Umbria lies smack dab in the middle of Italy. The countryside is
unspoiled and dotted with medieval churches. Its fairly gentle
terrain is composed of hills, valleys, and small mountains.
Umbria is the only region of Italy with neither a seacoast nor a
foreign border. But it has lakes, rivers, and even a waterfall.
It is known as the green valley of Italy. In spite of this name,
until a few decades ago Umbria kept losing population to the
more highly industrial north. Its total population is about 830
thousand.
Umbria was settled by the Umbri, perhaps the first inhabitants
of Italy. They were forced into the mountains by the Etruscans,
who were conquered by the Romans and then the Lombards. The poet
Dante considered it the most violent part of Italy.
Umbria is particularly known for pork, dried pasta, and both
black and white truffles. It also produces specialty breads and
a wide variety of vegetables and meats. Fish and eels from the
Tiber River and Lake Trasimeno abound. Cheeses include Pecorino
Toscano, reviewed below.
Umbria's capital is Perugia, a beautiful medieval city with a
population of 150 thousand. Among other things Perugia is known
for chocolates and Italian as a second language classes. Another
famous Umbrian city is Assisi, the home of St. Francis of
Assisi. Umbria devotes about 41 thousand acres to grapevines, it
ranks 15th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine
production is about 19.5 million gallons, giving it a 16th
place. About 58% of the wine production is white, leaving 42%
for red. The region produces 11 DOC wines. DOC stands for
Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as
Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality
wine, and 2 DOCG red wines, Montefalco Sagrantino and Torgiano
Rosso. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact
no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. About 30% of
Umbrian wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. Umbria is home
to about thirty major and secondary grape varieties, about two
thirds white.
Widely grown international white grape varieties include
Chardonnay and Trebbiano. The best known strictly Italian white
variety is Grechetto, used in the its flagship Orvieto DOC
wines.
Widely grown international red grape varieties include Cabernet
Sauvignon, Gamay, and Merlot. The best known Italian red variety
is Sangiovese, now grown elsewhere such as in California.
Before we review the Umbrian wine and cheese that we were lucky
enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian
food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with
indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with
Zuppa di Lenticchie di Castelluccio, Castelluccio Lentil Soup,
which with local bread can be a meal in itself. Later try
Porchetta alla Perugina, Roasted Suckling Pig with Wild Fennel,
Rosemary, and Garlic. For dessert indulge yourself with
Serpentone delle Monache di Perugia, Nut and Fruit "Snake" of
the Capucin Nuns.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over
a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare
these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and
review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Lungaraotti Pinot Grigio 2004 12% about $12
I haven't always been happy with Italian Pinot Grigio, or for
that matter with non-Italian Pinot Gris. These wines often are
weak. However, I thought that this particular Pinot Grigio was a
fine wine for its price when it accompanied the right food. The
sales literature suggested that this light-bodied, vivid, and
balanced wine would be a great match for antipasti. My mistake
was pairing it with non-imported antipasti, really more of a
mediocre relish, which overpowered the wine. I later tried this
wine with cold barbecued chicken in a moderately spicy Thai
sauce and was quite pleased. Its citrus flavors really shone. I
could taste this wine's subtle complexity.
Pecorino Toscano is a sheep's milk cheese that has been made in
Tuscany and neighboring Umbria for thousands of years. Soft
Pecorino Toscano is white with a tinge of yellow, while
semi-hard Pecorino Toscano is pale yellow. It is moderately
strong smelling and has a complex nutty flavor. I thought that
it blended very nicely into the wine.
About the author:
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers
and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink
fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He
teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language
community college. His wine website is
www.theworldwidewine.com
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