Madrevite – Umbrian organic excellence A “Madrevite” is a wooden threaded spigot that Umbrian winemakers once used to close up their barrels after filling them full of wine. Nicola Chiucchiurlotto, who founded the Madrevite estate, chose this name for his wine estate as a linkage between traditional and modern wine growing, which embodies organic and artisanal wine production. Located on …
Off the beaten track – some lesser-known Italian wines
Off the beaten track – some lesser-known Italian wines Despite the smaller harvests reported this year, Italy remains the biggest wine-producing country globally. Many readers will know that this massive volume of wine is also incredibly diverse, whether in quality, price, style, terroir, business or winegrowing philosophies. The last time I looked, there were 569 grape varieties registered, with 377 …
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Chiesa del Carmine – an authentic taste of Umbria
Chiesa del Carmine – an authentic taste of Umbria Chiesa del Carmine is a restored estate in Umbria, some thirty minutes north of the twin delights of Perugia and Assissi. It’s near the Tuscan border, in a small limestone valley accessed from the river valley of the Upper Tiber (Fiume Tevere). This short article is about why their wines are worth …
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Tabarrini Adarmando, Bianco dell’Umbria IGT. WOTY 2018
Tabarrini Adarmando. Bianco dell’ Umbria IGT. WOTY 2018 WOTY? It stands for Wine of the Year of course! In 2018 I encountered many outstanding wines, seemingly in every colour and style. Each brought great pleasure, and the best often taught me something new. However, in selecting from all these, there can only ever be one WOTY 2018. This year it’s an …
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Spoletino. I say Spoletino; you say Trebbiano
Spoletino. I say Spoletino; you say Trebbiano I say Spoletino; you say Trebbiano. Let’s call the whole thing off.* In Umbria, there resides a brilliant yet still obscure white grape variety, called Trebbiano Spoletino. It grows around the hilltop towns of Montefalco and neighbouring Spoleto, near Perugia. What’s in a name? Yes, the name Trebbiano does it no favours. Trebbiano …
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Sagrantino, Montefalco wineries and wines
Sagrantino, Montefalco wineries and wines Part 1 of this article told the story of dry Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG in Umbria and its rise to become an iconic Italian red wine. This Part 2 has a dozen wineries, most with wines available in the UK. You can click on the map embedded below to view these wineries and find out more. …
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Montefalco Sagrantino. Tannins, time, and transformation.
Montefalco Sagrantino. Tannins, time, and transformation. Sagrantino is a fascinating Italian native red grape variety. It’s capable of making outstanding red wines in its homeland around Montefalco in Umbria. This grape has a long history. Despite this, it has only recently acquired success, due to the extraordinary rise of the dry Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG. It was just in 1979 that this …
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