Central Italy

Umbria Cypress shadows, Sagrantino backbone

Italy's landlocked green heart, where Montefalco Sagrantino brings the deepest tannins on the peninsula and Orvieto's tufa cliffs ripen the country's most patient white grapes.

Umbria sits in central Italy without a coast, hemmed by Tuscany, Lazio and the Marche. The wines split along that geography. Montefalco rolls south of Perugia on warm clay-limestone hills, home to Sagrantino, the most tannic red grape in Italy and one of the densest in the world.

Orvieto perches on tufa cliffs above the Paglia river, where Grechetto and Procanico make stone-cool whites that last decades in the volcanic cellars cut beneath the town. Around Lago Trasimeno, Gamay del Trasimeno (a strain of Grenache) gives elegant pale reds.

The Etruscan history runs deep, the Lungarotti family modernised Umbrian wine in the 1960s with Torgiano, and Marco Caprai built Sagrantino into a global red. Two DOCG appellations and thirteen DOCs cover roughly twelve thousand hectares of vineyard.

57
Wines in stock
22
Denominations
8
Heritage grapes
£9 +
Starting price
01 · Wine Areas6

Where Umbria wine takes shape

The named places that explain the region's grapes, styles, and labels, plotted across the map.

01

Montefalco

The walled hill town south of Perugia is Sagrantino's home; one of Italy's most concentrated red wines is grown on its clay-limestone slopes.

Montefalco sits on a low rise between Foligno and Bevagna, surrounded by olive groves and oak woods. The Sagrantino grape, native to these hills, was historically dried for sweet passito; the modern Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG dry red wine, perfected by Marco Caprai in the 1990s, has propelled the area onto the world stage. Montefalco DOC covers a softer Sangiovese-led Rosso, with Sagrantino used as a tannic seasoning. Soils are clay-limestone over fluvial gravel; altitudes run 220 to 480 metres.

Montefalco SagrantinoDOCG MontefalcoDOC
02

Orvieto

The tufa-cliff town in southwestern Umbria gives one of Italy's longest-running white wine traditions, anchored by Grechetto and Procanico.

Orvieto's vineyards sit on volcanic tufa around the Paglia and Tiber valleys, with the wine cellars cut directly into the soft yellow rock beneath the town. Orvieto Classico Secco, made from Grechetto and Procanico (a local Trebbiano clone), shows lemon pith, almond skin and a stone-cool minerality. Sweet noble-rot Orvieto, including Castello della Sala's Muffato, draws on Paglia mists. Lago di Corbara DOC and Rosso Orvietano DOC cover red wines on the same volcanic substrate.

OrvietoDOC Lago di CorbaraDOC
03

Torgiano

The small commune southeast of Perugia is the home of the Lungarotti family, who built Umbria's first DOCG: Torgiano Rosso Riserva.

Torgiano takes its name from the Tower of Janus that watches over the confluence of the Tiber and Chiascio rivers. Giorgio Lungarotti turned this corner of Umbria into a serious red wine address in the 1960s, and Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG, a Sangiovese-led blend aged at least 36 months, became the region's first DOCG in 1990. The Torgiano DOC covers a wider range, including white wines from Trebbiano Toscano and Grechetto.

Torgiano Rosso RiservaDOCG TorgianoDOC
04

Lago Trasimeno

Italy's fourth-largest lake moderates a string of vineyards on its western shore, home to Trasimeno Gamay (Grenache) and lake-cooled Grechetto.

The Trasimeno basin sits between Perugia and the Tuscan border. The lake tempers heat in summer and cold in winter, producing wines with more freshness than typical inland Umbria. Gamay del Trasimeno is a misleading local name for Grenache, planted here for centuries; it gives pale, perfumed reds and rosatos. Whites from Grechetto are taut and saline. Colli del Trasimeno DOC covers the area.

Colli del Trasimeno/TrasimenoDOC
05

Spoleto

South of Foligno, the Spoleto basin and its Apennine foothills are the centre of the Trebbiano Spoletino revival, a near-extinct white now bottled by a new generation.

Spoleto sits at the southern edge of the Vale Umbra, ringed by Apennine foothills and black truffle oak woods. Trebbiano Spoletino, an indigenous white grape unrelated to Trebbiano Toscano, was almost lost to phylloxera and post-war abandonment; vine-by-vine recovery from old maritate plantings (vines trained up living trees) has yielded a citrus-driven, structurally rich white that ages in stone like Riesling. Spoleto DOC covers the area.

