Once you have travelled the length of all four, you can rest assured you have a pretty good feel for the enology business of the region.

The Strada del Sagrantino wine route is marketed especially well. It extends through the towns of Gualdo Cattaneo, Bevagna, Giano dell'Umbria, Castel Ritaldi, Bettona, Cannara with the epicentre Montefalco.

We counted 12 events and initiatives throughout the year, from the mid April market 'Terre del Sagrantino', the Settimana Enologia in September and the Festival Calici in Montefalco in December.

The Trasimeno Hills Wine Route is the perfect reference for discovering the wines from the slopes surrounding the largest lake in central Italy, perhaps most famous as the scene of the battle between Hannibal and the Romans. You can visit the field where it all took place, still intact, near Tuoro sul Trasimeno.

The Strada dei Vini Etrusco Romana or 'Route of the Roman Etruscan wines' is similarly evocative.

Today, the wine may not be the same as that drunk by the ancients but combine your research with archaeological visits to Orvieto, Amelia, Terni and the mysterious Valnerina. The wines are collectively the Colli Amerini DOC and Orvieto DOC. The Enoteca Regionale of Orvieto has them all.

Finally, the Strada dei Vini del Cantico. There is a little crossover with the other zones but Todi, Spello and Assisi need little introduction. Head first to Torgiano and the fine wine museum.