Italy is a wine-producing nation full of superlatives. It's one of the oldest, with an ancestry tracing back to the Ancient Greeks and Etruscans and, alongside France, certainly one of the largest.
Yet, as a single entity, Italy is a bit of an enigma. It's a long, narrow and mountainous country that stretches from the Alps to Sicily, with an enormous range of soils and climate. Factor in more than 100 different grape varieties, it is immediately apparent that Italian wines have a markedly individual character.