The Arnaldo Caprai winery emerged as a clear highlight of my Umbrian trip.

This brand garnered well-deserved fame in New York city for the excellence of its wine, and its emphasis on the native Sagrantino grape.

The Arnoldo Caprai Story

This Montefalco success story began in 1971 when textiles entrepreneur Arnaldo Caprai purchased 12.5 acres in Montefalco.

Marco Caprai, (Arnoldo’s son) met me in the winery’s large, modern reception room. He has overseen the operation his father created since 1988, and a long-time advocate for the Sagrantino grape even before that.

As we walked through the vineyards, he showed me the plots dedicated for experimental plantings of the Sagrantino grape regarding training methods and clonal selection, performed in tandem with the University of Milan.

The Tasting

Arnoldo Comprai produces an assortment of wines, including fine examples from the Grechetto grape, at a variety of price points.

But wine made from the Sagrantino grape is what the winery is all about. Mid-range wines are usually a blend of Sagrantino, Sangiovese, and Merlot.

But at the top end, Comprai has produced a 100% Sagrantino wine, 25 anni Montefalco Sagrantino. The grapes have been harvested from the best vineyard, and long aging in the finest French oak have tamed the grape’s naturally tannic bite. Highly rated by important wine critics, the wine has won many awards from the most prestigious international magazines.

It was a pleasure to meet Mr. Comprai and taste this rare “Super Umbrian”
wine.

Montioni

It was very exciting to visit the Montioni winery in Montefalco. Paolo, the new generation of the family winery, is now in charge. But as he was ill, his assistant Jessica gave me a dynamic tour of the hillside vineyards followed by a tasting.

The vineyards enjoy a dynamic view from the top of the Montefalco hills. As Jessica showed me the hilltop vines, she revealed that the winery sometimes invites guests to the hilltop for tasting parties.

Back at the winery, we tasted through three of the wines. A 2018 Montefalco Rosso then the 2016 Montefalco Sagrantino (100%) that ages two years in wood. Delicious!

Finally, she poured the 2015 Ma Gia, the top of the line wine (named for Paolo’s children) that spends 30 months in oak. A rich, structured wine with lots of character.

A beautiful family winery focusing strongly (and successfully) on hospitality.

Scacciadiavoli

This winery’s name stems from a word relating to the “devil” in Italian, referring to an 14^th episode of exorcism in which the priest gave a young girl red wine to drink in order to banish the devil. It worked.

The Scacciadiavoli estate is quite impressive.  A foreign nobleman established it in 1877 with a dream of making sparkling wine.

Today the winery continues the tradition of sparkling wine, offering two new sparklers they are launching in the market. Both wines are Sagrantino based.

The first wine is made from 85% Sagrantino and 15% Chardonnay, while the other wine has a slight pink tinge and is made from 100% Sagrantino.

Both wines were so delicious I couldn’t decide which I liked more. At under $20, these IGT wines are perfect for weddings as well as to enjoy on more casual occasions.

I also tasted through their extensive production of wine, including a refreshing Grechetto, Trebbbiano, Chardonnay, and Grechetto blend, and their Montefalco Rosso wines with the usual blend of Sangrantino, Sangiovese, and Merlot. A highlight of the tasting was the 2017 Sagrantino ($100) with very smooth, balanced tannins.

Family member Liu Pambuffetti gave me an extensive tour of this lovely property, showing me the ancient cellars and even some of the original wine equipment (cement tanks) from 1909.

I loved the single varietal Sagrantino wine and can’t wait to see these Sangrantino-based sparklers in the American market.

Two Winemaker Dinners

Marisa sitting on the “glass ceiling” at Briziarelli Winery

Paolo Bartolomi of Le Cimate holding his special bottle. 

Both Le Cimate and Briziarelli are important wineries in Montefalco.

While time did not permit a visit during the day, I was able to tour them and taste their wine during dinners with the members of the consortium.

Briziarelli is a stunning, state-of-the-art winery producing wines from the native grapes of Montefalco. Its owners are in the brick business, which explains the brick motif in this modern, gorgeous winery that could win a prize in Architecture Digest.

During dinner, I was lucky to sit with Alessandro Giannoni, Briziarelli’s chief operating officer. Mr. Giannoni also led me up the staircase to the magical “glass floor” allowing guests to look down directly to the barrel room.

Also at my table that night was the gregarious winemaker Giampaolo Tabarrini, Mr. Tabarrini had overseen his family’s winery since 2000, working with the native grapes of Montefalco.

His ancestors had grown grapes for centuries, also livestock and cereal. In the 1980s and 1990s they sold their wine in bulk but that stopped when Mr. Tabarrini took charge of the vineyard. Today he bottles and sells his wine under the Tabarrini brand.

