Volcanic soils in Italy, Greece, Israel, Hawaii and Madeira produce unique wines

The essence of wine is romance. Apart from its ancient roots, it is the visceral production process and that deep enjoyment of the final product that lend it its ardour and mystique. Most of us are familiar with the long trusted wine regions of the world - Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Stellenbosch - but lesser known are the small groups of vintners rediscovering alternative fountainheads to wine creation, such as vineyards located in regions known primarily for their volcanic activity.

The making, and enjoyment, of wine is absolutely ancient - it has been around almost since the beginning of man. There was rarely a time on the planet that humans didn't have some involvement with wine. There is archaeological evidence that shows that the earliest production of wine from fermenting grapes was during the late Neolithic or even early Chalcolithic period in the Caucasus area and into the northern parts of the Middle East.

The first chemically attested grape wine, according to Patrick McGovern, the scientific director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Project for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages, and Health at the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia, dates back to 5400BC and was found at Hajji Firuz in the northwestern Zagros Mountains of Iran. In recent years, the world of wine has dramatically opened up. Wine aficionados now have easy access to wines from all over the globe thanks to buoyant economies, better quality vintages and improved grape yields on all the continents. But this has led to the desire for vintages sourced off the beaten path and the need for wine devotees to find the most interesting and unusual bottle of wine - not only at the local wine store or while dining, but also in their explorations of the unorthodox wine regions of the world. That is how volcanic soils came up for consideration.