Study / Region guides
Umbria
2 DOCGs and 12 DOCs. Examined in Unit 2: Central and Southern Italy.
- Borders
- Tuscany, Marche, Lazio
- Wine provinces
- Perugia, Terni
The land
Umbria is landlocked, the only region in central or southern Italy with no coast. It is hilly and green, with the Tiber running through it and Lake Trasimeno in the west.
Orvieto sits on volcanic tufa in the southwest. Montefalco and Torgiano are on clay and limestone hills near Perugia.
The grapes
Sagrantino grows almost nowhere outside Montefalco and is one of the most tannic grapes in Italy. Sangiovese is the most planted red.
The whites are Grechetto, Trebbiano Spoletino and Procanico, which is the Orvieto name for Trebbiano Toscano.
Which grape leads which appellation
- Sangiovese 2
- Torgiano Rosso Riserva, Montefalco
- Sagrantino 1
- Montefalco Sagrantino
- Trebbiano Spoletino 1
- Spoleto
Local names
- Gamay del Trasimeno
- Cannonau (Grenache), in Colli del Trasimeno (Trasimeno)
- Grechetto G5
- Grechetto di Todi, in Todi
In the vineyard and cellar
Sagrantino was a sweet passito until the dry style took over in the 1970s, and it needs years to soften. Orvieto was historically an off dry wine and still has a sweet version made with noble rot.
History and trade
Two families built the modern reputation. Lungarotti put Torgiano on the map and Caprai did the same for Sagrantino.
The DOCGs
Oldest first. The year is when each one became a DOCG.
| Appellation | DOCG since | Grapes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torgiano Rosso Riserva | 1990 | Sangiovese (min 70%), Canaiolo, others | Torgiano, just south of Perugia |
| Montefalco Sagrantino | 1992 | Sagrantino (100%) | Perugia |
The DOCs
| Appellation | DOC since | Grapes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amelia | 2011 | Grechetto, Trebbiano, Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo, Merlot | Terni |
| Assisi | 1995 | Grechetto, Trebbiano, Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon | Assisi, Spello and Perugia communes on the slopes of Monte Subasio |
| Colli Altotiberini | 1980 | Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Trebbiano, Grechetto | Upper Tiber valley north of Perugia, around Città di Castello and Umbertide |
| Colli del Trasimeno (Trasimeno) | 1972 | Gamay del Trasimeno (Grenache), Sangiovese, Grechetto, Trebbiano | Perugia |
| Colli Martani | 1988 | Grechetto, Trebbiano Toscano, Sangiovese | Perugia |
| Colli Perugini | 1981 | Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grechetto, Trebbiano | Perugia, Terni |
| Lago di Corbara | 1998 | Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Pinot Nero | Terni |
| Montefalco | 1979 | Sangiovese (60 to 80%), Sagrantino (10 to 25%), Grechetto, Trebbiano Spoletino | Perugia |
| Rosso Orvietano | 1998 | Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ciliegiolo, Montepulciano | Terni |
| Spoleto | 2011 | Trebbiano Spoletino (min 85% for varietal), Trebbiano Toscano | Perugia |
| Todi | 2010 | Grechetto di Todi (Grechetto G5), Sangiovese, Merlot | Perugia |
| Torgiano | 1968 | Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano, Grechetto, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon | Torgiano, just south of Perugia at the meeting of the Tiber and Chiascio rivers |
Facts that get tested
The kind of thing an exam asks about Umbria. Cover the answers and try them.
Before the dry style took over, how was Sagrantino traditionally made?
As a sweet passito. The passito is still made. The dry Montefalco Sagrantino dates from the 1970s.
Montefalco Rosso DOC is based on which grape?
Sangiovese. Sangiovese leads, with a smaller share of Sagrantino. Only the DOCG is pure Sagrantino.
Which family put Torgiano on the map?
Lungarotti. Giorgio Lungarotti's Rubesco Riserva led to Torgiano Rosso Riserva becoming a DOCG in 1990. Caprai did the same for Sagrantino.
In Orvieto, Procanico is the local name for
Trebbiano Toscano. Orvieto is built on Procanico and Grechetto, grown on volcanic tufa.
The grape called Gamay around Lake Trasimeno is really
Grenache. It is the same grape as Sardinia's Cannonau.
Umbria is the only region of central and southern Italy that
Has no coastline. Umbria is landlocked, surrounded by Tuscany, the Marche and Lazio.
Think you've got it?
Twenty questions on Umbria, with every wrong answer drawn from the region and its neighbours.
Quiz me on Umbria