Italy is a country synonymous with style and beauty in all aspects of life: the rich history of Rome, Renaissance art of Florence, graceful canals of Venice, high fashion of Milan, signature pasta alla bolognese of Bologna, colorful architecture of Portofino and winking blue waters of Capri and the Amalfi Coast, among many others. Italians themselves live effortlessly amid all this splendor, knowing instinctively just the type of outfit to throw on, design element to balance, or delectable ingredient to add.

Famed essayist and journalist Charles Dudley Warner (1829-1900) was the editor of the Hartford, Connecticut, Courant and a contributing editor to Harper's Magazine. Our Italy (1891) is Warner's account of a trip he made to Southern California in 1890. He describes conditions after the collapse of the 1886-1887 real estate boom and dubs the state south of the Sierra Madres "our Italy." He focuses on the region's economic future: its promise as a healthy, productive residence, agricultural developments (particularly the citrus industry), climate and industry. He devotes less attention to beauty spots and tourist attractions, but he does discuss the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Monterey.

For more than three years, Aline Coquelle, the well-known globe-trotting photographer, and Count Gelasio Gaetani d’Aragona Lovatelli, a member of one of the oldest aristocratic Italian families, have followed the map of Italy’s best wines. Guided by Gelasio, readers are introduced to a tribe of artistic and wine-loving amici who share their passion for their country’s heritage and bounty. The Italian Dream: Wine, Heritage, Soul is an escape into the effortlessly elegant Italian lifestyle, savoring wine behind the private gates of family castles and vineyards, from the foothills of the Alps to the hill towns of Tuscany to the relaxed southern seasides.