7 Wines To Try In Umbria!

Tuscany is famous for its wines; Chianti, Brunello, Super Tuscan.  But Tuscany's quiet next-door neighbour Umbria has some fantastic wines too.   These wines are just becoming popular in North America, even though the Etruscans have been making wine here for millennia. Umbria is much more Mountainous with the Apennine range running through the East of this Region creating a colder climate for grape growing.  This makes a huge difference in the varieties grown and the flavours they produce.  Let's explore some of the local vino!

Umbria DOC/DOCG Wine Treasure Map

Umbria has thirteen DOC regions and 2 DOCG regions.  These acronyms are both wine quality control labels that control the production area, the varieties of grapes used in the wine, the wine colour, alcohol levels and how the wines are matured.  DOC is Denomination of Controlled Origin, and Italy has 334 in 2018, with another 408 "protected" wine areas that may become DOC one day.

Graph From Wine Folly Blog

DOCG is a GUARANTEED Controlled Origin; meaning this wine is Italy's top product.  There are 2 DOCG wines in Umbria: Montefalco Sagrantino and Torgiano Rosso Riserva.  I was amazed that Umbria's famous white wine from Orvietto was NOT on the DOCG list!  The two main white varieties grown in Umbria are Trebbiano and Grechetto.  The main red varieties grown are Sangiovese, Torgiano and Sagrantino.  The last two of these are getting A LOT of attention lately and are both DOCG wines.  Let's start with those.

1. Sagrantino di Montefalco ~

 

This wine is HOT right now all over the world.   Sagrantino wine is made from the mysterious grape variety of the same name.  The DOCG region it belongs to is the area around the pretty little hilltown of Montefalco.  This wine is like Tuscany's Brunello di Montalcino, and there is a whole wine tourism industry built around the wineries of Montefalco. This includes the "Strada del Sagrantino" a driving route that takes you to different wineries and towns that produce Montefalco Sagrantino.  Sagrantino wine is made from 100% Sagrantino grapes that are aged for a minimum of 37 months; 12 of those months must be in oak barrels.  This is an intense, full-bodied wine that is off the hook for tannins and tastes like berry.spice.raisin.smoke.  Sagrantino also ages like a dream.  To find out more about this really unique wine check out THIS post.

2. Torgiano Rosso Reserva and Rubesco~ 

These are actually two separate wines that come from a small town of the same name: Torgiano.  Torgiano is a small hamlet a few kilometres from the delightful hill town of Deruta.   Torgiano makes red wines: Rosso di Torgiano called Rubesco and the famous Rosso di Torgiano Reserva which is a DOCG wine. The Torgiano Rubesco is aged for 1 year where the Rosso Reserva is aged for 3 years with a minimum of 6 months in the bottle.  The primary player in Torgiano is the Lungarotti family winery, and this local family put Torgiano wine on the map.  It's a great blend of half Sangiovese, 15-30% Canaiolo grapes, 10% Trebbiano and the rest is Montepulciano and Ciliegiolo.  You may know the Canaiolo grape from some famous blends like Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.  In fact, the Canaiolo grape was the primary grape in Chianti until a blight hit Europe in the 1850s and wiped out much of the Canaiolo vines in Tuscany. Oh, the horror-stupid aphids!

The Rubesco is such a smooth wine and is nicely paired with cheese and bread,  tomato sauces and roast meat or chicken.  The Rosso Reserva is tannin-licious, and it tastes like cherry jam, pepper, cocoa and tobacco (maybe that's from all the tobacco that grows along the vineyards in Torgiano). 😁  This is another Umbrian wine that could stand the test of time and it would be great to drink 10 years down the road.

3. Rosso di Montefalco~

This is another wine featuring the Sagrantino grape.  The Rosso di Montefalco is also a DOC wine blending 60-70% Sangiovese, 10-15% Sagrantino and the rest a blend of Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.  It's aged for 18 months, but you can also get a "Rosso di Montefalco Reserva" which is aged for 30 months, 12 of those months in wood barrels.  This wine is WAY more mellow than the Sagrantino di Montefalco, but it is still a big, bold red that ages well for up to 10 years after bottling.  TIP: You may consider trying this Umbrian red before moving on to the Sagrantino which can be a bit too intense for many people.

4. Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito~

The original version of Sagrantino wine that the Umbrian monks made was a sweet wine in the passito style.  "Passito" is a style of wine that is known as "straw wine" or "raisin wine". This would be equivalent to Vin Santo in other regions of Italy.  The process involves drying the grapes for 2 months until they reduce to about 45% of their original volume before pressing.  In the old days, the grapes were withered on the vine or on straw so that the grapes are halfway to being raisins.  This is an ancient technique that was recorded by the Greeks as far back as 800 B.C.E.  Passito is a tasty dessert wine, and the traditional Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito is still prevalent in the Montefalco area and sold by many vintners, enotecas and wine shops today.  

White Wines

5. Orvieto Classico~

The Grand Hilltown Of Orvieto

This is probably Umbria's most famous white wine and it is exported all around the world. Heck, I can even get it at my little grocery store here in rural SW Ontario!  Named after the famous Umbrian hilltown Orvieto, which was the Popes refuge if Rome were ever under attack.  Orvieto Classico is a blend of 40% Grechetto, 20-40% Trebbiano (which is locally called Procanico) and up to 40% other white grape blends such as Verdello and Malvasia Bianco. Orvieto Classico is a DOC  wine that is generally a floral yet crisp, light straw-coloured wine.   Some producers in the region are now producing a very dry Orvieto "secco" which is gaining in popularity.  Try a bunch of different labels to find the one you like most!

6. Orvietto Abboccato~

Delicious and light Abboccato

This is another type of wine from Orvietto that used to be exported in the past but has fallen out of favour because it is quite a sweet wine, although not a dessert wine.  Abboccato in loose terms means "good in the mouth," and I would thoroughly agree.  I had this wine a few times with my lunch, as a restaurant's house white wine and it is light and peachy and well rounded.  It paired well with salty/sweet menu items like prosciutto and melon or Panzanella which is a bread and tomato salad.  It is an excellent hot weather wine to sip on a patio.

7. Bianco di Todi~

The Medieval hill town of Todi is a new player in the Umbrian DOC scene. Todi was designated as DOC region in 2010, although winemaking here goes back to the (pre-Roman) Etruscan times.  Todi is a hill town near Orvieto that grows Grechetto Bianco grapes. This is the same grape that is blended with Trebbiano grapes to make Orvieto Classico wine.  Grechetto vines come from Greece, and like the Sagrantino red grape, it is a late harvest grape.  Like the Sagrantino grape, the Grechetto is a low yielding grape variety with high sugar content and thick skins that resist the mildew that can happen in late harvest grapes.
There are actually  3  related wines here: 1) Bianco di Todi must be 50% Grechetto grapes 2) the Grechetto di Todi must be minimum 85% Grechetto grapes, and 3) Grechetto Superiore it must be 100% Grechetto and aged for a minimum of 5 months.  We tried the Grechetto di Todi with our handmade pasta, and it paired perfectly. Grechetto is light and has a nutty taste and maybe something herbal in the afterglow on the tongue. The Grechetto grape is also used in making Vin Santo a very traditional sweet dessert wine.  Todi is becoming known for its Rosso di Todi, a local red wine that is gathering a lot of attention lately-it's on my list to try out next time we are in Umbria.

I WANT IT ALL!!!!

I am by no means an expert in wine, but I know what I like when I taste it!  I am sure you will have favourites too, and the wine industry in Umbria is growing and changing every year.  If you have any delicious Umbrian wines you would like to add to the list, please let me know in the comments below!  I would love to try them next time I am in Umbria.

Salute!

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Ten Things To Eat In Umbria

Umbria is known as the "Green Heart of Italy" not only because more than half of its terrain is forested mountains, but because much of the health food consumed in Italy is grown in Umbria.  The high pasture lands of Umbria allow cows, sheep and pigs access to fresh air, mountain water and pure grass.  The forests also provide the Umbrians with lots of wild game, pheasants, wild pigeon, rabbit and the "King of the Forest"; Chingiale or wild boar.  If you are not into hunting animals, there is another elusive prey to hunt...the truffle!  In general Umbrian food is hearty, uncomplicated and extremely fresh.  Here are my "Top 10 eats in Umbria".

Antipasto

1* Bruschetta- Is common all over Italy.  In Umbria, the bread is cut thick and toasted over a wood fire and served with local olive oil or sometimes with black truffles.  The olive oil in Umbria is exceptional; you may want to pick up a small bottle to bring home.  On the last Sunday in March the little town of Spello just 6 miles south of Assisi, hosts La Sagra della Bruschetta which is a bruschetta food festival that will knock your taste buds right out of your mouth!  Also, look for an Umbrian flatbread called "Torta sul Testo"-great with salumi!



