This book is organized into three main sections:
1. Italian wine history, law and labelling (15 pages)
2. The different wine regions of Italy and the various wines made there (360 pages)
3. Reference material (130 pages)

The meat of the book is section 2, and it is fantastic. Each of Italy’s wine regions are covered in their own chapter. As well as covering all the important wines made in the region, each chapter opens with a story about the region to illustrate the regional character.

Whilst reading these one can’t help but daydream about lazy summer afternoons spent sipping wine in the Italian countryside… which definitely puts you in the mood for a drink!

At the end of each chapter there is a “Fast Facts” section revising the main info from the chapter. Finally, each regional chapter concludes with a “food for the wine” section. This is not pretentious navel-gazing; Italian wines are made to be enjoyed with food.

The book can be bought on Amazon.co.uk – Vino Italiano: Regional Wines of Italy

Richer and more complete than ever, its 1,024 pages assess over 2,245 wine producers and their labels. Over 18,000 wines are reviewed, selected by a team of more than 120 tasters under the direction of GR and SFE.

“Italian Wines 2009″, besides evaluating wines according to the classic categories of one, two or three glasses, also includes a useful series of appendices about award-winning wines in the past and the best producers.

The guide also pays special attention to wineries that are sensitive to the environment and to achieving naturalness in their products.

The book can be bought on Amazon.co.uk – Italian Wines 2009 2009