There's also the less strict DOC (found on Morrisons' The Best Pinot Grigio), followed by IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) and IGP (Protected Geographical Indication), which refer to wines made in the region stated on the bottle. Welcome to Virgin Wines, one of the biggest direct-to-consumer wine retailers in the UK and the proud partner to the all-new Metro Wine Club. Its unique approach to giving wine lovers what they really want helped it win Online Drinks Retailer Of The Year 2022. With a quarter of its imported wines being bottled in the UK and boxes made from 100 per cent recyclable and biodegradable paper, it’s planet-conscious too. Chin chin to that! Who doesn't love a glass (or three) of Pinot Grigio? If you know someone who most definitely does, treat them to this fresh, fun bottle from Virgin Wines. Made in northern Italy with heaps of pear and citrus, this delicious white wine is as full of character as your loved one – the perfect addition to a relaxed evening at home. As part of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s annual Wine Awards, our panel of 10 WSET-accredited experts and consumers sampled 15 bottles of white and red Italian wine. They considered a variety of styles, looking for wines that were a good representation of their grape variety. Each was assessed on its complexity, flavour and finish.

Frappato — this light red wine will take you from summer to winter with ease. Try it lightly chilled with BBQ food, as well as with turkey at Christmas. That’s not to say you should avoid wines without these classifications — on the contrary, this is often where you’ll find the best bargains — but if you’re unsure, the bottles below all have the GHI seal of approval, so you can buy with confidence. Italian food and wine pairings Italian wine tends to be extremely food-friendly – here are some of our winning combinations to try at home. Sangiovese — the ultimate wine for pairing with Italian comfort food classics, sangiovese is crying out for pizza and tomato-based pasta. Mushroom risotto also works well here. How we test Italian wine