In some years Italy produces more wine than any other country in the world- more than 60 million hectoliters. This is a massive quantity - about a quarter of the world's output. Not all is prime quality and much is what comes with a screw-top bottle and is bought daily from the local grocers. But the best Italian wines are among the best in world.

In the last two decades progressive Italian producers have brought the winemaking industry back to its ancient prominence. Barring exceptions, most Italian wines are named for the regions (similar to what happens in France). Wine is made all over Italy but since most of it won't find its way to our shores we'll stick to the better-known wines (and therefore the regions).

Think of Italian wine and chances are that you'll think of Chianti. For long identified with a cheap ruffia basket covered bottle the current day Chianti is in the vanguard of great Italian wines. Remember Dr. Hannibal Lecter would never choose any cheapo wine to accompany your brains (with or without Fava beans). Chianti comes from a fairly extensive area in Tuscany and bottles with the suffix Classico come from the best zone in all of Chianti. But it is just one of the really deadly wines from this area.

The pre-eminent producer of these is Marchese Piero Antinori, whose family has been into winemaking for the last 600 years. The other real biggie from Tuscany is Brunello de Montalcino, which are 100 % Sangiovese. The known producers include Biondi-Santi and Altesino among others. Vernaccia di San Gimmignano is the region's best white and Vino Santo is the classic amber-coloured holy wine produced from Trebbiano and Malvasia grape.

Asti is the light sweet sparkling wine made from the Mascato Bianco grapes in the areas of Asti, Cuneo and Alessandria, and is exported throughout the world.

The other big wine producing area is Piedmont and this is the home of the Nebbiolo grape. The prestige wines from Piedmont are the Barolo and the Barbaresco. The higher grades in these are Reserva and Reserva Speciale which means they have been aged for at least three-four and four-five years respectively. The man who put Piedmont on the world wine map is Angelo Gaja and all his wines are likely to be great values. The other wines out of Piedmont include Barbers, Gattinara and Gavi- a crisp white wine.

Veneto the region that stretches from Venice to Verona is home to some famous names as well. Among the whites - Soave and among the reds- Valpolicella and Bardolino. The spicy Marsala comes from Sicily and the Lacrima Cristi comes from Compania.