The Italian term Vino da tavola means, literally, table wine. In reality, it refers to wines without appellations or ordinary wines. For U.S. Customs, the appellation or denomination is of no interest; the level of alcohol in the wines is the determining factor. Below 14 degrees, it is a table wine; above, it is a dessert wine. In the Italian sense of the term Vino da tavola, is a non-denomination. There are no regulations for the category beyond those imposed by health, safety and fiscal authorities, which are of general application. 

 

In the period immediately following the introduction of the DOC system, many producers throughout Italy began to engage in far-reaching experiments. They developed wines that, in many cases, attracted praise and consumers throughout the world. But the varieties of grapes they used and/or the techniques of vinification or maturation they adopted were not authorized within DOC production regulations. As a result, many of Italy's most exciting wines - at least in the opinion of critics and aficionados worldwide, as indicated by the high prices that many were able to fetch - were relegated to Vino da tavola status. 

 

In creating the Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) category, Italian authorities provided a way for producers to obtain official recognition of their wines. In addition, revisions in individual DOC regulations have made it possible to incorporate specific vini da tavola. The category will remain in place, since some of the new wines will still not satisfy the DOC or IGT requirements, but it is certain to shrink substantially in the future.