Italy has a unique wine heritage. It boasts literally hundreds of its own indigenous grape varieties, and has classic wine regions to rival the best of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Yet, for too long, Italy has remained under the shadow of France, partly due to poor winemaking practices and a haphazard approach to marketing and distribution. Within the past generation or so, Italy has, at long last, begun to punch its weight. After all, didn't the Romans teach the Gauls how to make wine in the first place?