The ancient Greeks called Italy "Oenotria," the land of wine. In Italy, grapevines grow everywhere; making wine is as natural as eating or breathing. Italian wines and styles are abundant with so many wine regions and over a thousand distinct grape varieties. The critical wine regions to know are Piedmont, Lombardy, The Tre Venezie, Tuscany, Umbria, Abruzzi, Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, and Sardinia. Italian wines can vary substantially in flavor, texture, body, and composition. The most famous wines of Italy are Sassicaia, Tignanello, Masseto, Ornellaia, Solaia, Flaccianello, Conterno Mondortino, Gaja Barbaresco, Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino, and Masi Costasera Amarone Della Valpolicella.

Italy