wine styles as well as international varieties.
Piedmont’s wine production is at a very high quality level overall: nearly all (94%) of its wine is DOC or higher, the highest percentage of any Italian region, compared with the national average of 44%. About 60% of Piedmont’s production is red wine, but the region is known for high-quality examples of red, white, sparkling, and sweet wines. Its most planted grape varieties are Barbera (31%), Moscato Bianco (22%), Dolcetto (13%), and Nebbiolo (10%).
An ancient grape most likely originating in Lombardy or northern Piedmont, Nebbiolo has great clonal diversity, with at least 30 documented biotypes. It has adapted to different terroirs in northwestern Italy and is distinguished for its ability to reflect the sites in which it is grown.
Nebbiolo is believed to take its name from nebbia, the Italian word for “fog,” either because it is traditionally harvested in the late autumn, when thick fog engulfs the Langhe, or because of the fog-like bloom that appears on the dark berries. Synonyms for Nebbiolo date back centuries. Here are some of the most important biotypes and synonyms to know.
Chiavennasca: The name for Nebbiolo used in Lombardy’s Valtellina region and dating to 1595. Thought to come from ciù venasca in the local dialect, referring to a grape of great vigor.
Nebbiolo Lampia: The most common Nebbiolo and most dependable producer.
Nebbiolo Michet: A virused form of Lampia that causes the vine’s canes to fork, producing smaller berries, lower yields, and a higher concentration of aromas and flavors.
Nebbiolo Rosé: A separate but closely related variety once thought to be a clone of Nebbiolo. Prized for its aromatic perfume and pale color.
Picoutener/Picotendro: The French and Italian names for the smaller-bunched and darker-berried Nebbiolo in Valle d’Aosta and Carema.
Spanna: The local name for Nebbiolo in Ghemme, Gattinara, and other parts of Alto Piemonte, first documented here in 1466. It is possibly the grape Pliny the Elder referred to as Spionia or Spinea.
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Read the Introduction to Italy Expert Guide
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Compiled by Michael Markarian (June 2023)
Edited by Stacy Ladenburger