Perhaps Italy had a head start on the rest of Europe, as the Romans certainly had a great deal to do with the spread of wine growing through the western world. Today, it is the world’s largest wine producer. Like the Germans, the Italians have enjoyed a reputation of keeping their best wines for themselves and supplying the rest of the world with anonymous “plonk”. However, this has changed in recent years and Italy is exporting an increasing number of quality wines.

Local grapes include Arneis, Barbera, Canelli (Asti Spumante), Brachetto, Cortese, Dolcetto, Freisa, Grignolino, Nebbiolo, Pigato, Prosecco, Raboso, Ribolla Gialla, Rossese and Vermentino, to name only a few. Italy is well known for such wines as Bardolino, Soave and Valpolicella, as well as for perhaps the best known Chianti.

The main wine regions in Italy are Abruzzo, Apulia, Basiliicata, Calabria, Campania, Elilia, Friuli Venezia, Latium, Liguria, Lombardy, Romagna and Sicily. The largest 2 wine producing regions are Apulia and Sicily.

Among Italy’s best wine producers are Borgo del Tiglio, Cantina Terlano, Cottanero, Germano Ettore, La Corte, La Salette, Orlando Abrigo, Tenuta Caparzo and Tenuot le Querce.