Welcome to our 2025 Italy guide
James Button, Decanter Regional Editor for Italy
This annual guide is one of the highlights of my year as Italy Regional Editor, and it’s a great feeling to see the fruition of all our hard work in print. It’s an impossible task to encapsulate everything happening in this dynamic country in anything less than a book of many hundreds of pages, but I think we’ve covered a tremendous amount of ground given the space constraints.
Start with Uncorked for a few bitesize details about what is happening in Italy’s world of wine, and then turn to our two collaborative efforts: a vox pop on star food pairings to go with Italian wine styles and our Tuscany insiders’ guide, gathering together nine pages of top tips and local insight from our on-the-ground Italy experts in preparation for your next visit.
We take a look at new developments in the traditionally fortified stronghold of Marsala, where there’s – among other things – an ambitious new project by Italy’s three MWs (‘Modern Marsala’). We also have an Etna-focused guest column written by wine educator and Italy’s next (fingers crossed) Master of Wine, Cristina Mercuri.
Not sure what to pick to restock the wine rack this autumn? Jason Millar makes it simple for you by putting together two mixed cases – one with wines under £20, the other £20 and above. Whether you’re after everyday drinking or ‘occasion’ wines, he’s chosen some great picks from across Italy.
If you’re looking to dive a bit deeper into Italian wine, our two features ‘Cool Barolo’ and ‘Another Campania’ will go a long way t sating your appetite – or should that be quenching your thirst? The former investigates how once undervalued, cooler sub-zones in Barolo are finally joining the conversation due to changing climate conditions, while the latter uncovers the under-the-radar wines made around the stunning Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius.
And if you need convincing of Italy’s extraordinary diversity of wine styles and regional identities, Demet Güzey speaks with winemakers along Italy’s northern frontier regions, which share more than just borders with neighbouring countries.
I hope you enjoy reading all of this as much as we enjoyed putting it all together! Alla prossima