SpoletoDOC
06

Colli Martani and Todi

The hills west of Foligno run through Todi and Bevagna; this is the home of Grechetto di Todi, treated as the most distinguished Grechetto biotype in Umbria.

The Martani range divides the central Umbrian valleys from the Tiber basin. Grechetto di Todi (Grechetto G109), a sibling clone to Orvieto's Grechetto, ripens on these limestone hills with more body and a flintier core; it is bottled as a varietal Colli Martani Grechetto DOC and as Todi DOC. Sangiovese leads the local reds. Vineyards sit between 200 and 500 metres.

Colli MartaniDOC TodiDOC
02 · Regional Guide6

Understanding Umbria

Layered notes on terroir, history, label rules, taste, drinking window and where to start.

Layer 01

Terroir

Terroir

Landlocked, hilly, mostly clay-limestone with volcanic tufa around Orvieto and lake-tempered sediments around Trasimeno.

Umbria has no coast. Vineyards run from 150 metres in the Tiber valley to 500 metres on the Martani foothills, with the bulk of quality production sitting between 250 and 450 metres. Three terroir signatures define the region. Around Orvieto, vines grow on volcanic tufa and yellow sands left by Pleistocene lake activity, and the cellars are cut into the soft tufa beneath the medieval town. Around Montefalco and Torgiano, clay-limestone alternates with fluvial gravel from the Tiber and its tributaries, holding water through dry summers and giving Sagrantino its concentration. Lago Trasimeno tempers a third zone, where lacustrine clays and a moderating breeze produce lighter wines. The Apennine foothills around Spoleto add limestone with iron-rich clay pockets, where Trebbiano Spoletino ripens slowly. The continental climate runs hot and dry from June to mid-September, with cool nights from the surrounding ranges that lock in acidity even in heavy red wines.

Layer 02

History

History

Etruscan-rooted vineyards, monastic continuity through the Middle Ages, Lungarotti's modernisation in the 1960s and Caprai's reinvention of Sagrantino in the 1990s.

Etruscan tombs around Orvieto have yielded amphorae and grape pips dating to the 7th century BC, evidence of organised viticulture before Rome. Roman writers Pliny and Martial named Umbrian wines among Italy's best. The Benedictine monasteries kept vineyards alive through the Middle Ages, and the Sagrantino grape, whose name likely derives from sacramentum, was used through the 19th century almost exclusively to make a sweet passito for liturgical use. Phylloxera, war and rural depopulation hollowed the industry out by the mid-20th century. Giorgio Lungarotti rebuilt Umbrian wine in the 1960s with a long-aged Sangiovese-led Riserva that became Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG in 1990, the region's first. Marco Caprai then turned Sagrantino dry, doubling tannin extraction and ageing in oak; Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG was awarded in 1992 and the dry style is now the Umbrian flagship. Trebbiano Spoletino, the missing white half of the story, has been recovered vineyard by vineyard since the 2000s.

Layer 03

Label rules

Reading the labels

The two DOCG appellations have strict ageing rules; Orvieto Classico tells you the vineyard sits in the historic Orvieto core; Spoleto DOC marks Trebbiano Spoletino.

Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG is 100% Sagrantino, aged at least 30 months from harvest of which 12 months in oak; the passito version is sweet and uses dried grapes. Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG is Sangiovese-led, with a maximum 30% Canaiolo, Trebbiano, Ciliegiolo or Montepulciano, aged at least 36 months including 6 months in bottle. Montefalco DOC Rosso is the softer everyday red of the area: 60 to 80% Sangiovese plus 10 to 25% Sagrantino, aged 18 months. Orvieto DOC requires Trebbiano Toscano (Procanico) and Grechetto as the dominant grapes; Classico means the historic core; Superiore lifts alcohol and ageing. Spoleto DOC covers Trebbiano Spoletino, with a Spumante and a still version. Colli del Trasimeno DOC reds list Gamay among the permitted grapes; on Umbrian labels Gamay is Grenache, not the Beaujolais grape.

Layer 04

Taste profile

What Umbrian wines taste like

Reds run from delicate Trasimeno Gamay to monumentally tannic Sagrantino; whites are mineral, citrus-led and built to age.

