Italy makes more organic wine than any other country. That is not a marketing claim; it is an EU agricultural statistic. Italy has over 120,000 hectares of organic vineyard, roughly a sixth of its total vine area. And unlike countries where "organic" arrived as a premium retail category, many Italian producers have been farming this way for generations. They just called it farming.
We carry organic wines from across the Italian peninsula, from the Alpine foothills of Trentino to the volcanic slopes of Etna. Here is what to know about each region and the producers we work with.
Piedmont
Piedmont is where Italian wine gets serious. Barolo and Barbaresco are the headliners, both made from Nebbiolo, a grape that demands specific conditions and rewards patience. Organic farming here is a statement: these are steep, labor-intensive vineyards where doing things by hand is not a lifestyle choice but a geographic requirement.
We carry three Barolos from Tenuta Cucco, a certified organic estate in Serralunga d'Alba:
- Langhe Nebbiolo 2021 ($36.90) is the entry point. Same grapes, same estate, shorter aging. A good way to learn what Nebbiolo tastes like before committing to a Barolo.
- Barolo Serralunga d'Alba 2018 ($72.90) is the classic village expression.
- Barolo Cerrati 2018 ($92.90) is the single-cru, our highest-scored wine at 94 points.
Also from Piedmont: Barbera d'Alba Superiore 2020 ($33.90), a versatile red that pairs with almost anything.
Tuscany
Tuscany is the region most Americans think of when they think Italian wine. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, and the so-called Super Tuscans have defined the category for decades. Organic viticulture is well-established here, particularly in the Maremma coastal zone and in the hills around Rufina.
Our Tuscan selection runs from everyday to cellar-worthy:
- Querciabella Mongrana 2020 ($29.90) is a Sangiovese-Merlot-Cabernet blend from the Maremma. Querciabella is one of Italy's most respected biodynamic estates.
- Chianti Rufina DOCG Riserva 2018 ($59.90) from Fattoria Lavacchio, a producer who also makes no-added-sulfite wines.
- Chianti Classico Riserva 2017 ($55.90) from Castello di Verrazzano, the estate named for the explorer who reached New York harbor in 1524.
- Brunello di Montalcino 2016 ($71.90) from Col d'Orcia, one of the appellation's benchmark producers.
Veneto and Friuli
Northeast Italy is white wine territory. The mineral-driven whites from Friuli Venezia Giulia and the crisp, approachable wines of the Veneto are among Italy's best values, and several producers here have embraced organic and no-added-sulfite winemaking.
- Pinot Grigio delle Venezie 2022 ($20.90) from Gorgo. No added sulfites, certified organic. Our most popular white.
- Soave Classico 2018 ($33.90) from Pieropan, the estate that single-handedly revived Soave's reputation.
- Pinot Grigio Collio 2021 ($26.90) from the Clivi estate. A more structured, complex Pinot Grigio from the hills above Gorizia.
- Borgo Luna Prosecco DOC ($19.90) from La Vigna di Sarah in Valdobbiadene, harvested under the full moon.
Sardinia
Sardinia's isolation from the mainland preserved grape varieties and farming traditions that disappeared elsewhere. The island's Vermentino, grown in sandy Mediterranean soils with constant sea breezes, is unlike any Vermentino you will find on the Tuscan coast.
- Vermentino di Sardegna 2021 ($26.90) from Antonella Corda. Bright, mineral, with a saline finish that comes from growing grapes a few miles from the sea.
Sicily and Southern Italy
Southern Italy and the islands are where organic farming makes the most intuitive sense. Hot, dry summers mean fewer pest pressures and less temptation to spray. Volcanic soils on Etna and in Campania add mineral complexity that chemical farming would mask.
- Etna Rosato 2019 ($29.90) from the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna. A rose with the minerality and structure of a red.
- Nerobaronj Terre Siciliane 2017 ($40.90) from Guiliana in western Sicily. Nero d'Avola at its most concentrated.
- Aglianico del Vulture 2017 ($27.90) from Basilicata. Grifalco's vines grow in volcanic soil at 600 meters elevation.
- Taurasi DOCG 2012 ($47.90) from Campania. Southern Italy's answer to Barolo, made from Aglianico with years of aging.
Where to start
If you are new to Italian organic wine, three bottles will give you a wide-angle view of what is out there:
- Gorgo Pinot Grigio ($20.90) for a crisp, no-fuss white
- Tenuta Cucco Langhe Nebbiolo ($36.90) for an elegant Piedmont red
- Querciabella Mongrana ($29.90) for a food-friendly Tuscan blend
Browse our full Italian wine collection for everything we carry from the peninsula.