Italian wine: our selection of organic, biodynamic and natural wines

The history of the Italian vineyard goes back more than 4000 years. A legacy of the Etruscans (an indigenous Italian people) and then the Greeks who, when they invaded southern Italy, called their new colony "Oenotria", literally "the land of wine". Today, Italy is one of the most important wine producers in the world, along with France and Spain.

In Italy all regions are wine-growing regions and, like them, the wines have very varied profiles. This diversity is expressed through landscapes (between sea and mountains) with different climates, of course, but also through the large number of officially recommended or authorised grape varieties (almost 400!). This shows the importance of Italian terroirs. Among these we find very well known autochthonous grape varieties such as sangiovese or barbera which are cultivated in most of the regions of the boot.

Like its French neighbour, the Italian vineyard is structured by appellations and certifications. They are divided into four categories: 

• Vino Da Tavola: understand "table wine".
• Indicazione Geographica Tipica (IGT): Wines highlighting specific geographical situations, with more flexible specifications than DOC and DOCG.
• Denominazione di Origine Contrallata (DOC): equivalent to the French AOC, this certification highlights the appellation areas where the grapes come from. There are more than 300 of them in "La Botte".
• Denominazione di Origine Contrallata e Garantita (DOCG): based on the DOC system, this certification highlights the so-called superior quality of an appellation area; we can translate this as a "Grand Cru".

 Organic and biodynamic farming are very present in Italy, as is the "natural" philosophy, which has been in place for some time. In addition to still and sparkling wines, Italy offers natural sweet wines and many so-called orange wines (white wine from maceration).

Through the selection of Petites CavesYou will be able to discover the Italian vineyard with organic, biodynamic and natural wines that will seduce you thanks to the exceptional work of the selected winemakers. Naturalmente!