Drinks

Italy is renowned for its fantastic varieties of wine, produced from both red and white grapes. The full-bodied wines of southern Italy also form the base for vermouth-type drinks made by companies such as Carpano, Campari and Martini e Rossi. But there are other alcoholic drinks made here too, mostly based on wine or the by-products of the winemaking process, such as grappa, a clear spirit made from leftover grape skins, stems and seeds. Some of these spirits and herbal digestifs are quite bitter in flavour, with a definite palate-cleansing effect, while others are sweet and best served at the end of a meal.