Italy makes more wine than it can reasonably drink, in more styles than any single guide can carry. This almanac is our reading of it. 589 regions, ranked the way we'd visit them; the houses our critics keep returning to; and a short list of restaurants where we'd spend the evening.
Italy
Italy
589
36,804
18,761
The country, in numbers and adjectives.
The terroirs, by hand.
9 regions worth the trip first — chosen by the Femente desk for the houses we’d open with, the variety of styles within each, and the cooking that grew up around them.
Northern Italy
Red wines here run from pale silk to structured power—Nebbiolo's dominance means producers chase either ethereal perfume or dense,…
Central Italy
The red wines here split between silk and structure: some houses chase perfume and translucence, others build for the cellar. Both speak…
Southern Italy
The reds here turn inky and mineral-driven, built on volcanic soils that pull earth and smoke into every vintage; the whites hold tension…
Veneto
Veneto swings between discipline and exuberance—austere, high-acid reds from the inland hills and wines of pure fizz and lift, where…
Toscana
Tuscan reds bend toward earth and structure—sangiovese's tannins grip the palate while merlot and cabernet soften the grip, each vintage…
Piemonte
Piemonte's reds demand patience: Nebbiolo ages into silk, Barbera into savory depth, Dolcetto into immediacy. Here, tannin and acidity…
Terre Siciliane
Sicilian reds rest on volcanic soil and old vines, building dark fruit and mineral grip where producers choose restraint over extraction.…
Puglia
Puglia's reds lean dark and generous—Primitivo and Negroamaro wines with the weight of ripe stone fruit and spice, built less for…
Rioja
Rioja's red wines age in a way few Spanish regions dare—stretched across years in oak, softened into silk, their Tempranillo bones…
The country’s house grammar.
The 8 styles Italy makes most of, ranked by bottle count on Femente. The bar beneath each cell shows that style’s share of italy’s production.
32,146
Northern Italy Red — the country’s most numerous bottle.
21,224
20,741
20,047
13,874
12,893
12,642
8,696
The houses that keep showing up.
9 Italy estates the prestige critics have agreed on — ordered by the count of 95+ scores across Vinous, Decanter, Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator.
Where to spend the evening.
12 rooms across Italy our editors keep coming back to — chosen for the cooking and the wine list, in that order.
Casadonna | Reale
Fine Dining · Italian Style — Castel di Sangro
100
Uliassi
Grill · Seafood · European — Senigallia
100
Villa Crespi Relais Chateaux
Fine Dining · Italian Style — Orta San Giulio
100
La Rei Natura by Michelangelo Mammoliti
Grill · Pasta · Plant Based — Roddino
100
Casa Perbellini - 12 Apostoli
Italian Style · Traditional — Verona
100
Enoteca Pinchiorri
Italian Style · Fine Dining — Florence
100
Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria
Traditional · Italian Style — Rome
100
Oceria Francescana
Pasta · Traditional · Italian Style — Modena
100
Ristorante Il Pagliaccio
Traditional · Italian Style — Rome
97
Seta by Antonio Guida
Fine Dining · Italian Style — Milan
97
Ristorante Caino
Grill · Italian Style · Traditional — Scansano
96
Moreno Cedroni
Grill · Italian Style — Senigallia
96
Italy — good to know
- How many wineries are in Italy?
- Femente tracks 36,804 wineries across 589 wine regions in Italy, alongside 18,761 critic-tracked restaurants.
- What are the main wine regions in Italy?
- The most-covered wine regions in Italy include Northern Italy, Central Italy, Southern Italy, Veneto, Toscana, and Piemonte.
- What grapes is Italy known for?
- Among Italy's top-rated producers, the most common grapes are Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Corvina.
Add Italy to your cellar journal — or pick a region and start walking.
A short note in your inbox when we add a new region, find a winery worth crossing town for, or open a tasting we’d send you to. No noise. Just the ones we’d book ourselves.