Guide: Italian quality labels
That Italian name and landscape photo on the bottle look lovely, but does the wine really come from Italy? And how can you be sure that your Parmesan cheese really comes from Parma? By looking out for these quality labels, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting.
The D.O.P. or I.G.P. quality label can be found on all Italian products, from Parmigiano Reggiano to olive oil.
D.O.P. (or P.D.O.: Protected Designation of Origin)
With this quality label, you can be sure you’re not picking up grated cheese with an “Italian character”, but a genuine Italian cheese produced and packaged in Italy. The region of origin is also always stated alongside the quality label. For example, if the bottle of olive oil says ‘Siculum D.O.P.’, this means that everything from the olives to the olive oil was produced in Sicily.
I.G.P. (or P.G.I.: Protected Geographical Indication)
With this quality label, part of the production takes place in the region indicated. For example, an I.G.P. Tuscany wine means that the wine was pressed or produced in Tuscany, but bottled somewhere else. Part of the process therefore took place in the region, but it’s unclear exactly which part. Perhaps the grapes come from Tuscany. But it could also be that the wine was only pressed in Tuscany and the grapes came from somewhere else.
Italian wines also have four additional quality labels:
DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita)
This is the highest quality label for Italian wine. The wine must meet a number of strict requirements during the production process. It starts with the grapes: they must come from a specific region, and only a certain quantity of grapes may be harvested from that piece of land. The wine is then tested to see whether it contains enough sugars and acids to qualify for the DOCG classification. After bottling, the wine is tested once more—for example, to check whether it is properly balanced. Only when the wine meets all the requirements may the famous quality label be placed on the label.
DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata)
Wines with the DOC label are almost the same as wines with the DOCG label, but often fall just short of meeting all the requirements. The flavour may be slightly less balanced, for example, or the winemakers may harvest just a few more grapes per hectare.
IGT / IGP (Typical Geographical Indication)
Wines with this designation do not yet qualify for the DOC or DOCG quality label. The winemaker uses different techniques during production or does not use traditional wine grapes. However, at least 85 percent of the wine does come from the Italian region whose name appears on the bottle. The quality label therefore does guarantee the origin of the grapes.
Vino da Tavola
This literally means table wine in Italian. These are the somewhat simpler wines from Italy, often made with different grape varieties from different regions. The vintage year is not stated on the bottle, but the grape varieties are. Incidentally, a blend does not mean that it is bad wine—vino da tavola is often perfectly good wine.
