Our Top 100 Wines of Italy of 2025 underscore the rising influence of Mount Etna as a world-class wine region and the growing need for high-quality Italian wines to remain reasonably priced. Today’s drinkers value wines with freshness, drinkability and character but they don't want to spend a fortune for them. We hope wine producers take that message to heart when they read this.

In our search, we’ve looked for what last century’s influential Italian wine and food writer Mario Soldati, in Vino al Vino (1971), called “good wine in spite of the label” – bottles that rise above marketing trends and offer a more honest, transparent view of Italian winemaking at its best. If Soldati were alive today, Etna would likely top his list. The volcanic vineyards of Mount Etna – planted on steep slopes reaching up to 750 meters – continue to produce wines of singular identity, shaped by their minerality, balance and tension.

Etna wines are no longer just a trend. They’re competing with the world’s best while maintaining their sense of place. With vivid fruit, racy acidity and vibrant energy, Etna reds and whites are compelling on release – and at under $80 a bottle, they offer exceptional value.

One of the clearest examples of that potential is the Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso San Lorenzo 2023, our Italian Wine of the Year. Made from nerello mascalese planted in the 1950s, it captures pure volcanic expression with aromas of wild herbs, blood orange, red cherry and cinnamon. The palate is fleshy and full-bodied yet lifted by crisp acidity and silky tannins. And at an average price of $66, according to internet wine sales platform Wine-Searcher, it’s outstanding value.

In fact, all of our Top 10 Italian wines this year are priced at $80 or less. That’s a conscious shift. In recent years, many of Italy’s best wines have doubled or even tripled in price since the Covid-19 pandemic, pushing them beyond reach for most consumers. But wine is meant to be opened, shared and enjoyed. When a bottle becomes too expensive, it loses its purpose.

Another standout value is the No. 10 Les Crêtes Pinot Nero Valle d'Aosta Revei 2022, which is priced at just $35. Senior Editor Aldo Fiordelli and I have spent decades searching for great pinot noir in Italy, and this one delivers. Transparent and vivid, it shows sliced strawberries, crushed stones, dried rose petals and a touch of stem. Full-bodied and refined, it’s a wine with elegance and aging potential, although we recommend drinking it now.

Both wines reflect a broader trend: the move to higher-elevation vineyards. As climate change shifts growing conditions, sites between 650 and 800 meters are key to preserving freshness and structure – qualities essential to truly great wines.

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The main criteria for selecting our wines for the Top 100 Italian Wines 2025 list were quality and price, followed by what we call the “wow factor” – the emotional response a truly great wine gives us. Most of the wines on the list are rated 98 or 97 points and have an average price of about $125 a bottle, but we tried to find wines for much less than that, as you can see. A few are much more expensive, but we just could not leave them out because of their incredible quality.

To qualify, wines needed to have a minimum production of 3,000 bottles. A few of the selections may not yet be available on the market but will be released soon. Others may be slightly less than the minimum production but we had to include them on our list.

White wines are gaining great momentum in Italy, and they show up in spades among the top 100. At No. 2, the Pieropan Soave Classico La Rocca 2023 comes from chalky limestone soils – unusual in a region known for volcanic terrain. It’s one of Italy’s most distinctive and consistent whites, priced around $50. Our No. 5 Italian wine, the Petrolo Trebbiano Toscana Bòggina B 2023, is made from old vines and vinified using full Burgundian methods, proving that trebbiano can reach world-class heights.

At No. 7, the Foradori Pinot Grigio Vigneti delle Dolomiti Fuoripista 2023 is made in terracotta amphorae by Elisabetta Foradori, a master of Alpine viticulture. With depth, grip and texture, it’s a brilliant wine at $40. And at No. 8, the Maugeri Etna Bianco Superiore Contrada Praino Frontemare 2023 shows the electric energy of high-altitude, volcanic-grown whites with a mineral-driven finish.

The rest of the Top 10 includes benchmark DOCGs that bridge tradition and modernity: the Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso 2020 (No. 3), Marcarini Barolo Brunate 2021 (No. 4), Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo 2022 (No. 6), and Boscarelli Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Costa Grande 2021 (No. 9). Each reflects its place with precision, clarity and finesse.

It should come as no surprise that of the 100 wines listed here, 81 are red and 16 are white, with the remaining three comprising one orange, one dessert and one sparkling. This reflects the traditional dominance of red wines in Italy – especially from Tuscany and Piedmont – but also points to the growing appreciation for high-quality whites and alternative styles from regions such as Etna, Valle d’Aosta and Alto Adige.

Tuscany continues to lead the way, as it does nearly every year, with 44 of the 100 wines. Piedmont comes in second with 26 selections, followed by Sicily with seven and Trentino-Alto Adige with six. These numbers show just how concentrated the top wines still are in Italy’s historic regions, while also highlighting the momentum building in the south and the far north.

Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino remain the strongest appellations on our list, with 22 and 18 wines, respectively. This also reflects the outstanding vintages recently released from both zones – 2021 in Barolo and 2019 for single-vineyard and riserva Brunellos. These two appellations continue to define the standard for ageworthy Italian reds, even as other regions grow in stature.

Top Barolo entries include the Marcarini Barolo Brunate 2021, Paolo Scavino Barolo Bussia Vigna Fantini 2021, G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 2021 and Ceretto Barolo Brunate 2021. All four wines capture the elegance and structure of the 2021 vintage with clarity and depth.

In Brunello, standout producers include Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona with its Brunello di Montalcino Pianrosso 2020, Il Marroneto and its Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie 2020, Livio Sassetti (Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2019) Renieri (Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2019) and Valdicava and its Brunello di Montalcino Madonna del Piano Riserva 2019, among others. Each of these bottlings is a benchmark in its own right, offering richness and balance along with a clear sense of place.

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And some outliers to consider are wines from the Valle d’Aosta, such as the Rosset Valle d'Aosta Sopraquota 900 2023 and the Les Crêtes Revei 2022, as well as Foradori's Fuoripista 2023, which is one of my favorite orange wines.

One other point. And it’s personal. Farming my own pinot noir in New Zealand has taught me something essential: great wine doesn’t just come from great terroir – it comes from people who care deeply for their vines. After 44 years as a wine critic, I’ve experienced firsthand how much knowledge, dedication and intuition it takes to grow great grapes. In an era of climate pressure, that care matters more than ever.

Aldo and I know many of the producers on this list personally. Some farm just a few hectares; others manage large estates. But they all share one thing: a deep commitment to their viticulture and winemaking. That’s what makes this Top 100 special. We thank them for their passion – and for the wines that reflect it so clearly.

– James Suckling, CEO & Publisher

This report is based on nearly 9,000 Italian wines tasted over the past 12 months exclusively by JamesSuckling.com. It will also be featured in the new Corriere della Sera Wine Guide, published by Italy’s largest daily newspaper, which reaches more than five million readers.

Note: You can sort the wines below by vintage, score and alphabetically by winery name. You can also search for specific wines in the search bar.