The world is enamoured with Italy: its culture, art, food and fashion, its beautiful landscapes and famous cities -- and, of course, its wine.

From the ancient Greeks to the Medici, and from fascism to feminism, writer and wine expert Marc Millon reveals how the story of Italy has always been entwined with that of wine. Through the millennia, it has been a celebratory libation at great events, given solace in times of despair and fortified warriors before battle. Whether Possessioni Rosso, still made by descendants of Dante; Barolo 'Lazzarito', from a wine estate founded by the son of Italy's first king; or Terre Rosse di Giabbascio, pressed from grapes grown on ex-Mafia land, the peninsula's wines provide an intoxicating insight into the ideas, events and personalities that shaped Italian history.

If history can sometimes be throat-achingly dry, Millon serves up a delightfully fresh take on Italy's past, present and future, best enjoyed with a glass in hand.