Italy’s best wine destinations

Italy is the world’s largest wine producer, home to wines that include Prosecco, Primitivo, Montepulciano and Chianti. With such scope and variety, wine travel in Italy bears all the fruits of a trip bound for success, with gorgeous scenery, food and history in tow. But where to begin? We’ve picked out five of the country’s best spots for a well-deserved glass.*

Valdobbiadene, Veneto

Deep within Veneto province, Valdobbiadene is the vine-covered heart of Italy’s Prosecco country. A dry, sparkling white, often compared to Champagne, Prosecco is a bubbly beauty in its own right. Coming in a range of tastes from the very dry, mineral ‘brut’ style, to a sweeter “dry” style, Prosecco and its highest quality incarnations hali from Valdobbiadene. Here, you’ll be able to find the Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG (and its various offshoots). Made from grapes grown in local microregions, its quality is so high that producers often don’t include the prosecco name on their label in order to distinguish themselves.

Head to the Valdobbiadene hills and you’ll be swept up in the rows of gentle, twisting vines and views of lilting emerald hillsides folding over one another. Once you’ve canvassed the steep hillside, pay a visit to a local producer like Ruggeri and listen to the story of their winemaking history. After that, farmstay Agriturismo Vedova plates up homemade dishes with prosecco on their terrace.

Barbaresco, Piedmont

Barbaresco is a charming Piedmontese town and also home to the popular Barbaresco wine. Lesser-known than neighbouring Barolo, Barbaresco is produced from grapes grown in richer, less tannin-heavy soil, and its lingering taste is that of red berry with earthy notes such as leather and underbrush. There are plenty of natural wine producers in this region which have spearheaded Barbaresco’s insurgence into the global wine conscience, so expect fresher, funkier wines around here.

As for the town itself, Barbaresco is tiny and one of the many stone settlements that straddle the rolling hills, surrounded by thriving vineyards. An 11th-century tower stands tall at its centre, looming over the village and the quiet drum of daily life bubbling below. Conveniently located for pilgrimages to wine-producing Neive, Treiso and Barolo, complement those trips with plenty of stops for trying Piedmont’s local dishes. When in Barbaresco, pair a glass of wine with the Piedmontese pasta tajarin, or sit out on the terrace at Agriturismo Tre Stelle and enjoy the views.

Bolgheri, Tuscany

Drive down the tree-lined Viale dei Cipressi avenue, and you’ll eventually reach Bolgheri, a terracotta town tucked away behind towering cypresses. Approaching Bolgheri can feel a bit like entering into a labyrinth, but like all great mazes there’s treasure at its centre – and in this case that’s wine. Home to the first of the now globally-renowned ‘Super Tuscan’ wines, this was where Sassicaia, a Bordeaux-style red made from Sangiovese grapes, was produced. Bolgheri Rosso and Bianco varieties are also on offer and in the nearby area you’ll be able to grab a glass of Chianti and Montepulciano.

Bolgheri is one of the many Tuscan towns that wine lovers make a point of visiting, but its distinctive architecture and dining boost its appeal. A great red keep marks the entrance to the town, and through the narrow archway, local workshops and restaurants line the streets. Make the Enoteca Tognoni a stop for local salumi, cheese and a glass of Sassicaia, which you can also do at rustic Castello di Bolgheri.

Corte Franca, Lombardy

Up in Lombardy, you’ll find the class newbie of Italy’s wine regions, Franciacorta and the town of Corte Franca. Producing wines complete with Chardonnay and pinot nero grapes, it’s the sparkling wine, the subtle Franciacorta, that makes the headlines. While often overlooked for its well-loved cousin Prosecco, this is a sparkling wine that’s closer to Champagne and is unassumingly good, perhaps because the very first bottle of it was only produced in 1961.

Corte Franca is a collection of brightly-coloured rickety stone buildings, and it serves as a great base to explore the wider Brescia province and its vineyards, all far removed from the usual tourist hubbub. The area has numerous Michelin-starred restaurants, who plate up dishes like spaghetti with lake prawns and tomato confit, or local cheeses with rose jam. Views of the crystalline Lake Iseo are the perfect accompaniment to a glass of crisp Franciacorta, all possible when you stay at La terrazza sulle vigne.

**These destinations were picked based on endorsements for ‘wine travel’ in Italy, according to global travellers.