When it comes to Italian wine, I believe that many wine lovers will think of the complicated Italian wine classification system. Hong Kong Winetrader Supreme Only said that Italy gradually established and perfected its own wine classification system in 1963 and implemented it in 1966. Initially, the Italian wine grading system only had two grades, DOC and VDT. In 1980, the DOCG grade was added, and the IGT grade was added to the grading system in 1992.
The current Italian wines are divided into the following four levels:
VDT (Vino da Tavola): Generally refers to the most ordinary quality local wine.
IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica): A table wine with local characteristics produced in a certain region of Italy. This level requires that at least 85% of the raw materials for brewing grapes come from the designated production area, and must be brewed by wine merchants in the area.
DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata): In a special area, the designated grape varieties are used and the wine must be brewed according to standard technical methods. In other words, DOC-rated Italian wines must meet the standards in terms of color, aroma, taste, alcohol and acidity.
DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita): The highest grade of Italian wine, strictly controlled in terms of grape varieties, harvest, and storage, and must be tasted by a special person. The DOCG assessment review requires on-site tasting and physical and chemical analysis and inspection every six months, and must be selected from wines with five-year DOC ratings.
It is worth mentioning that although the wine classification system has played a great role in improving the image of Italian wines, the system also has certain limitations, such as making winemakers’ winemaking methods more and more obsolete and affecting the innovation of wine styles .
Super Tuscan comes into play in this situation!
Traditional Italian wines must be produced in accordance with the regulations to be marked with the highest level of DOCG. However, some Tuscan winemakers would rather not follow the regulations and be downgraded, but also brew wines that meet the better quality in their minds. These wines are known as Super Tuscans.
Since the birth of Super Tuscany, Italy's high-quality winemaking technology has developed rapidly. Although many Super Tuscan wines do not meet the DOC or DOCG classification, these wines are of very good quality, and some prices are even higher than DOCG wines.
