Italy

Italy is the largest wine-producing nation by volume. The OIV puts its 2025 output at an estimated 44.4 million hectolitres, 19.7 percent of the world total, and its vineyard at 726 thousand hectares, 10.3 percent of the world's vineyard surface. ISMEA, working from Agea and Istat data, records 680,741 hectares under vine in 2024 and production of 44,066 thousand hectolitres in the same year. Italian wine law is built on geographical indications. MASAF counts 522 wine designations across DOP (DOCG, DOC) and IGP (IGT), and publishes 411 DOP and 111 IGP production specifications. ISMEA counts 529 recognitions, split 77 DOCG, 333 DOC and 119 IGT. The MASAF alphabetical list records the region or autonomous province behind every denomination it carries, from the Valle d'Aosta DOC to the Sicilia DOC and the Vermentino di Gallura DOCG.

• OIV: 726 thousand hectares of vineyard in 2025, 10.3 percent of the world total
• OIV: 44.4 million hectolitres produced in 2025, 19.7 percent of the world total
• MASAF: 522 DOP and IGP wine designations, with 411 DOP and 111 IGP specifications published
• ISMEA: 529 recognitions, 77 DOCG, 333 DOC and 119 IGT

The centre of gravity of the Italian vineyard has moved. ISMEA states that since 2020 Veneto has overtaken Sicily as the leading region by vineyard surface, and attributes the shift of the Italian vineyard to the northeast since the start of the new millennium to the success of Prosecco and Delle Venezie. Between 2000 and 2023 ISMEA records Friuli Venezia Giulia up 52.7 percent and Veneto up 37.8 percent, against a national change of minus 14.8 percent. Growing conditions vary along the length of the country. The OIV describes 2025 in Italy as relatively favourable, with a mild spring, balanced rainfall and a summer that was not excessively hot, and reports that output growth was driven primarily by southern regions with moderate increases in the north, while central Italy recorded a slight decline reflecting lower volumes in Tuscany. Across the decade the OIV records Italy's vineyard moving from 719 thousand hectares in 2020 to 728 thousand in 2024 and 726 thousand in 2025, a contraction of 0.3 percent after a significant expansion the year before.

• ISMEA: Veneto has led Italian regions by vineyard surface since 2020
• ISMEA: vineyard area 2000 to 2023 up 52.7 percent in Friuli Venezia Giulia and 37.8 percent in Veneto
• OIV: 2025 growth driven primarily by southern regions, central Italy slightly down
• OIV: Italian vineyard 726 thousand hectares in 2025, down 0.3 percent on 2024

MASAF sets out four commercial categories for Italian wine: DOCG, DOC, IGT and vini da tavola, alongside special wines such as liquoroso, spumante, frizzante and aromatised wines. DOCG and DOC are the traditional mentions defined under Article 112(a) of Regulation (EU) 1308/2013 that show a wine carries a protected designation of origin (DOP). IGT is the traditional mention that shows a wine carries a protected geographical indication (IGP). MASAF states that DOCG and DOC production specifications fix the name, the growing technique, the blends, the maximum yields, the vinification zone and the wine's characteristics, and that these wines undergo chemical-physical and organoleptic examination by a tasting commission. IGT wines must be made at least 85 percent from grapes harvested in the geographical zone whose name they carry. Federdoc, the national confederation of voluntary protection consortia established in 1979, adds that a wine must have spent at least seven years as a DOC before DOCG recognition, that DOCG wine cannot be distributed in containers over six litres, and that each DOCG bottle carries a state-issued alphanumeric label. Federdoc also sets the origin thresholds under EU terms: 100 percent of the grapes from the delimited territory for a PDO, at least 85 percent for a PGI. Vini da tavola sit at the base of the pyramid and carry no reference to a territory or geographical area.

