Italian DOC wines, or Denominazione di Origine Controllata, come from specific geographical regions made with specific grapes, and viticultural and winemaking practices.
Here’s a quick guide to DOC wine meaning.
What’s Denominazione di Origine Controllata – DOC
DOC Italian wines are the second highest quality level.
Denominazione di Origine Controllata, or “designation of controlled origin” Italian wines adhere to strict production rules for quality and authenticity.
As of 2022, there are now 330 DOC wine regions all over Italy. Each DOC region has its own regulations for the permitted grape varieties, maximum yields, viticultural practices, and winemaking rules.
DOC Italian wines can be white, red, rosato, or even sparkling wines depending on the region’s winemaking regulations.
DOC wines typically allow higher yields (more fruit per acre or hectare) than the DOCG classification and cover larger areas of land than DOCG wines.
DOC wines may not have the same strict aging requirements as their DOCG counterparts. All of these translate into DOC Italian wines that are still excellent, but perhaps not as concentrated as the DOCG Italian wines.
It also means that total production costs are lower making your bottle of DOC Italian wine less expensive.
Tip: Want to buy a bottle of Chianti wine? Tuscany has many sub-regions all making delicious Chianti. Check out this quick how-to Chianti buying post I wrote to help you crack the Chianti code.
What Italian DOC Wines to Try
If you’re looking to try delicious Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) Italian wines, check out some of the following:
- Orvieto (Umbria) – White wine
- Soave (Veneto) – White wine
- Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Abruzzo) – Red wine
- Valpolicella (Veneto) – Red wine
- Salice Salentino (Puglia) – Red Wine
Italy Wine Classifications: At-a-Glance
The three main classifications for Italian wine you should know are:
- Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)
- Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)
- Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT)
Italy established a quality ranking system for its wines back in the 1960s as a way to help consumers identify what was in their bottles. Italian wine producers label their wines by region, not necessarily grape variety.
Visit the full explanation of the Italian wine classification here.
Final Thoughts – DOC Wine Meaning
When shopping for Italian wine, a label with DOC means that the winemaker had to follow certain quality controls. Italian DOC wines, the second highest quality tier, are affordable everyday drinkers.
Thirsty for More?
The single best way to learn about the differences between DOC, DOCG, and IGT wine is to do side-by-side comparisons with wine flights. Check out this post I put together to get you started with wine flights.
Aaaand… If you’re just getting started out with wine, I put together this helpful overview of food with wine pairing to get you started. Side note – I spend just as much time thinking about food with wine pairing as I do deciding what I’m going to eat every night. Utter hedonism. What can I say?
If you’re just getting into Italian wines, may I suggest exploring Friulano wines, a lesser-known white wine that will absolutely enchant you. You’ll find it right next to the Chianti in your local wine shop.
Here’s a post on Nebbiolo wines, Chianti’s northern neighbor, some of the most age-worthy Italian wines.
If you’ve never tried Negroamaro, then you’re missing out on this delightful Italian red. Go find out why.
