What’s in a Label?

There are four main classifications of wine:

DOC (denominazione d’origine controllata) (Denomination for Controlled Origin) .
DOCG (denominazione d’origine controllata e garantita) (Denomination for Controlled and Guaranteed Origin).
IGT (indicazione geografica tipica) (Typical Geographic Indication).
Vino da Tavola (table wine) – which will be marked on the label.

A DOC wine is produced subject to certain specifications, although the label does not certify quality. DOCG is subject to the same requirements as normal DOC, but is also tested by government inspectors for quality. IGT is a recent term introduced to cover wines from quality regions that are of a style or use grapes that fall outside the DOC and DOCG classifications.

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