Best Italian white wine 2022: eight award-winning bottles to try

Italy is home to so many regions and grape varieties that you could drink wine from that country alone for the rest of your life and still discover something new every time. And if you’re looking for the best Italian white wines, there’s never been a better time to start.

Pinot Grigio may dominate wine lists, but there’s so much more to Italian white wine, and so many interesting varieties to try. In the north of Italy, you’ll find the likes of Friuliano, which offers floral and citrus notes, the apple-tinged Garganega, and the stone-fruit-accented Cortese, which is used to make Gavi.

Head further south and you’ll find Pecorino, with its zesty, lemon aromas, and over in Sardinia, Vermentino is ideal for those who prefer a fuller-bodied white.

Scoring big in this year’s IWSC was a sweet wine that scored 96/100, Fattoria La Vialla, Vin Santo del Chianti Riserva 2016, which wowed the judges with its ‘pronounced fruit flavours of raisin, dates, dried apricot and orange’.

Moving south to Sicily, Sibiliana Vini, Eughenes Zibibbo 2021 earned itself a Silver medal, an Italian white wine made from the Zibibbo grape (also known as Muscat of Alexandria) and noted for its ‘elements of savoury spice like lemongrass, and tropical aromas of papaya.’

Every Italian white wine in this year’s IWSC was tasted blind by a panel of experts, chaired by Master of Wine Alistair Cooper. Assisting in tasting were Kelly Stevenson, director of JetVine, and managing director of Woodwinters Andrew Johnson, among others.

This year’s selection showed the huge range of what this wine-loving country has to offer. Here is our pick of the best Italian white wines from the IWSC 2022.

a vineyard and church in piedmont, italy — A vineyard in Piedmont, Italy, where the Cortese grape thrives

HOW DO WE JUDGE THESE WINES?

We run a tightly structured, rigorous wine tasting process. That means that each wine sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC wine judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the wine industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.

HOW DO WE SCORE THESE WINES?

Only the best wines sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, wines have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.

MORE FROM CLUB OENOLOGIQUE

Club O is an exclusive community and the go-to platform for wine and spirit lovers. Our flagship Club Oenologique magazine offers even more insights for enthusiasts and collectors. Based in London, our editorial team tells informative, inspirational stories from the world of wine and spirits, gastronomy and travel, as well as covering recommendations and the latest trends in drink. You can take a look at our Explained series, for instance, where we’re tackling grape varieties, regions and styles of wine and spirits. Alternatively, visit our Ask the Sommelier section, where experts answer your wine-related questions.