HERE IS THE MAP OF ITALIAN WINES THROUGH THE LENS OF GAMBERO ROSSO’S TRE BICCHIERI AWARD. MOST PRIZES AWARDED TO DENOMINATIONS WITH BAROLO HEADING THE LIST, THEN ALTO ADIGE AND THE EXCEPTION IS TUSCANY WHERE THE IGT PREVAIL

What does the map of Italian wines look like through the lens of Gambero Rosso’s "Tre Bicchieri"? The awards went mostly to denominations with Piedmont heading the list (79 "Three glasses", all DOC or DOCG wines), with one exception: Tuscany. Overall 72 won the "Three glasses" award, but the single prevalent type was Typical Geographic Indication wines, which is the legacy of the "power of Super Tuscans" that are still enjoying a solid reputation. And it is also a plus point for those who argue that a specification with a tighter mesh, usually DOC or DOCG compared to TGI, is synonymous with the highest quality.

In the rest of the Italian regions DO wines prevail, even in areas like Sicily, where up until very recently they did not have much appeal. The top awarded denominations of "Wines of Italy" 2015, the guide edited by experts Fabrizio Gianni, Eleonora Guerini and Marco Sabellico, are Barolo, at the absolute top with 31 "Tre Bicchieri", followed Alto Adige with 28. Tuscany is in third place not with one of its more famous wines, but with TGI winning 22 times.

The list continues, awarding 16 "Tre Bicchieri" to Chianti Classico. then there is a trio of names with 11 awards each: the Piedmont wines, Barbaresco and Barbera, and Verdicchio (8 to Castelli di Jesi, 3 to Matelica), flagship wine of the Marche region, where Gambero Rosso "certifies" some of Italy’s great wines.
10 "Tre Bicchieri" for Amarone della Valpolicella, confirmed among the top wines of the Veneto, in the Collio area in Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Brunello di Montalcino. Nine awards to Montepulciano d'Abruzzo as well as to the bubbles of Franciacorta, the most awards to a denomination of Italian sparkling (8 to Trentodoc).

Here is the list, from north to south, of how the Gambero Rosso tasting team drew the map of Italy’s wines...

Due to the limited production area in Val d'Aosta, five "Tre Bicchieri" were awarded to denomination wines.

Much the same for Alto Adige, where, however, there are some distinctions among the "sub denominations" : Val Venosta wines (4 ), Valle Isarco (4) and Terlano (3).

In Trentino, the Trentodoc bubbles dominated with 8 "Tre Bicchieri" while Teroldego and TGI got only one each.

In Piedmont, Barolo wines were awarded 31, followed by Barbaresco (11 "Tre Bicchieri") together with Barbera (where Asti prevailed with 7), then the Tortona Hills with 5 award-winning wines, Roero 4 "Tre Bicchieri" , Dogliani, Erbaluce, Gavi and Langhe 2 awards and finally, one each to Nebbiolo d'Alba, Boca, Bramaterra, Gattinara, Carema, Dolcetto di Ovada and Alta Langa.

In Liguria the "Tre Bicchieri" were shared by the denominations Rossese of Dolceacqua (2), Colli di Luni (2) and Riviera Ligure di Ponente (2), but also an award to the Cinque Terre.
In Lombardy, Franciacorta got 9 "Tre Bicchieri", followed by 7 to OltrepoPavese; 5 to Valtellina and 2 to Lugana.

Gambero Rosso gave the Veneto region 10 awards to the excellent Amarone, followed by 6 to Prosecco di Valdobbiadene (including Cartizze), the Valpolicella with 5, Soave 4, Custoza 3 as well as Colli Euganei, and one each to Bardolino, Lugana, Recioto, Montepello and Asolo Hills, and one to TGI.

In Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Collio denomination got 10 awards, followed the Eastern hills of Friuli with 7, TGI 3 "Tre Bicchieri”, 2 each to Friuli Isonzo and Carso, one each to Friuli Grave and to Rosazzo.

In Emilia Romagna it was a fight to the end to assign the "Tre Bicchieri" to Lambrusco that finally got 6 and Romagna Sangiovese 5 while only one award for the region’s TGI.

In Tuscany, the distribution of the "Tre Bicchieri" honored Chianti Classico (16 in total), followed by Montalcino (11), Bolgheri (6), Nobile di Montepulciano (5), Morellino (3), Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Cortona and Carmignano 2 each, one each to the hills of Lucca, Chianti and Montecucco. But the highest number of awards went to TGI with 22 "Tre Bicchieri".

In the Marche region, 11 "Tre Bicchieri" for Verdicchio (8 for Castelli di Jesi, 3 for Matelica), followed by 3 to the denomination Offida, 2 to Piceno red and one to the TGI.
In Umbria, Montefalco Sagrantino dominates with 7 "Tre Bicchieri", followed by two awards for TGI and one for Torgiano and Orvieto Classico.

In Lazio, 4 awards to IGT, followed by two to Frascati, and one to Cesanese Piglio.

In Abruzzo, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo won 9 "Tre Bicchieri", followed by 3 to Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, and three to Abruzzo.

In Molise, one Three glasses was awarded to Molise Red and one to TGI.

in Campania, 5 awards to Fiano d'Avellino, followed by 4 to Sannio and 4 to TGI, 2 to Taurasi, 2 to Greco di Tufo and one each to Campi Flegrei, Cilento and Amalfi Coast.

In Puglia, the predominant denomination is Gioia del Colle Primitivo with 4 "Tre Bicchieri", followed by 3 to TGI, 2 to Primitivo di Manduria , 2 to Castel del Monte and one to Salice Salentino.

In Basilicata 4 "Tre Bicchieri" were awarded to Aglianico del Vulture.

In Calabria 3 awards went to TGI and only one "Tre Bicchieri" to Muscat di Saracen.

In Sicily the Etna denomination prevails with 6 wines awarded the "Tre Bicchieri", but 7 awards went to TGI . Followed by one award each to Faro, S. Agostino, Passito di Pantelleria, Malvasia delle Lipari, Contea di Sclafani and Cerasuolo.

In Sardinia, 3 awards to Carignano del Sulcis as well as Cannonau di Sardegna, followed by 3 "Tre Bicchieri" to IGT Sardegna, 2 Vermentino di Gallura, and one each to Alghero and Mondralisai.