Right in the centre of the country, just southeast of Tuscany and north of Rome, Umbria epitomises the best of Italy, its green hills a patchwork of olive trees, vines, fields and woodlands peppered with picturesque stone villages and an alluring array of cities of art. The wine scene is exciting, varied and fast-evolving, and biodiversity is deep-rooted: many wineries also produce olive oil and other crops. The region's top wines continue to be from the centre and west, although other areas are emerging thanks to producers such as Leonardo Bussoletti (leonardobussoletti.it), who is promoting wines from the Ciliegiolo variety around Narni, in southern Umbria.
In the west, Orvieto has been a centre of winemaking excellence since ancient Etruscan times (8th to 1st centuries BCE), later consolidated by Renaissance popes. Today's producers are demonstrating the impressive longevity of Orvieto's white blends, many of which benefit from time in naturally cool Etruscan caves, which act as ideal ageing cellars. And in central Umbria, Montefalco and Spoleto DOC areas overlap in a basin surrounded by hills. Here, Trebbiano Spoletino (thought not to be related to other grapes with the 'Trebbiano' name) is surging in popularity. In addition to extraordinary versatility for different styles, including spumante, such as the bitey brut nature made by historic winery Antonelli (antonellisanmarco.it), the variety is naturally disease-resistant. Le Thadee (lethadee.com) makes a wine (named +128+) from its collection of 60-70 pre-phylloxera Trebbiano Spoletino vines (more than 100 years old), which are trained on field maples, climbing to heights of more than 3m; and they have propagated more. The winery's attractive villa, built in the Italian 'Liberty' style of the early 20th century, will open for tastings from spring-summer 2024.
Denne historien er fra April 2024-utgaven av Decanter.
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Denne historien er fra April 2024-utgaven av Decanter.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A Resource for the World? - Argentina is unique in the genetic diversity preserved in much of its vine material. With climate change and disease posing increasing threats worldwide, Catena Zapata winery is asking what lessons can be learned to protect vineyards within and beyond the nation's borders
Argentina is unique in the genetic diversity preserved in much of its vine material. With climate change and disease posing increasing threats worldwide, Catena Zapata winery is asking what lessons can be learned to protect vineyards within and beyond the nation’s borders
Great Cabernets of South America
Other varieties may hog the limelight across South America, but the world’s most popular grape for red wines has played a critical role in the continent's wine heritage. We trace Cabernet Sauvignon’s story here, and recommend 16 benchmark wines to try
PROVENCE by train and bike
With rail links to Paris, Nice, Marseilles and beyond, a vast network of cycle paths and quiet roads, and a plethora of historic wine estates, Provence is an ideal destination for an eco-friendly, car-free and carefree) holiday
IN THE MIX
These days most of the world’s vineyards are planted to just a single variety, but what happens when multiple varieties are planted, harvested and blended together?
Malvasia A BUYER'S GUIDE
If ever a grape was hard to pin down, it'd be Malvasia. Indeed it’s not even a single grape variety. In all of its many varied, and often completely unrelated guises, it has been the mainstay of popular wine styles across the centuries. Our expert takes a closer look...
RIBERA ADOPTS THE NEW OLD WAYS
It’s not so much a new direction for winemakers in Ribera del Duero, but a growing recognition that traditional methods and wine styles set aside by the previous generation can now provide a way ahead to revitalise the region
Roussanne around the world
Up for a challenge? For winemakers as much as wine drinkers, getting a handle on a mercurial grape such as Roussanne isn't easy. But wherever it's grown, when the balance is right, it truly repays the effort
Napa Cabernet 2021
There's a lot of excitement about this vintage, in which conditions were relatively calm and temperatures stable through summer. Ongoing drought reduced yields but intensified flavours, but it means quantities are down and you may need to act fast to secure top wines. Our Napa correspondent selects 60 great wines from more than 500 that he tasted, with many very high scores
10 reason to discover Uruguay
Squeezed between Brazil and Argentina on the Atlantic coast, Uruguay has mostly flown under the tourist radar - until now. Once dubbed 'the Switzerland of the Americas', it's a welcoming country that has much to offer the travelling wine lover
Leo Erazo
The old vines and special terroir of Itata, southern Chile, have beena source of inspiration for this intrepid winemaker. The 2023 fires were a setback, but his commitment to this ancient wine land is undiminished
