Best Italian Wines to Buy by Style

The best Italian wines to buy depend on your meal, preferred flavor, patience, and budget: choose Prosecco or Verdicchio for fresh, affordable drinking; Chianti Classico or Etna Rosso for versatile reds; and Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, or Franciacorta when you want a more serious bottle.

Our top picks

Top pickItalianity: The Culture of Italian Wine

Check price on Amazon

Also greatRuffino Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico DOCG Italian

Check price on Amazon

Also greatDa Vinci Chianti Sangiovese

Check price on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Ratings are shown as listed on Amazon.

Best Italian wines by buying situation

Best Italian red wines by grape and flavor

Nebbiolo: Barolo and Barbaresco

Buy Barolo or Barbaresco when you want an elegant but powerful red for a special dinner. Both are made primarily from Nebbiolo in Piedmont and commonly show sour cherry, rose, violet, dried herbs, leather, and earthy notes. Their high acidity makes them excellent with food, while firm tannin gives them a long finish and aging potential.

Barolo is generally the more muscular choice, with a typical minimum aging period of 38 months, including at least 18 months in wood. Barbaresco has a slightly shorter required aging period and often feels more approachable earlier. Pair either with braised beef, truffle dishes, mushroom risotto, or aged hard cheese. A good bottle usually starts around $45, while highly regarded vineyard-designated examples can exceed $150.

Sangiovese: Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino

Chianti Classico is the practical choice when you want a food-friendly red without committing to a large bottle price. Sangiovese brings red cherry, cranberry, dried herbs, and savory acidity. Look for “Riserva” when you want more oak, body, and aging time, but a standard bottling is often better for weeknight pasta, pizza, roast chicken, and tomato-based sauces.

Brunello di Montalcino is made from Sangiovese in Tuscany and offers a fuller, more polished interpretation: dark cherry, tea, cedar, tobacco, and earthy spice. It requires substantially more aging before release than ordinary Chianti Classico, which helps explain its higher cost. Choose it for bistecca alla Fiorentina, lamb, wild boar, or a slow-cooked beef dish.

Corvina: Valpolicella, Ripasso, and Amarone

These wines are useful when you like cherry-driven reds but want different levels of richness. Basic Valpolicella is light to medium-bodied, bright, and easy to chill slightly. Valpolicella Ripasso is fuller and darker because the wine is refermented using Amarone grape pomace. Amarone is the richest option: grapes are partially dried before fermentation, concentrating flavor and alcohol.

Choose Valpolicella for tomato pasta and antipasti, Ripasso for pork, sausage, or mushroom dishes, and Amarone for braised meats, blue cheese, or a slow evening after dinner. Typical prices range from $15–$30 for Valpolicella, $20–$45 for Ripasso, and $40–$100 or more for Amarone. Once opened, Amarone can remain enjoyable for several days when recorked and refrigerated.

Nerello Mascalese: Etna Rosso

Etna Rosso is one of the best Italian wines for shoppers who want a red with the freshness of Pinot Noir and the savory character of a mountain wine. Made mainly from Nerello Mascalese on Sicily’s Mount Etna, it can show sour cherry, smoke, dried flowers, volcanic earth, and subtle spice. Its moderate body and lively acidity suit grilled tuna, eggplant dishes, roast chicken, pork, and pizza with mushrooms. Expect roughly $20–$50.

Best Italian white wines by style

Crisp and mineral: Verdicchio and Soave

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi from the Marche is a strong all-purpose white. It typically combines lemon, green apple, almond, saline freshness, and enough texture for food. Buy it for seafood, fried vegetables, roast chicken, or pasta with clams. Basic examples often cost $12–$25; Riserva bottlings can offer more depth and aging potential.

Soave, made primarily from Garganega in Veneto, is a good choice for a softer, rounder white with pear, lemon, almond, and floral notes. It works with risotto, grilled fish, vegetable antipasti, and mild cheeses. Look for Classico on the label when you want wine from the historic hillside zone rather than a broad-area bottling.

Fresh and aromatic: Pinot Grigio and Gavi

Italian Pinot Grigio is a reliable purchase for light meals and casual gatherings. Its usual profile is dry, clean, and relatively light, with lemon, pear, and green apple. It is best served young with salads, shellfish, grilled fish, and simple appetizers. Spending $15–$25 can bring more texture and regional character than the least expensive bottles.

Gavi, made from Cortese in Piedmont, is similarly dry but often more floral and almond-tinged. It is especially good with shrimp, pesto, asparagus, and fresh cheeses. Choose Gavi when you want a restrained white rather than a strongly aromatic one.

Best Italian sparkling and sweet wines

Prosecco versus Franciacorta

Prosecco is usually made by the tank method, preserving fresh fruit and producing a light, lively style. It is the better-value choice for brunch, aperitifs, spritzes, and large gatherings. “Brut” is drier than “Extra Dry,” despite the confusing name; “Extra Dry” contains more residual sugar and tastes slightly rounder.

Franciacorta is made in Lombardy using the traditional bottle-fermentation method. It generally has finer bubbles, more bread and pastry character, and greater texture. Choose it when you want a Champagne-like experience from Italy. Satèn is a Franciacorta style with softer pressure and a particularly creamy feel.

Moscato d’Asti

Moscato d’Asti is lightly sparkling rather than fully fizzy, sweet, intensely aromatic, and usually low in alcohol compared with dry table wines. Peach, grape, orange blossom, and honey notes make it a natural match for fruit desserts, panna cotta, almond cookies, and blue cheese. Chill it well and serve small pours; its sweetness makes a little go a long way.

How to choose from an Italian wine label

• Start with the grape or style: Nebbiolo means structure and tannin; Sangiovese means acidity and red-fruit flavor; Garganega and Verdicchio usually indicate textured, food-friendly whites.
• Check the appellation: DOC and DOCG rules identify a regulated origin and production method, but they do not guarantee that every bottle will suit your taste.
• Use aging terms carefully: Riserva generally means additional aging under that wine’s regulations, not automatically better quality for every drinker.
• Match alcohol to the meal: Wines above 14% ABV usually work better with rich food, while an 11%–13% wine is easier with seafood, salads, and lighter lunches.
• Ask about vintage: For inexpensive, fresh wines, recent vintages are usually the safest purchase. For Barolo, Brunello, and other age-worthy reds, storage history matters as much as the year.

Serving and ownership details that affect the purchase

Temperature is a common source of disappointment. Serving red wine at a warm room temperature can exaggerate alcohol, while serving a structured red ice-cold can mute its aroma and make tannin seem harsher. A refrigerator is useful for initial chilling, but allow a red to warm slightly before dinner.

For storage, keep unopened bottles away from heat, sunlight, and repeated temperature changes. Bottles with natural cork are best stored on their side for longer-term aging, while screw-capped bottles can stand upright. Once opened, refrigeration slows oxidation for both red and white wine; bring red wine back toward serving temperature before pouring.

The best first purchase for most shoppers

If you want one bottle with the widest food range, choose Chianti Classico. If you prefer white wine, choose Verdicchio. For bubbles, choose Prosecco for value or Franciacorta for complexity. Spend more on Barolo, Brunello, or Amarone only when the dish, occasion, and storage plan justify it; the best Italian wines are the ones whose structure and flavor match how you will actually drink them.