• DOCG and DOC are traditional mentions for DOP wines under Article 112(a) of Regulation (EU) 1308/2013
• IGT is the traditional mention for IGP wines, made at least 85 percent from the named zone
• Federdoc: seven years as a DOC precede DOCG recognition, with a state-issued alphanumeric label per bottle
• Vini da tavola carry no reference to a territory or geographical area

Abruzzo. The MASAF DOP list registers Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo to Abruzzo as DOC, and Casauria as a DOCG of the region. Basilicata. MASAF registers Aglianico del Vulture as a DOC of Basilicata and Aglianico del Vulture Superiore as its DOCG, alongside the Matera DOC. Calabria. MASAF registers Ciro as a DOC of Calabria and Ciro Classico as its DOCG, with Terre di Cosenza among the region's other DOCs. Campania. Taurasi, Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo are all registered to Campania as DOCG in the MASAF list. Central Italy. This grouping covers the middle of the peninsula. The OIV reports that central Italy recorded a slight decline in 2025 output, largely reflecting lower volumes in Tuscany. Delle Venezie DOC (Interregional). MASAF registers the delle Venezie DOC, also Beneskih okolisev, jointly to Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Autonomous Province of Trento and Veneto, one of the interregional designations in the national list. Emilia-Romagna. MASAF registers Romagna Albana and Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto to Emilia Romagna as DOCG, with Reggiano among the region's DOCs. Friuli-Venezia Giulia. MASAF registers Ramandolo and Rosazzo to Friuli Venezia Giulia as DOCG, and Collio Goriziano, also Collio, as a DOC of the region. Lazio. MASAF registers Frascati Superiore and Cannellino di Frascati to Lazio as DOCG, with Castelli Romani among the region's DOCs. Liguria. MASAF registers Cinque Terre and Cinque Terre Sciacchetra as a DOC of Liguria, alongside Colli di Luni and Riviera Ligure di Ponente. Lombardy. MASAF registers Franciacorta, Valtellina Superiore and Oltrepo Pavese metodo classico to Lombardia as DOCG. Marche. MASAF registers Conero, Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva and Offida to Marche as DOCG. Molise. MASAF registers Molise, also del Molise, together with Biferno and Tintilia del Molise as DOCs of Molise. Northeast Italy. ISMEA describes the Italian vineyard as having moved to the northeast since the start of the new millennium, helped by the success of Prosecco and Delle Venezie. Between 2000 and 2023 ISMEA records Friuli Venezia Giulia up 52.7 percent and Veneto up 37.8 percent, against a national change of minus 14.8 percent. Piedmont. MASAF registers Barolo, Barbaresco, Asti and Alta Langa to Piemonte as DOCG. Puglia. MASAF registers Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva to Puglia as DOCG, with Primitivo di Manduria and Salice Salentino among its DOCs. ISMEA reports IGP Puglia leading the Italian IGP segment at 1.5 million hectolitres and 102 million euro in bulk product, 18 percent of the Italian IGP wine total. Sardinia. MASAF registers Vermentino di Gallura to Sardegna as DOCG, with Cannonau di Sardegna and Vernaccia di Oristano among the island's DOCs. Sicily. MASAF registers Cerasuolo di Vittoria to Sicilia as DOCG, with Etna and the island-wide Sicilia DOC alongside it, and Terre Siciliane as an IGT. Southern Italy. This grouping covers the southern regions. The OIV reports that 2025 output growth in Italy was driven primarily by southern regions, with moderate increases in the north. Trentino-Alto Adige. MASAF registers Trento and Teroldego Rotaliano to the Autonomous Province of Trento as DOC, and Alto Adige, also Sudtirol, to the Autonomous Province of Bolzano. Vigneti delle Dolomiti, also Weinberg Dolomiten, runs as an IGT across both autonomous provinces and Veneto. Tuscany. MASAF registers Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Vernaccia di San Gimignano to Toscana as DOCG, with Toscano, also Toscana, and Colli della Toscana centrale as IGTs. Umbria. MASAF registers Montefalco Sagrantino and Torgiano Rosso Riserva to Umbria as DOCG, with Spoleto among its DOCs and Umbria itself as an IGT. Valle d'Aosta. MASAF registers Valle d'Aosta, also Vallee d'Aoste, as the DOC of the region. Veneto. MASAF registers Amarone della Valpolicella, Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco and Soave Superiore to Veneto as DOCG. The Prosecco DOC is registered jointly to Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto, and the Trevenezie IGT to Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Autonomous Province of Trento and Veneto.