Sagrantino di Montefalco is one of the most tannic dry red wines in the world; analytical tannin levels run roughly twice those of Brunello. Expect blackberry compote, dried fig, tobacco and a tar-like grip that needs five to ten years of bottle age to soften. Montefalco Rosso is gentler: red cherry, sweet leather, a tannic finish that signals the Sagrantino in the blend. Torgiano Rosso Riserva drinks like a polished Chianti Classico Riserva, with violet, dried herb and a long savoury finish from extended cask time. Orvieto Classico Secco gives lemon pith, almond skin, salted melon and a stone-cool minerality from the tufa cellars. Trebbiano Spoletino is structurally rich for a Trebbiano: green apple, ginger, beeswax, with a saline backbone that ages well. Trasimeno Gamay (Grenache) is pale, perfumed and Provence-rosé fresh in the rosato form, light cherry-and-thyme in the red form.

Layer 05

Drinking window

Vintages and drinking windows

Sagrantino DOCG releases late and rewards a decade in bottle; Orvieto and Trebbiano Spoletino reward 1 to 5 years; Trasimeno Gamay is for the year ahead.

Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG releases at a minimum age of 30 months but rarely shows its best before year five; modern producers including Caprai, Antonelli, Tabarrini and Paolo Bea release wines that need a further three to seven years in bottle. The 2015, 2016 and 2019 vintages are widely seen as benchmark years. Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG drinks well from release; the Lungarotti Vigna Monticchio cuvée holds 20 plus years. Orvieto Classico Secco is at its sharpest in the first three years, with the best bottlings from Castello della Sala and Barberani holding longer; Muffato della Sala (noble-rot dessert) ages on a decade or longer scale. Trebbiano Spoletino from a serious producer (Tabarrini, Paolo Bea, Collecapretta) is fascinating between three and ten years. Trasimeno Gamay rosato should be drunk in the year of release; the red form takes 1 to 3 years.

Layer 06

Explore

Exploring the region

Three formal wine routes plus the public Strada del Sagrantino circuit; Bevagna and Montefalco anchor most cellar visits.

The Strada del Sagrantino, signposted in green, runs a 60-kilometre loop through Montefalco, Bevagna, Gualdo Cattaneo, Castel Ritaldi, Giano dell'Umbria and Foligno; most member cantine accept booked tastings. The Strada dei Vini del Cantico covers central Umbria from Perugia south through Torgiano, Bettona, Marsciano and Massa Martana. The Strada dei Vini Etrusco-Romana ties Orvieto, Lago di Corbara, Allerona and Castel Viscardo together; the Pozzo della Cava and the Necropoli del Tufo make a wine-and-archaeology pairing in Orvieto itself. Bevagna's Sagrantino Wine Bar pours flights from a dozen producers in one stop; Montefalco's enotecas around Piazza del Comune do the same. Tastings should be booked one or two days ahead, especially at smaller cantine.

03 · Wines To Know6

What to drink from Umbria

A short shortlist that maps the region: benchmark reds, signature whites and the labels worth a step-up.

Italy's most tannic dry red, 100% Sagrantino, 30 months minimum ageing

Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG

The flagship of Umbria. 100% Sagrantino, grown only on the clay-limestone hills around Montefalco, Bevagna and a handful of neighbouring communes. Aged 30 months from harvest including 12 months in oak. Expect blackberry compote, dried fig, tobacco and a tar-like grip; the tannin level is so high that producers wait for it to soften before release, and good bottles drink best after a decade. Marco Caprai's 25 Anni and Paolo Bea's Pagliaro define the modern reference points; Antonelli, Tabarrini and Adanti carry the same standard.

Montefalco SagrantinoDOCG
Sangiovese-led blend aged 36 months, the Lungarotti family's signature wine

Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG

Umbria's first DOCG, awarded in 1990. Sangiovese-led blend (often with small Canaiolo, Trebbiano Toscano, Ciliegiolo or Montepulciano) aged at least 36 months from harvest, including 6 months in bottle. The Lungarotti Vigna Monticchio is the historical benchmark, a polished, slow-evolving red with violet, dried herb, leather and a long savoury finish. The wine drinks well from release and holds 20 plus years from a top vintage.

Torgiano Rosso RiservaDOCG
Grechetto-Procanico whites grown over volcanic tufa, aged in cellars cut beneath the town

Orvieto Classico (and Superiore)

Orvieto Classico Secco comes from the historic core of the appellation, ringing the cliff-top town. The wine is led by Grechetto and Procanico (a local Trebbiano Toscano clone), grown on volcanic tufa and yellow sand. The taste is lemon pith, almond skin, salted melon and a stone-cool minerality. Castello della Sala (Antinori), Decugnano dei Barbi, Palazzone and Barberani are the names to know; Castello della Sala's Cervaro della Sala (a Chardonnay-Grechetto blend at IGT level from the same estate) and Muffato della Sala (noble-rot dessert) sit alongside the dry Classico.

