IGT is the Italian acronym for ‘Indicazione Geografica Tipica’.

 Created in 1992, IGTs were intended to provide a tier above the basic Vino da Tavola (VdT) for quality wines that didn’t meet the regulations for DOC or DOCG. So-called Super Tuscan wines are a prime example. Thus IGT Wines (Typical Geographical Indication) are placed on the second level of the pyramid where Italian Law guidelines becomes tighter. A protocol of regulation is provided and enforced even if rules are not as strict as for DOC or DOCG. The IGT category is characterized by the indication of the geographic area of origin, while the basic vineyard and production year are not a legal requirement, and therefore, may or may not be placed on the label. Up to 80% of the grapes used to produce these wines have to come from the area in which the wine is made and the wine itself has to have more than a passing resemblance to those historically produced in that region (hence the adjective tipico or typical). By allowing more leeway in the grape varieties that can be used, more creative producers have greater freedom to experiment and try new approaches to winemaking. Clearly, for average producers the IGT becomes instead a bucket category with which to label wines made up of excess lower quality grapes, that is not used to make DOC wines for example.