ISMEA's Agea vineyard inventory, reported for 2005, 2013, 2021 and 2022, puts Sangiovese first at 65,083 hectares in 2022. Glera follows at 38,882 hectares, Pinot Grigio at 31,517, Catarratto at 31,118, Montepulciano at 30,763 and Trebbiano Toscano at 27,090. Chardonnay stands at 23,592 hectares, Barbera at 19,708, Primitivo at 19,082 and Merlot at 18,840. The inventory totals 673,529 hectares for 2022. The mix has moved with the market. ISMEA states that the success of Prosecco led Glera to more than triple its vineyard area over the period covered, and that Pinot Grigio more than doubled.

• Sangiovese: 65,083 hectares in 2022, the largest single variety in the ISMEA inventory
• Glera: 38,882 hectares, more than tripled over the period ISMEA reports
• Pinot Grigio: 31,517 hectares, more than doubled over the same period
• Catarratto 31,118 hectares, Montepulciano 30,763 hectares, Trebbiano Toscano 27,090 hectares

According to ISMEA, Italy had 680,741 hectares under vine in 2024 and produced 44,066 thousand hectolitres, with headline 2024 figures of 681 thousand hectares and 44 million hectolitres, up 15 percent. ISMEA counts 241 thousand viticultural enterprises at the 2020 agricultural census and 30 thousand wine-producing companies, of which cooperatives account for more than 55 percent of the wine. Certified geographical indications represent 55 percent of production, and sector turnover reaches 14 billion euro, 10 percent of Italian agri-food turnover. On trade, ISMEA reports 21.7 million hectolitres exported in 2024, up 3.2 percent on 2023, worth 8.1 billion euro, up 5.5 percent in value, with per-capita consumption estimated at 37.8 litres. According to the OIV, Italian wine exports then declined to 21.0 million hectolitres in 2025, while imports fell to 2.3 million hectolitres, down 10.2 percent on 2024.

• ISMEA: 680,741 hectares under vine and 44,066 thousand hectolitres produced in 2024
• ISMEA: exports of 21.7 million hectolitres worth 8.1 billion euro in 2024
• ISMEA: 241 thousand viticultural enterprises and 30 thousand wine-producing companies
• OIV: exports 21.0 million hectolitres and imports 2.3 million hectolitres in 2025

Primary sources used for this article: MASAF, Vini DOP e IGP: https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/395 MASAF, Elenchi e disciplinari vini DOP e IGP: https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/4625 MASAF, Qualita: https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/309 MASAF, Elenco alfabetico Vini DOP and Elenco alfabetico Vini IGP (PDF lists linked from IDPagina/4625) MASAF, Conoscere il Vino: https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/files/7/a/9/D.ea0762982c3dcd77922d/VinoGeneralit_.pdf MASAF, Elenco dei vini DOCG, DOC e IGT suddivisi per regione: https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/files/8/8/c/D.c98d43be48c9b307022a/Vini_DOCG_DOC_IGT_suddivisi_per_regione.pdf ISMEA, Scheda di settore L'Italia del Vino, April 2025: https://www.ismeamercati.it/flex/files/1/7/d/D.82b20cf3014aaeab8250/SchedaVino_Aprile_2025.pdf Federdoc, Italian PDO Wines booklet 2024-2025: https://www.federdoc.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/booklet-2024-2025-EN-web.pdf Secondary source: OIV, State of the World Wine Sector in 2025: https://www.oiv.int/sites/default/files/2026-05/OIV-State_of_the_World_Wine_Sector_in_2025.pdf Last verified 2026-09-16