Umbria 2 Flashcards
Why is Umbria referred to as Il Cuoro Verde d’Italia?
Means green heart of Italy.
Sparcely populated so remains almost untouched
How long has Umbria produced wines?
At least since Etruscan times
Where did Umbria get its name?
From Umbri tribe 1st settled in 1,000 BC
What are the major important cities founded by the Etruscans?
Orvieto and Perugia
What wine making technique did the Etruscans introduce that lasted until the early 20th century?
Vine training on trees. Alberata
When did the Romans gain control?
End of 3rd century BC
Easily transfered wine via Tevere River
What groups caused a step decline in viticulture in Umbria?
After the fall of Rome the Ostrogoths fought the Byzantines and had significant regional destruction
What is Umbria’s most famous crop?
Black Truffles
What is C/S Italy’s largest lake (4th in Italy)?
Lake Trasimeno
What is the Umbrian grape that is a biotype of Cannonau?
Gamay del Trasimeno - only grown around the lake
What are the most widely planted red/white grapes in Umbria?
Sangiovese
Trebbiano Toscano
What is Umbria’s signature red grape?
Sagrantino
What 2 white grapes account for 25% of vines in Umbria?
Trebbiano and Grechetto
What is Trebbiano called in Orvieto? And what does it add to blends?
Procanico
Adds Acidity
What does Grechetto typically add to Orvieto wines?
Depth and Character
There are multiple Trebbianos in Umbria, are any related?
What about the Grechettos?
No
Grechetto di Orvieto and Grechetto di Todi are also distinct though once considered the same
Where is Pignoletto grown and what grape is it identical to in Umbria?
Bologna, Emilia-Romagna
Grechetto di Todi - and tends to be fuller body than G di Orvieto with high tannin structure in its skins
What is the traditional training method that was used in Umbria?
Vite Maritat all’albero or Alberata
Tree Training
What is unique about the vineyard ownership structure in Umbria?
Very small plots only 1 ha on average
And Umbria only accounts for 2% of Italy’s production
What is a castrum?
Ancient Roman military fortification
What is the most famous estate in Torgiano?
Giorgio Lungarotiis’ Vigna Monticchio on Brufa Hill
Who is Giorgio Lungarotti?
One of the most important modern day Italian producers from 1950s
Focused on quality in Umbria helped Togiano to become the 1st DOC in Umbria 1968
What is Giorgio Lungarotti iconic single vineyard in Torgiano?
Rubesco Vigna Monticchio
on Brufa Hill
What is the primary different between the production of Rubesco Vigna Monticchio in Torgiano and the DOCG?
Rubesco Vigna Monticchio is aged in 12 months oak and longer in the bottle than Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG
Who saved Sangrantino in 1960s?
Cantina Foligno
Adanti
Tardioli and
Arnaldo Caprai
For what reason and who helped Sagrantino di Montefalco explode in the 1990s.
Macro Caprai (of Arnaldo Caprai estate)
To tame the Tannins
Created different clones
Introduced new viticultural practice
New ageing techniques
What is considered the longest lived Sangiovese based wines?
Rubesco Vigna Monticchio
Lungarotti
What is the white wine only DOC in Umbria?
Spoleto DOC
What is the eastern most DOC in Umbria?
Spoleto DOC
What other winegrowing areas does Spoleto overlap?
Montefalco
Colli Martani
What is the most recent appellation DOC in Umbria?
Spoleto DOC
using Trebbiano Spoleto
Italy’s only appellation regulating Noble Rot wines by disciplinaire?
Orvieto DOC
What is the difference between Orvieto Classico and Superiore?
Classico ONLY regulates the grape
Superiore REGULATION PRODUCTION standards
What level of sweetness can Orvieto Classico be?
Sweetness not regulated so Any level, mostly dry
What are the local grapes that may be blended with Orvieto?
Drugeggio
Verdello
MBL
Can Orvieto be Classico Superiore?
Yes