During the last dinner, I was fortunate enough to sit with the owner of Le Cimate, Paolo Bartoloni. Mr. Bartoloni gave me a tour of his winery, built in 1960 and which his father purchased thirty years later. He also brought out many of his wines to share with me and guests at our table.

Other producers introduced themselves to me, including Valentino Valentini of Bocale winery. Besides being a winemaker, Mr. Valentini had also been mayor of Montefalco twice.

Very grateful to the producers of Montefalco for their hospitality.  

P.S. You can find more Umbrian Wine stories with a link to the Orvieto Producers, Torgiano Producers,  Col di Betto,  &  Romanelli,

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The Trasimeno Doc wine region is a “hidden gem” of the historic wine regions of Italy. Virtually all the wineries I visited had their own private church, some dating from the 12^th century when the winery (a former palace) had been owned by noble families.

Many might know the Trasimeno region for its famous lake, which rivals Lake Como for its size and beauty.

The signature grape of this region is what the locals call “Gamay,” but in reality (and by grape genetics) it is closer to the Grenache grape.

Handled with care by the best producers, this “Trasimeno Gamay” has the ability to transform into a long-lived wine, standing up to new French oak and able to improve with more than a decade of age.

La Querciolana

The first producer I visited in this region is La Querciolana,

Tall Mauro Cavallucci met me at the entrance to the red-brick winery, once the castle of a noble family. Visitors can see the 12^TH century church just a few steps away.

More than a winery, La Querciolana is also a residence for couples and families during the summer. Currently, six apartments are available to rent.

As this was my first stop in the region, I was surprised to hear Mauro refer to a particularly full-bodied, oak-aged wine as Gamay. I later found that in this specific region, a variant of Grenache is called Gamay. For clarity, I will refer to it as “Trasimeno Gamay.” La Querciolana produces a number of wines from the local varieties and international varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

From the tasting, it was clear much care had gone into the production of high-quality grapes and solid winemaking. Mauro revealed that the winery is going through the process of organic certification.

La Querciolana Stories

Mauro is a natural storyteller. A memorable story is how he, a former sommelier, arranged for the winery to be purchased by a Monte Carlo physician. Like many, the new owner had the dream of buying a winery in the Italian countryside.

Other memorable stories include reasons why “Gamay” (really a form of Grenache) ended up in Umbria. The more romantic story explains that the new wife of a local nobleman insisted on bringing the vines of her native land. Yet another story suggests “Gamay” was brought to Umbria by Sardinian shepherds. Whichever story you believe, this wine is delicious – especially the oak-aged “Gamay” wines of La Querciolana .

Carini

Carini

This friendly, modern-looking winery belies the fact that patriarch Peppino Carini created it in the mid-1880s. The principal business at the time was olive oil and livestock.

Then in the 1970s, descendants Armando and Bruna Carini marketed their products locally. Zooming to the year 2000, the latest generation transformed the established lands into vineyards, olive groves, and wild areas to raise pigs and sheep for meat and milking.

Today the family is behind many agricultural endeavors, including cheese, prosciutto, and, of course, olive oil and wine. They even offer tasting events featuring wines, cheeses, meats, and other products on their sunny lawn.

During my visit, I tasted the wines

Sangiovese, Trasimeno Gamay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Grechetto and Trebbiano. The delicious wines were decidedly well-balanced, with a good concentration of fruit and zesty acidity.

Click here for
Wine Resources

Puciarella

Puciarella 

Of course, you’ve dreamed of living a life in a beautiful Italian wine estate. The view from your bedroom window boasts rolling hills. If updated to 2022, it may even include a luxurious swimming pool …

As filmmakers say, let’s “cut” to the gorgeous Puciarella estate 

Just viewing this princely estate calls to mind the Mozart opera Marriage of Figaro. A grand mansion. Beautifully decorated rooms. Servants. Excellent cuisine.

And of course, the wine.

Puciarella offers all of this, and more.

On my visit, I was escorted to the vineyards on the top of the hill. In wine terms, this is “prime real estate” for the very best grapes. Even the grand wine estates in California’s Napa Valley would envy these gently rolling hills, along with its variety of soil types.

Now let us consider the mansion. A grand estate. Wouldn’t you love to live here? Experience the wine of your very own chateau, lay by the swimming pool?

Of course.

The great news is that you can rent a room in this grand estate, visit the vineyards, kneel within your private 12^th century church (on property), and enjoy the wine.

To read more about the estate click here.

Lunch with Trasimeno Producers at Restaurant “La Cantina”

Trasimeno is Umbria’s answer to Lake Como, as it boasts a beautiful lake famous within Italy and beyond.