2* Truffles- Fall is the traditional time for Truffles or Tartuffo in Italian. The black truffles are in season twice a year; the winter truffle from November to March and the Summer truffle (which is less aromatic) from May to August.  The best truffles are from Norcia and Spoleto and are usually served on pasta or bruschetta.
Truffles only grow underground in unspoiled mountain forests; usually under Oak, Linden and Poplar trees.  The truffles are "hunted" with the use of truffle-sniffing dogs or pigs. White truffles are called "trifola d'Alba Maddona" or truffle of the white Maddona. White truffles are SUPER expensive (close to $2000/pound) and hard to find in restaurants and markets. It's best to research stores selling white truffle products in the area you will be visiting before you go to Italy.



3* All things pork- Pork is a serious subject in Umbria.  The town of Norcia has perfected the art of sausage making.  So much so, a top pork butcher is called a "norcino" and he can open a "norcineria".  In every restaurant, Osteria, Taverna and Enoteca you will see a charcuterie board of various cured pork products: salumi, prosciutto, soppressata, mortadella, donkey balls, cinghiale (wild boar) sausage, 2 kinds of local cheese and local honey.  Wait-what? Donkey balls? Bale d'Aso is named for the way this sausage looks like when it is being hung and cured; a pair of donkey balls.  In northern Italy, this sausage is made with a mix of beef and pork, but the Norcia version is all pork, baby!  Also, try the "Corralina di Norcia" a salami that has a piece of lard in the centre and smoked over a Juniper wood fire. Yum!

Bale d'Aso

Primi

Strangozzi with Truffles

4*Strangozzi or (Stringozzi)-These thick long pasta noodles from the Spoleto area are made with hand-milled flour.  The story goes that Strangozzi received its name during the Middle Ages from the people of Spoleto who had just become part of the Papal lands and didn't want to pay more taxes.  The pope sent "esattari" who were tax collecting thug-priests to Spoleto to gather funds from the people who had not paid their taxes.  There were plots to strangle the esattari with long leather cords called "strangozzo".  There is also another type of ticker pasta in Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna called "Strozzapreti" which means "priest-stranglers". This pasta is more fun to eat knowing the history behind it.  Strangozzi is usually served with a black truffle sauce, a hearty meat ragu or a thick tomato-based sauce.

5*Spaghetti alla Norcina- a dish from the Norcia area, this is pasta made with a sauce of black truffles, olive oil and anchovies.  Also, spaghetti alla Norcina is pasta with a cream sauce and sausage.  It's a bit confusing because both dishes go by the same name and both are delicious!

Secondi

6*-Palomba alla Ghiotta or Palombacci-This Medieval dish is traditional fare from the town of Todi.  It is a wild pigeon roasted over hot coals (never direct fire) served with a sauce called "la ghiotta".  La ghiotta is a gravy made from the cooking juices of the meat or fowl mixed with a bit of olive oil, vinegar, anchovies, lemon peel and olives.  La Ghiotta is usually served with pheasant, squab and other wild game and meat.

There are many main course freshwater fish dishes in Umbria.  The fish comes from Lake Trasimeno to the West of Perugia near the border with Tuscany.  Dishes typically include such fish as eel, trout, carp and pike.

Contorno

7* Lentils- are called "lenticchie" in Italian.  The best lentils in Italy come from Castelluccio, a small town just east of Norcia.  Castelluccio is a hilltown that has one of the highest elevations in the region.  There are two broad plains at the foot of the hilltown that grows these tender little lentils that are so delicate that they must be harvested by hand, usually in mid-August.




8* Cavolo Romano- This is also just called Romanesco in Italy.  The first time we saw this in an Umbrian farmer's market, I didn't' know if it should be eaten or put in a flower arrangement!  It has got to be the winner of the most beautiful vegetable award.   I have heard it called "Fibonacci Broccoli" because of the logarithmic spiral it grows in.  Romanesco is a bit crunchier than cauliflower and the flavour is more subtle and nutty than a cauliflower.  It is great just steamed or pan-fried and seasoned with salt and pepper and drizzled with some beautiful jade green coloured Umbrian olive oil. 

