📍 Umbria

Umbria is a green region in central Italy, the only one on the peninsula without a sea coast. Hills, oak woods and medieval towns make it picturesque. Wine has been made here since ancient times: Etruscan and Roman settlers already knew viticulture.

The main zones are Montefalco and Orvieto. Montefalco is known for the red Sagrantino di Montefalco (DOCG), a full-bodied wine from the local Sagrantino grape with high tannins. Orvieto is a white wine from Grechetto and Procanico (a local form of Trebbiano), often light and fresh; it used to be aged in caves cut into soft volcanic tuff.

Other zones include Torgiano (Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG), Colli del Trasimeno beside the lake, Assisi, Spoleto, Todi, Colli Martani and Colli Perugini. Grapes include Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Verdello and Gamay del Trasimeno.

Umbria is part of Italian winemaking; its neighbours are Tuscany and Lazio, but the wines differ: more often they come from distinctive local grapes. Local cooking with truffles, meat and sausages suits Sagrantino, while Orvieto goes well with fish and light dishes. The name Umbria on a label shows that the grapes grew in this very area, which makes it easy to look for similar wines.