The country of Turkey, then known as Anatolia, began producing wine six thousand years ago. There are exhibits of this early wine industry dating back to 4,000 B.C. in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. The ancient word for wine by this pre-Hittite civilization was actually Vino. Today, Turkish wines fly under the radar of most people and most wine lovers.

Some of the great wines in Italy, and the world, hail from Tuscany. Other articles have discussed Super Tuscans , and some of the great wines based on the Sangiovese grape including Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino . In this article, another great Sangiovese based wine is explored: Vin Nobile di Montepulciano. The name of this wine can be confusing. Long ago these wines became the chosen wine of nobility hence the Nobile part of the name.

Yellow Tail. There, I said it. The first brand to spring to mind when one uses the words “Australia” and “wine” in the same sentence. You know you’ve drunk it. You may even have enjoyed it, though if you are part of a wine-geek circle, you’re probably reluctant to admit as much. If that’s the case, allow me to take the pressure off and acknowledge what all too many casual quaffers are afraid to admit – the stuff ain’t bad, and for under $8 a bottle, it’s one of the best bargains out there.

Wine is a very particular, complex creature. It has many moods and many incarnations. You can taste the same wine at a vineyard in the summer or on a different continent in winter and the flavor, aroma, and body of the wine will change so drastically, it really isn’t the same wine at all. That being said, a great wine will always be great and a poor wine will always be poor, I’m speaking about how we experience wine can vary with our surroundings.

These ARE the good old days. More wines, in greater variety, are made available to us today than at any other time in history. This Golden Age of Wine, as it has been called, presents us with an array of wines that is hard to absorb let alone enjoy. We will not try to explore every wine available, but cover some of the best the world has to offer.