I wonder if you get better at math if you eat enough of this Romanesco?

Dolci

9* Pan Nociato- This is another Medieval dish from the equally Medieval town of Todi.  This rich dessert bread has Pecorino cheese (a sheep milk cheese), raisins, walnuts and cloves in it; but is not overly sweet.  The addition of red wine in the dough gives the bread a dark colour that looks like whole wheat flour is used to make it.  Traditionally these little loaves of bread are wrapped in grape leaves and baked in a wood-fired oven, and some bakeries in Todi still follow this tradition.  For a recipe click here → "Culinary Fool's"  Pan Nociato.

10* Chocolate - Perugia the capital city of Umbria is known for its chocolate; especially the chocolate Easter eggs that are eaten all over the world at Easter time.  Baci is my favourite store-bought chocolate (sorry Mom, not German chocolates). The little hazelnut "baci" or kisses come wrapped in a little message of love-in three languages Italian, French and English which make them even more fun to eat!





Of course, you must wash down all this beautiful Umbrian food with a glass of fabulous Umbrian wine, like the famous Sagrantino di Montefalco and perhaps cap off the meal with a small glass of the sweet and heavenly Vin Santo.  Click the link for more on the WINES OF UMBRIA. 

Buon Appetito!

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Urbino; Jewel Of The Marche

We walked along in silent reverie, our footsteps echoing on the age-old brick as we wandered up the foggy lanes.  Not another soul was in sight as the streets became a labyrinth of steps and alleyways that looked like a movie set for a vampire thriller.  The fog, silence and deserted streets created such an eerie feeling that it caused the hair at the back of my neck to rise... this was an otherworldly place lost in the mists of time.

I  had done absolutely no research on Urbino before our trip to Italy and I only knew three things about this Italian town: 1) it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site 2) the Renaissance greats: Bramante & Raphel were from Urbino and 3) it was in the North of Umbria.  Well, as Meatloaf would sing: "2 out of 3 ain't bad".  Urbino is in the Marche region of Italy; not Umbria.  I usually love to research my travels and plan out what I would like to see, but every now and then I like a "travel surprise" because you see things with completely fresh eyes and every discovery feels like a hidden treasure.


It was the first day of 2018 and we got up to a late start after the New Years Celebrations in Riccione the night before.  It was actually a terrible day to go to Urbino, there was a thick fog limiting visibility and because it was New Years Day, it meant everything may be closed once we got there. We decided to go anyways.

Corso Garibaldi Urbino

The fog that had come in off the Adriatic Sea was so thick it gave Riccione a mysterious feel, like you may see a knight and his army ride out of the mist towards you at any moment.  We set out into the fog anyways, the GPS taking us to Urbino along winding county roads that followed the ridges of mountains and then sharply dipping back down to the valley floor, only to climb the hairpin turns to the next mountain.  The fog had turned to clouds and at times we could not see even 5 meters ahead of the car.   This was a shame because when we approached Urbino, we did not see the imposing fortress of the Ducal Palace forming an impenetrable wall above the Mataurus River valley.  We found a big pay parking lot at the bottom of the historic centre outside the city walls.  It was cheap and empty.  TIP: To access the Historic centre of Urbino, enter the Helical Ramp.  This is a tower that contains a gradually sloped spiral staircase from the Piazza Mercatale parking lot below to the Corso Garibaldi above.  This tower was built to allow the Duke of Urbino to ride up from his stables at the bottom of the hill to his beloved Palace at the top of the town and it is an extremely dramatic entrance into this city.

This IS His Good Side!

It was so dark with the thick fog that some of the Christmas lights had started to come on in mid-afternoon giving the town a warm glow.  We walked along the Corso Garibaldi, which is the main drag of Urbino towards Raphel's house, passing some great looking maiolica pottery shops along the way.  The great Italian Renaissance artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino was born here in 1483 and his house has been turned into a museum.  Raphel's father was a painter in the court for Federico da Montefeltro, the Duke of Urbino.  I remember good old Federico from my grade 12 Western Civilization class (he has that unmistakable profile). Federico da Montefeltro along with the Medici family in Florence were great believers in humanism and kicked off the Renaissance.  The Renaissance was BORN here...and we were walking in the father of the Renaissance's footsteps! My mind was spinning, but that could have been from last night's celebrations.


