For decades, Italian wines were under the shadows of other European nations’ wines, since Italian wines were often used as an add-on to other wines due to their strong taste. This gave Europeans the belief that Italian wines were of lower class. In order to counteract these views and to increase the quality awareness and appreciation for Italian wines, the Italian government issued a series of labels similar to French AOC label system. However, these labels are not pieces of papers slapped in to every Italian wine bottle to draw buyers’ attention; these labels are a signature for meeting high government standards as wells as guaranteeing that the wine is produce in its particular place of origin.

Most of today’s popular Italian wines carry two types of labels: DOC (Denominazione di Origine or Controlled Denomination of Origin) and DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita or Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin). For an Italian wine to be labeled DOC or DOCG, it must meet government standards when making a specific type of wine, such as grapes used, flavor, and aroma. DOC certifies that the labeled wine is of good quality and that the wine is from the region that its name implies. DOC was introduced first, but it was too general for a region in which the same wine could be produced by many different manufacturers using their own techniques. Furthermore, because the soil in which the grapes are grown plays a vital role in the final product, DOCG label was issued. DOCG is very similar to DOC except that it represents sub-territories within a region, and wine makers who apply for this golden label must be DOC for at least 5 years and meet even more strict government demands.

The wines with these labels sometimes have two particular Italian words added to it. One is the word Classico, whichare wines produced in traditional ways that can date back to hundred if not thousands of years. This same wine with the word Classico can also be found as just normal wine (normale). A wine produced as Classico can be totally different in every aspect and at the same time somewhat similar to the same wine made normale.

The other word found in the classification labels is Riserva, whichare wines that have been aged for an additional two years or more from the usual aging time. For an example, Piedmont’s Barolo is aged for at least three years and two months, while Piedmont’s Barolo Riserva is aged for an additional twenty two months; making a total of five years. The aging process (whether on an oak or chestnut cask, or on the bottle), of course, can give the wine a totally different aspect than its much younger brother.

DOC and DOCG wines represent most of Italy best wines. Some of the popular wines that falls in to the DOC category are Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Valpolicella and Bardolino. As for the DOCG category are Chianti, Barolo, and Brunello di Montalcino. With this label system Italy greatly improved the perceived quality of its wines, and today Italian wines are among the best wines in the world.