The DOC sparkling wines of Italy's Lazio region

Lazio, the second most populous (5.9 million people) and second largest economy (170 Billion Euro GDP) of Italy's 20 regions, boasts Rome -- Italy's largest city -- as its capital, the same role it fulfills for the country as a whole. Rome is the center of Italian political -- seat of Government and Parliament -- and religious -- home of the Vatican -- life.

The economy of Lazio spans agriculture (wine grapes, fruits, vegetables, olives), craft, animal husbandry, fishing, and a limited industrial sector but fully 73% of its working population is employed in the services sector supporting government offices and corporate HQs. Tourism associated with the Roman and Etruscan (along the Northern Tuscany border) civilizations is also an important contributor to the economy of the region.

Lazio is comprised of mountains (26.1%), hills (54%), and plains (19.9%) and is, according to Vinous' Ian D'Agata, uniquely suited to viticulture:

• Mild climate
• Rich and varied geological mix of soils (well-drained volcanic soils prevalent)
• Marine breezes
• Adequate rainfall
• Pronounced diurnal temperature shifts
• Plethora of high-quality native grape varieties.

But, until recently, the region has only been known for light white wines suited to immediate consumption. Quality-focused winemakers have, within the last two decades, sought to improve the image of the wines by pursuing a lighter, crisper style. The main grape varieties planted in the region are Malvasia (30%) and Trebbiano (28%).

The chart below shows the DOC regions which specify requirements for the production of sparkling wines within their appellations.

Some observations:

• Nine of the 30 DOC(G) regions have specifications for the production of sparkling wine
• There is only one case (Circeo DOC and Chardonnay) where an international variety is included in the specifications; otherwise, all indigenous varieties 
• There is some clustering of production in the regions to the southeast of Rome
• For the most part, the specifications do not call for dominant-variety blends
• The Trebbiano variety is the most widely utilized variety in Lazio sparkling wines.

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