Vino da Tavola was the most basic classification of Italian wines. It is now renamed simply "Vino" and appears on labels as Vino d'Italia. The original name literally means "table wine" as opposed to premium wines from specific geographical locations (see EU wine label). In May 2011, the first legal steps were taken to abolish the Vino da Tavola category, in favor of a New classification of wines called simply Vino.
Typical Vino is a cheap wine blended from several regions and sometimes several Vintages. It is not labeled with its region(s) of origin, nor with its vintage. Vino (da Tavola) is regaining its original status. But in the 1980s and 1990s, some of Italy's most respected (and expensive) wines were labeled as Vino da Tavola.
In the produce aisle of most US supermarkets, choices are clear: the organic section is to the right, or at the very least, organic items are identified on packaging or shelf-talkers. Shoppers willing to pay a few cents more per pound for broccoli grown without synthetic chemicals know where to reach. In the wine aisle? Not so much. There’s more than a bit of confusion, to date at least, with little-understood labels announcing wines are certified sustainable or made from organic grapes. Scroll ...
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Matthew Horsley is a judge at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards. Matthew Horsley Matthew Horsley is a buyer at The Wine Society, having worked for them for over 9 years. After graduating university with a degree in Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies, Matthew joined The Wine Society as a Christmas temp before joining the Tastings and Events Team where he spent three and a half years. He joined the Buying Department in 2017 and now buys the wines of England, Greece and Hungary for The So ...