Wine does not rank high on the list of Lombardy's numerous industries. The citizens of this most populous and well-to-do region are better noted as consumers than producers of wine. Still, even though output is much less than that of neighboring Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont, Lombardians do make some fine wine, a growing share of which is truly excellent.

Just why the inhabitants (the eclectic Milanese, in particular) downplay local wines is hard to explain. But regional wines are often upstaged on restaurant lists by the reds of Tuscany and Piedmont and the whites of the Venezie (Veneto, Trentino and Friuli). Many of the 6 million bottles of Nebbiolo reds produced annually in the Alpine Valtellina are spirited away by the neighboring Swiss before Italians have a chance at them.

On the other hand, Lombardians do show growing signs of pride in their preferences for the metodo classico sparkling wines of Franciacorta, which have attained the status of DOCG (while the red and white wines of the zone come under the Terre di Franciacorta DOC).

Regional Wine Appellations:

DOCG
Franciacorta
Sforzato di Valtellina or Sfursat di Valtellina
Valtellina Superiore

DOC
Botticino
Capriano del Colle
Cellatica
Garda
Garda Colli Mantovani
Lambrusco Mantovano
Lugana
Moscato di Scanzo
Oltrepo Pavese
Riviera del Garda Bresciano
San Colombano al Lambro
San Martino della Battaglia
Terre di Franciacorta
Valcalepio
Valtellina Rosso or Rosso di Valtellina

IGT
Alto Mincio
Benaco Bresciano
Bergamasca
Collina del Milanese
Montenetto di Brescia
Provincia di Mantova or Mantova
Provincia di Pavia or Pavia
Quistello
Ronchi di Brescia
Sabbioneta
Sebino
Terrazze Retiche di Sondrio
Valcamonica