In Lazio, there are 27 DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) designations, offering a wide range of wine styles. Three DOCs are focused on white wines: the Frascati DOC, just southeast of Rome, takes its name from one of the many picturesque fortified villages around which the Castelli Romani DOC denomination is based. The Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone DOC encompasses an area around Lake Bolsena, and despite its singular name, it is the least known outside the region’s borders. The Roma DOC denomination was established in 2011 to provide a commercial brand for producers whose vineyards are not covered by other denominations. Indeed, although overlapping entirely or partially with many other Lazio DOCs, it is unlikely that Frascati producers would label their wines as Roma DOC, while producers in some of the lesser-known locations might take advantage of the capital’s name on the label. Other famous DOCs include Orvieto DOC, partially shared with Umbria, and Marino DOC. Around Lake Bolsena, Aleatico is cultivated, which is used to produce Aleatico di Gradoli DOC, a sweet red wine that is also available in a fortified style.
Two of the three DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) designations in Lazio once again highlight the area of Frascati. The first is Frascati Superiore DOCG for dry white wines, while Cannellino di Frascati DOCG is reserved exclusively for sweet wines. The third DOCG is Cesanese del Piglio DOCG. Its territory lies in the hilly area east of Rome, where the municipality of Piglio is located, which also hosts two other denominations reserved for the Cesanese grape, Cesanese di Olevano Romano DOC and Cesanese di Affile DOC. The Velletri DOC features a robust red wine based on Sangiovese, Cesanese, Montepulciano, Merlot, and Ciliegiolo, also in a riserva style.
In Lazio, there are six IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) designations. Among these, Lazio IGT is the most well-known and widespread. The production regulations for IGTs are less stringent than those for DOCG and DOC, allowing the use in wines of all grape varieties suitable for winemaking in the Lazio region, including recently rediscovered indigenous varieties and others from different regions only sporadically cultivated in Lazio.
