Umbria

The Italian region with the capital Perugia lies in the heart of Italy and is one of the few that does not border on a sea. Viticulture existed in Umbria on both sides of the Tiber River even before the Romans in the time of the Etruscans and the eponymous Umbrians. Archaeological finds and more than 3,000-year-old wine cellars, painstakingly driven into the volcanic rocks, are historical witnesses to this. After the fall of the Roman Empire, viticulture came to a complete standstill for centuries. It was not until the 1950s that a new beginning was made. In terms of landscape, climate and soil, the area is very similar to the neighbouring region of Tuscany to the east and is ideally suited for viticulture. The cold months are relatively rainy, the summers are sunny and cooled by wind.

The vineyards cover 12,500 hectares of vines on mostly calcareous clay and sandy soil. The DOC regulations include mainly local varieties, but also international ones. The most important white wine varieties are Chardonnay, Drupeggio, Grechetto Bianco (Grechetto di Orvieto), Malvasia Toscana/Malvasia del Chianti = Malvasia Bianca Lunga, Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc), Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), Riesling, Riesling Italico (Welschriesling), Sauvignon (Sauvignon Bl anc), Trebbiano Spoletino, Trebbiano Toscano (here also Procanico), Verdello, Verdicchio Bianco and Vermentino. The most important red wine varieties are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo Nero, Ciliegiolo, Gamay, Merlot, Montepulciano, Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir), Sagrantino, Sangiovese and Vernaccia Nera (Garnacha Tinta). The 6 IGT areas (or IGP - the country wines) are Allerona, Bettona, Cannara, Narni, Spello and Umbria. The famous Orvieto, which has been produced for centuries, accounts for about two thirds of the DOC production. The IGT (country wines) and DOC and DOCG (quality wines) areas are:

• Allerona (IGT)
• Amelia (DOC)
• Assisi (DOC)
• Bettona (IGT)
• Cannara (IGT)
• Colli Altotiberini (DOC)
• Colli del Trasimeno (DOC)
• Colli Martani (DOC)
• Colli Perugini (DOC)
• Lago di Corbara (DOC)
• Montefalco (DOC)
• Montefalco Sagrantino (DOCG)
• Narni (IGT)
• Orvieto - also Latium (DOC)
• Rosso Orvietano or Orvietano Rosso (DOC)
• Spello (IGT)
• Spoleto (DOC)
• Todi (DOC)
• Torgiano (DOC)
• Torgiano Rosso Riserva (DOCG)
• Umbria (IGT)

Image: By Adriano - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link