OrvietoDOC
A near-extinct indigenous white, structurally rich and built to age

Trebbiano Spoletino (Spoleto DOC)

Trebbiano Spoletino is genetically distinct from Trebbiano Toscano and survives chiefly in old maritate vineyards (vines trained up living maple or elm trees) on the Spoleto plain. The wine is unusually structured for a Trebbiano: green apple, ginger, beeswax and a saline backbone, built for five to ten years in bottle. Tabarrini's Adarmando, Paolo Bea's Arboreus and Collecapretta's bottlings are the recognised benchmarks. Spoleto DOC covers both still and Spumante styles.

SpoletoDOC
Pale, perfumed reds and Provence-style rosatos from the lake's western shore

Trasimeno Gamay (Grenache)

Locally called Gamay del Trasimeno, this is in fact Grenache, planted around Lago Trasimeno for centuries. Colli del Trasimeno DOC bottles it as a pale, perfumed red and as a delicate rosato; expect light cherry, dried thyme, white pepper and a fresh lake-tempered finish. Madrevite, Duca della Corgna and Cantina Carini are the active producers; the rosato is best in the year of release.

Colli del Trasimeno/TrasimenoDOC
Sangiovese-led everyday red of the Sagrantino zone, with 10 to 25% Sagrantino in the blend

Montefalco Rosso DOC

Montefalco Rosso DOC is the softer, more accessible counterpart to Sagrantino DOCG. The blend is 60 to 80% Sangiovese plus 10 to 25% Sagrantino and a small share of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or other authorised reds; aged 18 months. The wine reads as a structured Sangiovese with the unmistakable tar-and-tobacco grip of Sagrantino in the finish. It is the practical buying option in the area, sitting where Chianti Classico sits in Tuscany. Caprai, Antonelli, Tabarrini, Adanti and Scacciadiavoli all bottle reliable Rosso.

MontefalcoDOC
04 · Heritage Grapes4

The grapes behind the bottle

4 curated guides with editorial content. Pronunciations, traits and the regional footprint of each variety.

Sangiovese

Sangiovese (san-jo-vay-zeh) is the undisputed king of red wines in central Italy, virtually present in every area of the country Thanks to its many clones and surprising versatility, Sangiovese can create a wide range of wines: from young and fresh Chiantis to complex and full-bodied Brunellos.

Region Umbria
Tannin
Body

Explore Sangiovese

Browse all grape guides

05 · Editor's Picks57

Wines from Umbria

A starter selection from the catalogue. Pour them as a regional flight.

View all 57 wines

06 · La Tavola4

The table of Umbria

Mountain, pasture and coast on one plate. Pour the regional wine alongside.

Umbrian food is rustic, mineral and meat-heavy. Porchetta from Norcia and the Valnerina, lentils from Castelluccio, black truffles from the Spoleto hills, wild boar ragu, and torta al testo flatbread all sit on the table at the same time.

The pairing logic is local. Montefalco Sagrantino's relentless tannin scrubs the fat from porchetta and grilled lamb. Montefalco Rosso, a softer Sangiovese-Sagrantino blend, slides easily under truffle pasta. Orvieto Classico Secco cuts through fried Lake Trasimeno fish and salt-cured prosciutto di Norcia. Trebbiano Spoletino, the region's most exciting white revival, holds its own with chickpea soups and pecorino di fossa.

Lumachine alle Schegginese on stoneware bowl with Anchovy, Black Truffle, Butter

Lumachine alle Schegginese

Lumachine alle Schegginese is the Umbrian pasta with black truffle, snail-shaped lumachine tossed with shaved tartufo nero di Norcia in anchovy-garlic butter. Scheggino is the town; the truffle is what you pay for. Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG handles the earth; Grechetto di Todi DOC is the white alternative when the truffle is less generous.

Check Pasta pairings
Rocciata on stoneware bowl with Apple, Butter, Cinnamon

Rocciata

Rocciata is the Umbrian spiral pastry, a rolled sheet of pasta matta around apples, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon. The pastry crossed into Umbria from the Hapsburg north and now reads entirely local. Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito DOCG is the great Umbrian sweet-wine match; Vin Santo Umbro is the quieter option.

