espite the reduction through this century, Italy still has more types of vines planted than any other country, including natives and a virtually complete range of the so-called international varieties.
The number of officially approved Vitis Vinifera vines runs well into the hundreds and there are even a few non-vinifera vines and hybrids used here and there by the nation's countless do-it-yourself winemakers.
This heritage of vines permits Italy to produce a greater range of distinctive wines than any other nation. Though Italy is most noted for its noble reds for aging, trends also favor more immediate types of rosso, including the vini novelli to be drunk within months of the harvest.
Italy is also a major producer of white wines, ranging in style from light and fruity to oak-aged versions of impressive substance and depth. Some regions are noted for bubbly wines, whether the lightiy fizzy frizzante or the fully sparkling spumante made by either the sealed tank charmat or bottle-fermented classico or tradizionale method.
Without staking claims to supremacy, it seems fair to submit that numerous Italian wines stand with the international elite. But what is perhaps most encouraging is that Italy's premium production continues to expand and improve. Italians have become increasingly committed to meeting the growing demand for wines of quality and character at every level of price.
