The promised land

The ancient Greeks introduced viticulture in the south of Italy, naming Italy Oenotria after the Greek word for wine, oinos. Since then, Puglia has played a key role in the Italian wine scene. For many years the region was an anonymous source of bulk wines, often used to enhance well-known wines in France as well as Italy. Although one can still see truckloads from the south on their way north, Puglia is now claiming its own place in the national and international wine world. It is widely regarded as the Promised Land'.