Italy

From the cool, Alpine climate of the north-east, to the baking heat of the far south, Italy has a wide range of climatic conditions and soil types, all of which lie within ideal vine-growing latitudes. This land of diverse climates, cultures, and even languages produces a huge variety of wines, all with a distinctive Italian twist.

Northern Italy is a good source of dry, aromatic whites, with the regions of Tuscany (Central), Piedmont (North-west) and Veneto (North-east) producing the majority of the quality Italian wine found in wine shops.

Further south, in the heat of Puglia, Sicily and Sardinia, a whole range of exotic red grapes thrive, such as Negroamaro, Aglianico and Primitivo (the USA's Zinfandel).

Whatever your price range, it should be easy to find a really classy bottle of Italian wine. Even if you're not quite sure what you're getting, it's worth a try - experimenting is half the fun.