As many of you already know, we'll be opening a wine school here in the Salento this year. It will feature the wines of the entire south of Italy, which aside from being my favourite part of the planet, the wines also happen to be my favourite wines on the planet.

So it seems only natural that I'll be bicycling what would be called the Southern Italian wine route for a month, from Marsala, or the most western part of Sicilia, to Lecce, just about as far east you can go in Italy, in every sense. I say 'would be called' but it's really a lot less established than the phrase 'wine route' would suggest. Sicilia. Calabria. Basilicata. Then back down into Puglia. My mouth waters just thinking about it. And I've noticed that I've been kicking the covers at night while sleeping lately, in distinct pedalling motions. I bought a special corkscrew. And as you may imagine, I already have plenty of corkscrews.

I'll be posting daily updates on our new journal, packed with tales from the road, high-quality digital photos, recipes, tasting notes and everything that I find in these little-known parts of Italy. Check it right now. I've already uploaded a little teaser.But do stop in! And please post some comments! I'd love to read what you think of the blog, the trip and Southern Italian wine in general.I may need the encouragement cresting mountains in Sicilia or crossing parched Calabrian planes. I've love to hear from you. And tell your friends!Take advantage of the journal to learn a little more about the wines of the south, some of the most interesting wines being made today.(And next time you're in the shops and can't decide, pick up a bottle of Nero d'Avola,Primitivo, Negroamaro, Falanghina or la Verdeca. The wines of the South of Italy offer more autochthonous variatals than just about any place on earth!)

And those of you in the US, be certain to check out the Los Angeles Times Travel section on Sunday, February 25th. In Italy, La Gazzette del Mezzogiorno is running yet another on Tuesday.