Italy is the largest producer of wines in the world. In fact it is more like a continent than a country when it comes to viticulture. Here you have a country that has only been a unified nation for a little more than 150 years and is comprised of 20 or regions, each of which has its own clutch of grape varieties, climates and cultures. No other country has as many grape varieties, appellations (known as DOCs or DOCGs here), wine producers, or climates as Italy leading to an unparalleled variety of wines.