A reader used to the concise, no frills style of English, French or German language wine publications who picks up any of the five guides to the wines of Italy currently available will immediately notice an important difference between the Italian scene and that of countries like France, Germany and Austria or the New World. Leaving aside the proliferation of absurd wine names which has no parallel in other parts of the world, (I nani e le ballerine, Do ut des, L'Insieme, Patrimo, Immensum, Mazzaferrata, Sassobucato, Summus, Harmonium, Il Futuro, Magnificat, Come la pantera e i lupi nella sera--hypothetical translation: Like panther and wolfs at nightfall--to name but a few) the thing that stands out is the prominence given to the figure of...