Check Desserts pairings
Porchetta on stoneware bowl with Bay Leaf, Fennel, Garlic

Porchetta

Porchetta is central Italy's boned, stuffed, roast pig, flavoured with fennel, rosemary and garlic then roasted until the skin is lacquered. Ariccia and Norcia both claim it; both are right. Cesanese del Piglio DOCG or a Montefalco Rosso DOC from Sagrantino blends carry the fat and herb lift the dish needs; Chianti Classico DOCG works when the filling is more restrained.

Check Meats pairings
07 · On The Ground14

Explore Umbria by place

Wine routes, towns and wineries to follow when you go.

Wine routes

1 to 2 days

Strada del Sagrantino

The 60-kilometre signposted loop through the five Sagrantino communes south of Perugia.

  1. Montefalco
  2. Bevagna
  3. Arnaldo Caprai
  4. Antonelli San Marco
  5. Complesso Museale di San Francesco
2 to 3 days

Strada dei Vini del Cantico

Central Umbria's wine route, running south from Perugia through Torgiano, Bettona, Marsciano and Massa Martana.

  1. Torgiano
  2. Lungarotti
  3. Castiglione del Lago
  4. Madrevite
1 to 2 days

Strada dei Vini Etrusco-Romana

Southwestern Umbria circuit linking Orvieto, Lago di Corbara and the tufa-cellar wineries.

  1. Orvieto
  2. Castello della Sala
  3. Barberani
  4. Pozzo della Cava

Wine towns

Perugia

Umbria's hilltop capital and the natural base for travelling the central wine routes.

Perugia is the natural starting point for the Strada dei Vini del Cantico, which loops south through Torgiano, Bettona and Marsciano. The Wine Bar Perugia in the historic centre offers Umbrian flights for orientation; cellars in nearby Pila, Magione and Castel Rigone sit within a 20-minute drive.

Perugia

Orvieto

Tufa-cliff town in southwestern Umbria, capital of the Orvieto DOC and a centre of medieval winemaking.

The town is the heart of Orvieto DOC. Cellars are cut directly into the volcanic tufa under the streets; Pozzo della Cava and the Necropoli del Tufo combine wine and Etruscan archaeology. Castello della Sala, Decugnano dei Barbi, Palazzone and Barberani are within 20 minutes' drive.

Terni

Montefalco

The walled hill town that gives its name to Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG and Montefalco Rosso DOC.

Montefalco is the main town on the Strada del Sagrantino. The Piazza del Comune holds several enotecas pouring Sagrantino flights; the Complesso Museale di San Francesco hosts Benozzo Gozzoli frescoes. Caprai, Antonelli, Adanti and Scacciadiavoli are all within a 10-minute drive of the walls.

Perugia

Torgiano

Small commune at the confluence of the Tiber and Chiascio, home of the Lungarotti family.

Torgiano is the home of the Lungarotti estate and Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG. The Museo del Vino (MUVIT) and the Museo dell'Olivo e dell'Olio, both endowed by the Lungarotti family, are obligatory stops. The Osteria del Museo on the same site does Umbrian classics paired with Torgiano labels.

Perugia

Spoleto

Historic town at the southern edge of the Vale Umbra, capital of Spoleto DOC and centre of the Trebbiano Spoletino revival.

Spoleto sits at the centre of the Trebbiano Spoletino zone. The town hosts the Festival dei Due Mondi every summer; cantine such as Tabarrini, Collecapretta and Cantina Novelli are within a 25-minute drive. Norcia's truffle and pork producers are accessible from Spoleto for a wine, truffle and porchetta day.

Perugia

Bevagna

Walled medieval town on the Strada del Sagrantino, considered one of the most beautiful villages of Italy.

Bevagna is the second main hub of the Strada del Sagrantino. The Sagrantino Wine Bar in Piazza Silvestri pours flights from a dozen producers; the Mercato delle Gaite re-enacts medieval crafts every June. Adanti, Antonelli and Tabarrini are 10 minutes away by car.

Perugia

Wineries to follow

Castello della Sala Est. 1940
Umbria · Ficulle

Castello della Sala

Antinori's Umbrian estate at Ficulle, west of Orvieto. Cervaro della Sala (Chardonnay-Grechetto IGT) and the noble-rot Muffato della Sala are international references; the Castello also bottles a flagship Orvieto Classico Superiore.

9wines From £18.45
Arnaldo Caprai
Umbria · Montefalco

Arnaldo Caprai

The Caprai estate at Localita Torre, Montefalco, set the modern dry Sagrantino standard from 1971 onward, with Marco Caprai's clonal-selection work since 1986. The Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG 25 Anni remains the global reference; the Equalitas-certified estate runs daily tastings from a 45-minute Essenziale to the 2.5-hour Sagrantino Lovers session.

