From the Vine Comes the Wine

Neighbor to Tuscany, wine-making capital of Italy, is Umbria, Italy’s fourth largest region, also renowned for its vineyards in that they produce, export, and imbibe the world’s finest wines. Umbrian towns like Assisi, Spello, and Bevagna share a similar climate to that of Tuscany and therefore, both regions have typically dry and sunny summers while their winters are quite cold and rainy. Even the amateur wine connoisseurs among us know that weather and soil conditions are important when growing grapes for the best quality of wine, and thanks to the crosswinds of the neighboring mountains and ocean as well as the presence of volcanic soil, the wine producing industries in both the Tuscan and Umbrian regions profit from these favorable conditions.

Italy has been in the wine business for thousands of years, and while Umbria has been outshined by Tuscany in the wine industry in the past, both consumers and the “wine authority” are starting to get a delectable taste of what Umbria’s wine portfolio has to offer. Specializing in both reds and whites, Umbria was first recognized as a pioneer in the red wine business when Giorgio Lungarotti marketed his “Lungarotti” label, established in the 1960s known for paying mind to traditional aging techniques. However, Umbria’s Sangrantino is one of their most distinctive and characteristic vini rossi, grown primarily in Montefalco and possessing a glaring red color (often appearing purple). A revived interest in Sangrantino came in the 1970s after growers like Fratelli Adanti had worked to keep the wine from extinction in the 20th century. Today, Sangrantino is still minimally produced but famous for its unique and notable yet undervalued smooth, balanced, and aromatic taste and elegant finish.

Perhaps the most acclaimed white wine coming from the region of Umbria is Orivieto, claiming an unparalleled identity, in part due to its high acidity and highly concentrated blend of Grechetto and Trebbiano Toscana, both savory varietals. Other grape varieties infused in white wines from Umbria include Verdello, Drupeggio, and Malvasia. Dating back to the Middle Ages and made from the grapes of the plains and hills surrounding the Italian town of Orvieto, this straw-colored wine is delicate, dry and mellow in flavor.

It doesn’t matter if it’s the rich taste, history, or culture in which it’s been produced for centuries, that captures you because Umbria’s wines, both red and white, are extraordinary testaments to the refreshing Italian wine experience. So whether you visit the green Umbrian valleys and have a glass from one of their many wineries or you purchase one of Umbria’s most delicious grape treats in a bottle online or at a local store, remember that you are consuming wine from one of the most celebrated lands of vines in the world, because as we all now know: From the vine comes the wine. But remember that even though Umbria’s wines have a long, rich history, their wine doesn’t come from just any old vine.