The spirit of Italy

Wine has been produced in Italy since, at least, the 8th century BCE and flourished with the expansion of the both the Republic and the Roman Empire under the Caesars

Italy is both the world’s largest producer as well as the largest exporter of wine. In 2015, the country churned out 4.95 billion litres of wine, but consumed only 2.05 billion, leaving about 2.9 billion litres surplus.

All 20 districts in Italy produce wine, with the grapes (and the wines produced there) all differing from one another. This is surely due to the country’s geography. The Italian “boot” has a backbone in the Appenine mountains that run from the northern plains right down to the toe, and continue into the Sicilian hills. While their highest points are a modest 6,000-7,000