Raphael's museum was closed today, so we thought maybe we should check out the Duomo of Urbino-if we could find it in all the fog.  The original Duomo was built here in 1021, (over a Roman Temple site) but our good friend the Duke of Urbino had a new one built in the 15th century. On the roof of the Duomo are the three Christian Virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity.  In front of the Duomo, there is a statue of Saint Crescentino the patron Saint of Urbino.  Crescentius (his Latin name) was a Roman soldier who converted to Christianity and ran away to avoid persecution; hiding in the hills around Urbino.  He was a Warrior-Saint, and "slew a dragon" that lurked in the mountains around Urbino, which is code for: he evangelized the indigenous people of this area; The Picenti. Crescentius was eventually beheaded in the city of Tome in 303 C.E. and his bones were obtained by Urbino as relics for the Duomo.  Saint Crescentino's relics can heal headaches and migraines by tapping relics on to the head of the faithful sufferer.  Wow, there should have been a hangover line-up going into the Duomo on New Year's Day!   We thought maybe some food and a little wine may help cure the headaches better that some creepy old bones; so we settled on a little cafe called Osteria 0 km.




This tiny Osteria was packed, but we squished into a tiny bench table at the very back.  Zero KM specializes in fresh, Fresh, FRESH  homemade food that is all locally sourced.  If you have heard of "piadina" in Emilia-Romagna which is like a wheat tortilla and filled with a cheese called "squacquerone", different lettuces like arugula and sometimes meat.  TIP:  Le Marche's version of Piadina is "crescia" a great snack food.   Crescia is similar to the Piadina but there is lard folded into the dough to it to give it a flaky texture.  Then the dough is baked in a wood-fired oven resulting in a light, soft, flaky dough; sort of like Indian paratha bread.  Urbino being a big University town, Osteria Zero KM also makes a vegetarian version of crescia which appeals to many of the young Italians.  Our server recommended a very good local Marche red wine for us, which was a Sangiovese blend.  The meal ended with a coffee and complimentary homemade cake.  So civilized, but then again, this is the town where chivalry and courtly manners were literally invented in the 15th century.  After lunch we felt human again without having old bones smacked against out foreheads; we decided to venture out and explore the rest of the city!

Homemade desserts

Cresia

Osteria 0 KM

Urbino was a completely different town when we got out of the Osteria. It was almost like the Lady of The Lake herself had been passing through town on her way to Avalon; the mists of Urbino had been parted!  It was clear and cold and the smell of wood fires gave us a cozy feeling but the streets were still deserted.  We wandered past streets with names like Via Bramante and Via Raffaello and the sense of why Urbino is such an important UNESCO site hit home; the town has changed little since the 1400s.  Raphel who wandered these very streets as a child would be able to navigate Urbino today and be able to find his way home to his birthplace! That very thought gave me goosebumps...

Palazzo Ducale of Urbino

We walked in the fresh air making our way through the amber-lit streets and admired the views of the glowing lights of the darkened countryside.  We came around a corner and we all stopped in our tracks and held our breath at the sight in front of us: The Ducal Palace of Frederico da Montefeltro!  Construction of this fairytale fortress started in 1454 for Federico da Montefeltro.  It took at least 3 expert builders to design the palace because of the type of problematic stone Urbino is set upon.  Bramante himself who visited the courts of Urbino was rumoured to have worked on the design of the living quarters for the Palazzo.  This fairytale castle is where Raphael's father worked as a court painter and is one of the most important monuments in Italy, due to it's perfectly preserved medieval structure.  The Palazzo Ducale was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998 and now houses the National Gallery of the Marche. The collection of paintings here are famous Renaissance works by Raphael, Signorelli, della Francesca and Titian; including Titian's "Last Supper". You can also tour the Palace which was restored back in the late 1980s and visit some of the "extensive subterranean networks" which were opened up to the public.

Good Night Urbino!

For Pallazo Ducale information and advanced tickets (recommended in the summer months) go to www.gallerianazionalemarche.it.  The Palace is only closed 2 days a year; Christmas and New Year's Day (of course the day we visited) so I KNOW we have to return to tour this Renaissance beauty one day soon.

The Marche region of Italy is still somewhat undiscovered by North Americans but the beautiful landscape, rich history and gorgeous beaches will soon be on the radar of all Italianophiles.  I encourage those curious wanderers out there to explore the delights of Urbino and the Marche before it becomes the next Italian tourist "Hot Spot".


Buon Viaggio!

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