After the glories of 1990 Italian producers came down to earth with a bump in 1991. In Piedmont the spring was very cold but was followed by a long, hot and very dry summer. In rained heavily in October and those producers who managed to harvest before the rains have fared the best. Overall the quality was variable, although top producers such as Gaja and Aldo Conterno produced extremely noteworthy wines.

The summer was equally warm and dry in Tuscany but as in Piedmont the rains fell in September. However, the rains were more sporadic than in Piedmont and many growers were able to harvest in the intervening dry periods. Quality is generally high, with the finest wines emerging from Montalcino.