the south's sunny hillsides have produced wine since the bronze age.
puglia produces more wine then any other region in italy, and sicily boasts some of the south's finest wines.
good producers include: regaleali, rapitala', corvo e donnafugata. marsala, a classic wine also from sicily was devised in the 18th century and made famous by admiral nelson. de bartoli is an excellent producer.
some of the finest olive oils in italy come from the south. the words extra vergine (extra virgin) refer to the pure, unblended oil from the first pressing of the olives.
a variation is chilli oil (olio santo), soaked with red chilli peppers, resulting in a rich, spicy oil with a red hue.
