Italy is now second only to Australia as a supplier of wine to Britain. I am very pleased to hear this because to me, Italian wine represents limitless diversity and flavours uniquely suited to partnering food. But according to Nielsen, the research company which has just announced the news, Italy's rise above the US and France is less quality-connected than I might have imagined. "It's essentially price-driven," says Nielsen analyst Stewart Blunt. The average cost of a bottle of Italian, he reports, is £4.23, significantly below those of its rivals.