If wine country is famous for one thing, it is Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. In Napa and Sonoma, those three grape varieties dominate. They are world-class, internationally recognized, and the reason millions of tourists make the drive every year. But there is another wine country — older, deeper, more diverse — that often hides in plain sight on the wine lists of California’s best Italian restaurants. The wine country of Italy.
Italian wine is one of the most rewarding rabbit holes in the world. Italy is home to over five hundred indigenous grape varieties, twenty different wine regions, and traditions that go back thousands of years. For most people, the entry point is just three or four region names. Once you know what those regions taste like, the rest of the Italian wine list starts to make sense — and you start to find your favorites.
Here is a beginner’s guide to the Italian wine regions you are most likely to see at a good Italian restaurant in Santa Rosa, and what to order from each.
Tuscany — The Wine Region You Already Half-Know
Tuscany is the most famous Italian wine region in America, and for good reason. This is the home of Chianti — the rounded, rustic, easy-drinking red that everyone has tasted at least once. But Tuscany is much more than Chianti. The region also produces Brunello di Montalcino (Italy’s most prestigious red, made from the Sangiovese Grosso grape), Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (a slightly lighter but elegant Sangiovese), and the so-called “Super Tuscans” (international-style reds that broke Italian wine rules and made the region world famous).
The common thread across all Tuscan reds is Sangiovese — the grape, the soul, the signature. It tastes of red cherry, dried herbs, dust, and tobacco. It is the perfect partner for tomato-based Italian dishes — lasagna, ragù, slow-braised meats. Look for Chianti Classico for an everyday pour, or a Brunello for a special occasion.
Piedmont — Italy’s Burgundy
If Tuscany is Italy’s most famous wine region, Piedmont is its most refined. Located in the foothills of the Italian Alps, Piedmont produces some of the longest-lived, most complex reds in the world: Barolo and Barbaresco, both made from the Nebbiolo grape. Barolo is bigger and more tannic; Barbaresco is silkier and more elegant. Both age for decades.
But Piedmont is not only Nebbiolo. The region also makes Barbera (a bright, food-friendly red) and Dolcetto (a lighter, simpler everyday red). And it produces some of the best sparkling and dessert wines in Italy — including Moscato d’Asti, the lightly sparkling sweet white that has become a global staple. The Vietti producer in Piedmont is one of the great Italian wine houses.
Piedmont wines pair beautifully with white truffles, slow-cooked ragùs, and hearty winter cooking. They are also wonderful with grilled meat. If you see a Vietti Moscato d’Asti or a Famiglia Rivetti Langhe Nebbiolo on a wine list, both are excellent entry points.
Sicily — The Volcanic Surprise
Sicily was, for a long time, considered Italy’s bulk wine region — high volume, low prestige. That has changed dramatically in the last twenty years. Today, Sicily is one of the most exciting wine regions in Europe, especially the area around Mount Etna, where vineyards grow on volcanic soil at high altitude.
The two grapes to know from Sicily are Nero d’Avola (the signature red — dark cherry, plum, gentle warmth) and Nerello Mascalese (the grape of Etna Rosso — light-bodied, mineral, almost Burgundian). Sicilian whites are also worth seeking out: Grillo (zesty and saline), Etna Bianco (volcanic and floral), Carricante (the high-altitude Etna white).
Sicilian wines pair beautifully with seafood, lighter pastas, and the bold spice of Calabrian chili. Look for Feudo Montoni, Pietradolce, or Tornatore on Italian wine lists.
Veneto — Prosecco, Amarone, and Everything Between
Veneto, in northeastern Italy, is the region behind both Italy’s most-consumed sparkling wine (Prosecco, from Valdobbiadene) and one of its most famous big reds (Amarone della Valpolicella, made from grapes dried for months before fermentation). The contrast is fascinating: Veneto produces both the easiest-to-drink Italian wine in the world and one of the most powerful.
Prosecco is best understood as Italy’s everyday sparkling wine. It is lighter and fruitier than Champagne, lower in pressure, and built for the aperitivo hour. The good stuff comes from Valdobbiadene DOCG — look for Bisol or Mionetto.
Amarone, at the other end, is a slow, intense, almost port-like red. It pairs with rich meats and aged cheeses. Recioto della Valpolicella, the sweet version of the same dried-grape tradition, is a beautiful dessert wine.
Alto Adige — The Italian Wine Country That Speaks German
In Italy’s far north, just south of Austria, sits Alto Adige — a region where the wine bottles are labeled in both Italian and German, and where some of the country’s most precise, mineral-driven white wines are made. Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay are all grown here at high altitude, with cool nights and steep mountain slopes producing wines of extraordinary clarity and freshness.
Look for Elena Walch or Alois Lageder — the last is biodynamic, one of Italy’s best, and worth seeking out for a special occasion.
How to Drink Across Italy on a Single Wine List
The easiest way to taste Italy at an Italian restaurant in Santa Rosa is to order a wine flight. At Capriciano, our wine list includes three Italian flights — Sparkling, Italian White, and Italian Red — that walk you through the regions in a single sitting. The Italian White Flight pours a Sicilian Grillo, an Etna Bianco, and a Tuscan Vermentino. The Italian Red Flight pours a Sicilian Nero d’Avola, an Etna Rosso, and a Piedmont Nebbiolo. Both flights are designed to do exactly what this article does: introduce you to Italy, one glass at a time.
If you are exploring Italian wine in Santa Rosa, our wine list at Capriciano is built to walk you across the country one bottle at a time. Pair it with a proper antipasti course or handmade pasta to taste the full Italian table.