At the upscale
kitchen we not only love to cook but we always enjoy a good glass of wine. So from time to time we will
blog about wine tasting, wines we like, vineyards we have visited and of course
wines we cook with. This is the second blog in the UpScaleKitchen wine series hope you enjoy.
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| Umbria Wine Making Region Of Ital |
If you're planning a wine tasting event, consider serving
the wines of Umbria, Italy. The colorful ancient history of this region
provides the perfect backdrop for giving your guests a little more than a glass
of wine. By sharing this knowledge of Umbria, you can bring a wine alive in
more ways than taste. This article looks at the Umbria winemaking region of
Italy, focusing in on a red wine club favorite, Arnaldo Caprai.
Umbria
Umbria is a combination of pastoral countryside and
mountain wilderness. Nurtured by the Tiber and its tributaries and Italy's
fourth largest lake, Lago Trasimeno, this region known as "the green heart
of Italy" produces fine olive oil, truffles, grains, tobacco, and
livestock along with its vines. Umbria also has a cluster of ancient cities
that offer a glimpse into the past. The Umbri, Etruscans, and Romans all left
their mark here.
Magnificent Orvieto is perched on a plateau that looks
down on the vineyards below. Its grand Duomo is among the greatest of Italy's
Romanesque/Gothic cathedrals. Perugia's ancient center embraces a 15th Century
Duomo and the city's most extravagantly decorated church. Founded in the 10th
Century and rebuilt in the 15h, the Duomo stands beyond the old walls.
Medieval Assisi with its beautiful views and piazzas is
the home of St. Francis, who is buried in a basilica frescoed by Giotto among
others. The nearby hill towns of Todi, Spello, Gubbio, and Montefalco blend
medieval monuments with Roman remains. Spoleto, surrounded by woods, is the
loveliest of the hill towns and hosts one of Europe's leading art festivals in
June and July each year.
Noted mainly for its white wines, such as Orvieto,
Procanico, Malvasia, Grechetto, and Trebbiano, the region also produces two
noble red wines a favorite of red wine club members with special DOCG status,
Torgiano Rosso, which is called Rubesco, and Sagrantino, both unmistakably
grand wines capable of aging for decades. The sweet white Vin Santo is a local
favorite and is made from semidried
Grechetto or Malvasia grapes.
Among the many outside varieties planted in Umbria,
Merlot and Barbera have been prominent for more than a century. More recently,
Pinot Nero and red Cabernet Sauvignon have produced some fine wines appearing
on many red wine club lists.
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