Vineyards for Sale in Italy

Vineyards for Sale in Italy

Italy has long charmed visitors with its art, culture, food, and perhaps most importantly, with its wine. Italian grapes have incredible versatility and can be crafted into red, white, rose, sparkling, and fortified wines ranging from ultra-sweet to bone-dry. Unsurprisingly, Italy is one of the top exporters of wine across the European Union. Italy’s mild Mediterranean climate and rich soil allow many varieties of wine grapes to flourish, with almost 400 different kinds growing across the country. Second in global wine production only to France, Italy is a favorite of wine tourists and connoisseurs from every continent. If you’re looking to start a vineyard or take over established vines, Italy is the perfect place. 

Given a climate ideal for viticulture, it should come as no surprise that Italy has a long history of winemaking. In fact, Italy has been perfecting the cultivation of wine grapes for more than 4,000 years. Before the Greeks ever stepped foot in southern Italy, wine had become an essential element of the food culture in the region. When the Greeks arrived, they were so amazed that the Italian countryside was so hospitable to wine grapes that they named the region “Oenotria,” which means the land of wine. Over the next millennia, Italian vineyards and winemakers worked to refine their craft and cement their reputation. Italian winemakers grew in popularity as Catholicism rose in importance because the high quality of Italian wine made it the perfect choice to use in sacraments. Many of Italy’s grape vines were destroyed in the 19th century by the vine louse phylloxera, but most of those vineyards have been replanted and are currently thriving. Today, Italy is one of the world’s best-known and most diverse wine producers.

While wine grapes are grown in every region of Italy, some regions are more productive than others. Combined, the country’s three top wine-producing regions grow about 60% of all Italian wine grapes. Veneto, Italy’s best producer, exported 2.2 billion euros of wine in 2018 alone. Tucked away in northeastern Italy, Veneto is arguably the most important region for Italian wine. Veneto is small in size but it nonetheless out-produces all of the other regions. Many kinds of wine grapes thrive in Veneto, including grapes used to make sparkling, white, and red wines. The region is perhaps best known for its outstanding Prosecco, a sparkling wine crafted using Glera wine grapes. The second highest wine exporter is the well-known Piedmont region located at the base of the Alps. The Piedmont region produces the most wine earning the country’s highest designation, DOCG, of all regions in Italy. Piedmont is also home to some of the oldest and most recognizable vineyards and wineries in the country. Tuscany is the main rival of Piedmont. Tuscany and Piedmont are constantly vying to be Italy’s most respected and most visited wine destination. When most people imagine Italian vineyards, the first image to come to mind is likely of Tuscan vineyards on top of the rolling hills between picturesque, historic villages. Tuscany’s famous Sangiovese grapes are used to craft a variety of wines, including Chianti.