Italian wineRed, white, rosé and sparkling

In Piedmont the great grape is Nebbiolo: paler than you might expect, but with firm tannins and aromas of cherry, rose and liquorice. Alongside the Barolo by Pio Cesare, Domenico Clerico and Cascina Ghercina, you will find the Barbaresco by Cascina Ghercina and the fresher Gattinara by Travaglini from the north of the region.

In Tuscany everything revolves around Sangiovese. Brunello di Montalcino by Altesino, Canalicchio di Sopra and Banfi is its most powerful form; Fontodi's Vigna del Sorbo is a single-vineyard Chianti Classico Gran Selezione. Antinori's Tignanello, one of the first Super Tuscans, combines Sangiovese with Cabernet. Everything from the region is under Tuscan wine.

In the Veneto, grapes such as Corvina are dried for months before fermentation. That is how Amarone is made: full and warm, with dried cherry and plum. Ripasso is the suppler step in between; read the difference in Amarone or Ripasso. In the Marche, Guerrieri makes red wine from Montepulciano and Sangiovese, such as the Guerriero della Terra.

For fresh Italian white wine, look north. In Friuli, Altùris makes Friulano, Ribolla Gialla and Pinot Grigio, among others. In South Tyrol you will find the Weissburgunder and Sauvignon Blanc by Kreyss and the Quarz Sauvignon by Cantina Terlano, from vineyards at 300 to 550 metres. These wines are taut, aromatic and mineral.

In the Marche, Guerrieri makes white wine from Bianchello, the grape of the Metauro valley: from the fresh Bianchello del Metauro to the fuller Guerriero del Mare, which spends four months in French tonneaux. For a creamier style, choose the Lugana Riserva Sergio Zenato from the southern shore of Lake Garda or the oak-aged La Valletta Chardonnay by Dante Rivetti from Piedmont. The Roero Arneis by Cascina Ghercina is aromatic and fresh instead, with pear and floral notes. From the south comes the fresh Verdeca from Puglia. All white wines, including those from outside Italy, are under white wine.

In Italy rosé is called rosato, and it is made from local red grapes. Guerrieri's Rosa dei Venti is made from Sangiovese: pale pink, fresh and floral, with low alcohol. Puglia gives two Primitivo rosés, the juicy Spinacave and the lighter Tramari by San Marzano.

Prefer rosé with bubbles? Choose the Prosecco Rosé by 47 Anno Domini, Guerrieri's Spumante Rosé or the Ferrari Maximum Rosé from Trento. More rosé, including from outside Italy, is under rosé wine.

Prosecco from the Veneto, made from Glera, is fresh, fruity and floral; the Prosecco DOC Spumante by 47 Anno Domini is organic. Ferrari in Trento makes sparkling wine by the Metodo Classico, the same method as Champagne: the Ferrari Maximum Brut is 100% Chardonnay from the Alps.

Sweeter and lower in alcohol are the Moscato d'Asti La Gatta from Piedmont and Guerrieri's Leo Moscato. Find more choice under sparkling wine and in our guide from Prosecco to Champagne.

The heel of Italy gives the warm, fruit-driven wines of Cignomoro, Campi Deantera and San Marzano. Primitivo and Negroamaro are the best-known red grapes, but the region also makes fresh white wine from Verdeca and Bianco d'Alessano and dry rosé from Primitivo. All Puglia wines are together on a page of their own.

Labels often show DOC or DOCG. These are Italian appellations with rules for area, grapes and ageing. DOCG is the strictest category, with names such as Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Amarone and Chianti Classico. IGT gives producers more freedom; even a well-known wine such as Tignanello falls under it.

Beyond that, choose by style and dish. Pasta with tomato and pizza suit Sangiovese or Montepulciano, grilled meat suits Primitivo or Amarone, and mushroom risotto suits Nebbiolo. Fish and antipasti call for a fresh white from the north or the Marche. Not sure? Ask us for personal wine advice. You order online, direct from the importer, and choose delivery or collection by appointment in Maastricht.