Region Of The Week: Umbria
The only Italian region without a coastline or international border, Umbria is located in the center of Italy in the Apennine mountain range. One of the coldest regions in Italy, Umbria tends to have a Mediterranean climate, with cold, rainy winters and dry summers. The hilly towns of Umbria allow for various varietals to be planted at high altitudes, which leads to the grapes experiencing significant temperature shifts, and are ideal conditions for producing mineral white wines the region is known for.
The sixth smallest wine producing region in Italy, Umbria only has 12,400 hectares of vineyards. Umbria is infamous for their red wines from Montefalco and white wines from Orvieto, which accounts for over 10% of their wine production. Their primary grapes are Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Grechetto, Merlot, and Sagrantino, a native red grape.