11wines From £12.54
Lungarotti
Umbria · Torgiano

Lungarotti

The Lungarotti family modern estate, founded by Giorgio in 1962 and run by his daughters Chiara and Teresa, bottled Umbria's first DOCG (Torgiano Rosso Riserva) in 1990 with Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio. The 250-hectare operation works two estates: Torgiano for Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Trebbiano, and Tenuta Brancalupo at Montefalco for Sagrantino. VIVA-certified, the fir

8wines From £12.65
Barberani Est. 1961
Umbria · Baschi

Barberani

Third-generation family estate above Lake Corbara, in the historic Classico heart of Orvieto. Niccolo and Bernardo Barberani work 55 hectares of certified-organic vineyards, organic since the 1980s. Best known for the Castagnolo Orvieto Classico Superiore, the noble-rot Calcaia from Botrytis-touched Grechetto, and the Sangiovese-Cabernet-Merlot blend Polvento.

0wines
Roccafiore Est. 1999
Umbria · Todi

Roccafiore

The Baccarelli family planted Roccafiore at Todi in 1999, a 15-hectare single-block estate on Colli Martani clay, marl and gypsum soils. Fiorfiore Grechetto di Todi Superiore is the flagship; Melograno Sangiovese IGT, Montefalco Rosso and Sagrantino fill the red range. VIVA-certified and FIVI member, with the Roccafiore Wine Resort and Spa, Anthea Spa and Ristorante Fiorfiore on site since 2006.

1wine From £24.20
08 · Common Questions9

Ask the sommelier

Quick answers about Umbria. Numbers, denominations, food and what to start with.

Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG is Umbria's flagship: a 100% Sagrantino dry red, aged 30 months minimum, with one of the highest tannin levels of any Italian red. Marco Caprai's 25 Anni and Paolo Bea's Pagliaro are the modern reference points. Orvieto Classico (white) and Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG sit alongside it as historic appellations.

Yes, by laboratory measure. Sagrantino's tannin levels run roughly twice those of Brunello di Montalcino and stand among the highest of any dry red worldwide. The grape grows almost exclusively on the clay-limestone hills around Montefalco; the DOCG mandates 30 months of ageing, including 12 in oak, to soften that grip before release.

Orvieto sits on a volcanic tufa plateau cut by the Paglia and Tiber rivers. The vineyards grow on the same volcanic soils that ring the town, and the cellars are cut directly into the soft yellow rock beneath the streets, giving year-round cellar temperatures around 13 to 15 degrees. The combination produces stone-cool Grechetto and Procanico whites with lemon pith, almond skin and salty minerality.

Umbria is landlocked and centred on native grapes that Tuscany does not use: Sagrantino for monumentally tannic reds, Grechetto and Trebbiano Spoletino for structurally rich whites, and Trasimeno Gamay (Grenache) for pale lake-side reds. Sangiovese is shared, but in Umbria it usually appears blended with Sagrantino in Montefalco Rosso DOC or aged long in Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG, giving a denser, more savoury profile than Chianti Classico.

Sagrantino's tannin needs heavy fat to balance. Porchetta from Norcia, grilled lamb chops, peposo (Tuscan-Umbrian black pepper beef stew), wild boar ragu over strangozzi, and aged pecorino are the classic pairings. The wine cuts through fat and lifts black truffles served on simple egg pasta. Avoid delicate fish, light vegetable dishes and any pairing that does not bring fat to the table.

Three wine routes cover Umbria. The Strada del Sagrantino loops 60 kilometres through Montefalco, Bevagna and Gualdo Cattaneo for Sagrantino DOCG and Montefalco Rosso DOC. The Strada dei Vini del Cantico runs central Umbria through Torgiano and Lago Trasimeno. The Strada dei Vini Etrusco-Romana covers Orvieto and Lago di Corbara. Bevagna's Sagrantino Wine Bar and Montefalco's Piazza del Comune enotecas pour multi-producer flights for visitors short on time.

We currently list 57 wines from Umbria, starting from £9.00. Browse them all on our wines page.

We currently curate 4 active Umbria grape guides, including Malvasia Puntinata, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Trebbiano Toscano. This is an editorial selection, not the complete regional grape list.

Umbria is renowned for dishes including Lumachine alle Schegginese, Rocciata, Torta al testo, Porchetta.

09 · Keep Exploring

Your next pour

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