Forget Barolo and Chianti. There are hundreds of indigenous grape varieties in Italy, which make wines that you probably have never tried. The Italian National Registry of Grapes (Registro Nazionale delle Varietà di Vite) lists almost 600 kinds, more than in France, Spain and Greece combined.

While some of them are blended with more important better-known grapes, many make spectacular wines for the curious connoisseur with a thirst for something special. These wines offer a taste of the past as they don’t follow fickle trends but stay true to centuries-old local traditions.