Puglia

The heel of Italy's "boot," sunny Puglia (the "g" is silent), is famed for its olive oils, almonds and of course, its rich, full-bodied wines. Although dry and intensely hot in the summer, Puglia has coastlines on three sides, providing cool Mediterranean breezes to alleviate the daytime heat. Primitivo (known in the US as Zinfandel) does well here, with other popular red varieties including Sangiovese and Negroamaro. But it is not all about reds in Puglia: the local Fiano grape produces gloriously nutty, tropical-flavored white, while Falanghina makes intensely fruity wines with citrus blossom notes.