| Acknowledgements | xiii |
| List of profiled producers | xiv |
| List of maps | xx |
| About this book | xxi |
| The Italian wine label | xxvi |
| Introduction | 1 |
| 1 | Vine and Wine | 4 |
| Viticulture: getting it right from the ground up | 4 |
| Oenology: typicity versus internationalism | 15 |
| 2 | Central Italy West | 24 |
| Production areas | 30 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--red | 38 |
| Sangiovese | 38 |
| The wines in Tuscany: Chianti Classico | 41 |
| Other Chianti sub-zones | 94 |
| Montalcino | 111 |
| Montepulciano | 136 |
| Carmignano | 146 |
| Montecarlo and Colline Lucchesi | 151 |
| Maremma | 152 |
| Other Sangioveses of Tuscany | 159 |
| The wines in Umbria | 160 |
| The wines in Latium | 163 |
| The wines in Romagna | 163 |
| The wines in le Marche | 168 |
| Montepulciano | 169 |
| Sagrantino | 169 |
| Other red grape varieties | 174 |
| Canaiolo Nero | 175 |
| Cesanese | 176 |
| Ciliegiolo | 177 |
| Colorino | 177 |
| Malvasia Nera | 179 |
| Mammolo | 179 |
| Aleatico | 179 |
| Moscato rosa | 180 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--white | 180 |
| Trebbiano | 180 |
| The wines in Tuscany | 185 |
| The wines in Umbria | 186 |
| The wines in Latium | 190 |
| The wines in le Marche and Abruzzo | 191 |
| Vin Santo | 193 |
| The wines of Trebbiano Romagnolo | 195 |
| Malvasia Bianca | 196 |
| The wines in Latium: Frascati et al | 198 |
| Vernaccia di San Gimignano | 202 |
| Other white grape varieties | 205 |
| Vermentino | 205 |
| Moscadello | 206 |
| Ansonica | 207 |
| Grechetto | 208 |
| Drupeggio | 209 |
| Verdello | 209 |
| Bellone | 210 |
| 3 | Central Italy East | 211 |
| Production areas | 214 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--red | 216 |
| Montepulciano | 216 |
| The wines in Abruzzo | 219 |
| The wines in le Marche and other regions | 224 |
| Other red grapes | 228 |
| Sangiovese | 228 |
| Barbarossa | 228 |
| Cagnina | 229 |
| Lacrima di Moro d'Alba | 229 |
| Vernaccia di Serrapetrona | 230 |
| Aglianico | 231 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--white | 231 |
| Verdicchio | 231 |
| Albana | 237 |
| Other white grapes | 238 |
| Pagadebit/Bombino Bianco | 238 |
| Biancame, Bianchello, Passerina | 239 |
| Maceratino | 239 |
| Pecorino | 239 |
| Falaghina, Greco | 240 |
| 4 | The South and Islands | 241 |
| Campania and Basilicata | 247 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--red | 252 |
| Aglianico | 252 |
| The wines in Campania | 254 |
| The wines in Basilicata | 258 |
| Other red grapes | 264 |
| Sangiovese | 264 |
| Barbera | 264 |
| Sciascinoso (a.k.a. Olivella) | 264 |
| Guarnaccia | 265 |
| Primitivo | 265 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--white | 265 |
| Fiano | 265 |
| Greco di Tufo | 269 |
| Falanghina | 270 |
| Coda di Volpe | 272 |
| Biancolella and Forastera | 272 |
| Asprinio | 273 |
| Puglia | 274 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--red | 279 |
| Negromaro | 279 |
| Primitivo | 291 |
| Uva di Troia | 296 |
| Montepulciano | 298 |
| Malvasia Nera (M.N.) | 299 |
| Aglianico | 299 |
| Sangiovese | 300 |
| Bombino Nero | 301 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--white | 302 |
| Verdeca | 302 |
| Bianco d'Alessano | 303 |
| Pampanuto | 303 |
| Bombino Bianco | 303 |
| Greco di Tufo | 304 |
| Impigno and Francavilla | 304 |
| Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia Toscana | 304 |
| Moscato Bianco | 305 |
| Calabria | 305 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--red | 308 |
| Gaglioppo | 308 |
| Other red varieties | 310 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--white | 314 |
| Greco di Ciro and Greco di Bianco | 314 |
| Other white varieties | 315 |
| Sardinia | 317 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--red | 322 |
| Cannonau | 322 |
| Carignano | 326 |
| Monica | 329 |
| Bovale | 330 |
| Cagnulari | 331 |
| Pascale di Cagliari | 331 |
| Nieddera, Nieddumannu | 331 |
| Giro | 332 |
| Nebbiolo | 332 |
| Sangiovese | 333 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--white | 333 |
| Vermentino | 333 |
| Nuragus | 336 |
| Vernaccia di Oristano | 337 |
| Malvasia di Sardegna | 340 |
| Moscato Bianco | 341 |
| Nasco | 341 |
| Torbato | 342 |
| Semidano | 345 |
| Trebbiano | 345 |
| Sicily | 345 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--red | 350 |
| Nero d'Avola | 350 |
| Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappucio | 358 |
| Frappato di Vittoria | 363 |
| Perricone or Pignatello | 365 |
| Other red varieties | 365 |
| Grapes, wines and producers--white | 366 |
| Cataratto | 366 |
| Inzolia/Ansonica | 368 |
| Grillo | 371 |
| Marsala | 371 |
| Grecanico Dorato | 378 |
| Carricante | 378 |
| Damaschino | 379 |
| Trebbiano Toscano | 379 |
| Malvasia | 379 |
| Moscato Bianco | 380 |
| Zibibbo | 381 |
| 5 | International Varieties in Central and Southern Italy | 389 |
| Bordeaux grapes--red | 391 |
| The wines in Tuscany | 392 |
| Bolgheri | 392 |
| Suvereto--Val di Cornia | 398 |
| The wines in Central Italy excluding Tuscany | 409 |
| The South and Islands | 410 |
| Burgundy grapes--red | 412 |
| Rhone grapes--red | 414 |
| Burgundy grapes--white | 416 |
| Bordeaux grapes--white | 420 |
| Rhone and the rest--white | 421 |
| 6 | Blends | 424 |
| Red blends | 425 |
| Tuscany | 425 |
| Central Italy excluding Tuscany | 428 |
| Southern Italy | 428 |
| White blends | 430 |
| Tuscany and the centre | 430 |
| The South and the islands | 433 |
| Sweet white blends | 434 |
| 7 | Italian Wine Law | 436 |
| IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) | 437 |
| DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) | 440 |
| DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) | 441 |
| Appendix A | Suggested revision of IGT system, by region, in alphabetical order | 445 |
| Appendix B | Suggested revision of DOCs | 449 |
| Appendix C | A critique of the DOCGs, in alphabetical order | 456 |
| Glossary | 460 |
| Key to Italian pronunciation | 468 |
| Bibliography | 470 |
| Index | 472 |