Wines from Umbria

Umbria, in central Italy, is a region of lush rolling hills, hilltop villages and iconic, historic towns. The latter are exemplified by Orvieto and Assisi. At the very heart of the Italian Peninsula, it is surrounded by Tuscany, Marche and Lazio. It is in fact the only Italian region without a coastline or international border.

Umbria, like Marche and Lazio, is best known for its white wine production. Despite changes in style over time, the Orvieto DOC (based on the Trebbiano grape variety) remains the region's largest appellation. It accounts for over ten percent of the overall Umbrian wine production. Trebbiano is also referred to as Procanico in Umbria. Some believe it to be a superior clone, with smaller grape bunches which produces a finer wine. Grechetto is the next most prominent white variety. It plays a supporting role in Orvieto and various other Bianco bottlings in the region.

Although best-known for its white wines, Umbria's two top level DOCG designations are for red wines. The native red grape Sagrantino has gained prominence in the Montefalco area, creating wines of great depth and power. The best examples, from producers such as Paolo Bea or Arnaldo Caprai, rival anything from Italy. (© Wine-Searcher)