The eagle-eyed among you may have seen the letters DOCG, DOC, IGT or VdT on Italian wine labels, but what do they mean?
These classifications, based on Italy’s wine system since the 1960s and aligned with EU terminology, indicate quality and control levels. DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) divides into DOCG and DOC. IGP (Protected Geographic Indication) and VdT (‘table wine’) have fewer restrictions, but some quality wines may be labeled VdT due to producer preferences.
The classifications guide consumers but don’t always guarantee quality, as good wines can exist outside the highest tiers.
Since the introduction of Italy’s first wine classification system in the early 1960s, it has undergone several key updates and refinements. The modern-day hierarchy has three tiers, and the names are in line with European Union terminology:
- DOP – Denominazione d’Origine Protetta / Protected Designation of Origin (divided into DOC & DOCG)
- IGP – Indicazione Geografica Protetta / Protected Geographic Indication
- VdT – Vino da Tavola / Table Wine
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"}
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