You can’t imagine my excitement as the car quickly approached the lakeside “La Cantina” restaurant. Here I’d be able to view the lake for the first time.

Waiting for me were the producers of the Trasimeno DOC, They were eager to tell me all about their family histories and the stories of their wines.

Each producer spoke one by one, explaining their family histories. To summarize, I will venture to say that virtually all of them had parents – especially mothers – active in the 1960s and 1970s. These were the days leading up to Trasimeno becoming a DOC.

Many of them remembered their mothers in the fields, doing a “man’s work,” while fathers of the era had professions outside of wine.

The Trasimeno DOC wines served at lunch were all quite elegant, marked by fresh acidity from the climate and soil of Trasimeno. They also paired well with the fish from the nearby Trasimeno lake.

Many thanks to members of the Trasimeno DOC and Umbria Region for introducing me to this grand region.

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Torgiano Wine Region

Do you enjoy discovering “hidden gem” wine regions?

Torgiano is a lovely region in Umbria to consider for your next wine travel vacation.

Why?

Dating from Etruscan times, Torgiano was all about wine. This wine heritage was further developed by the Romans. You can see the remains of its presses in the wine museum today.

Torgiano enjoys the honor of being the first winemaking area in Umbria to receive the DOC (Denomination of Origin) in 1968 because of its unique soil, moderate climate, and situation where the Chiascio River meets the Tiber. This historic village is also famed for its delicious olive oil and wealth museums and churches..

The Lungarotti Winery

The Lungarottii Winery

Credit Giorgio Lungarotti for his work in orchestrating the creation of the Torgiano DOC and the well-deserved fame for its excellent wines. Today his daughter Chiara Lungarotti controls the winery. She has modernized it with state-of-the-art technology in the cellar and the vineyards.

Chiara’s mother Maria Grazia was also instrumental in setting up the foundation to create the wine museum, which opened in 1974. One of the best organized museums in recent memory, guests begin their guided visit with a “foundation” into the art and culture of ancient Etrusca. Then they progress through installations showing the important cultural periods in Torgiano from the Roman era up to present day.

I will be the first to tell you I wasn’t sure what to expect when the car rolled up into a small street. The entrance to this world-class museum appeared like any other shop on the street.

Only when the door opened did the magic happen.

Immediately, my eager eyes fell upon an antique wine press, actually used by ancient Romans. And then upon many other treasures from antiquity.

Here is how Chiara Lungarotti describes this wine history museum and the olive oil museum:

“An admirable tourist system has been built around quality wine with two excellent cultural achievements that have brought Torgiano and Umbria all over the world, the Wine Museum and the Olive and Oil Museum. The Wine Museum, an exhilarating path commissioned by the Lungarotti family and managed by the Foundation of the same name, was inaugurated in 1974.

“A world-class private collection, the Museum is in Torgiano in the seventeenth -century Palazzo Graziani-Baglioni and with 3,000 artifacts. It covers 5,000 years of history telling the civilization of the vine and wine. In its twenty rooms it houses archaeological, historical, technical, artistic and ethnographic collections, as well as antiquarian publishing and graphics, modern ceramics and ex-libris, arranged according to museographic criteria that make it one of the most important wine museums in existence today.

In 2000, the Olive and Oil Museum was inaugurated in an ancient oil mill in Torgiano. The museum itinerary, in ten rooms, provides information on the botanical characteristics of the olive tree, cultivation techniques and oil extraction. Significant finds recall the mythological origin of the plant, while oil in everyday life through the centuries is proposed in connection with the themes “oil as light” – or the use that oil has had in the lighting of domestic environments, religious and work – oil in food, sports, mechanics, cosmetics and medicine.”

The Lungarotti Wine Tasting

The Lungarotti Wine Tasting

The winery produces over 2.5 bottles a year and exports globally. In normal times, the winery receives hundreds of requests for wine tasting bookings per week, so be certain to reserve early.

This visit began with a tour of the very modern winery. Chiara, a keen businesswoman with an intense enology background, wanted the design of the winery to follow gravity-flow as much as possible.

While walking past her impressive collection of new French oak barrels, Chiara explained she specifically chose a Burgundian cooperage (barrel maker) who guaranteed no possibility of oak taint.

As the head of the consortium, Chiara is a figure of respect among her employees and the larger Umbria community.

Within the tasting room (as well as the wine museum), she has groomed a keen, customer-oriented group of loyal employees who can conduct tours and tastings in the event of Chiara’s absence.

The Lungarotti Tasting

The tasting room is professionally decorated and spotless, as befits one of the major wineries in the Torgiano region.

Visitors sit at a designated place with high-quality glasses, a spittoon, bread and water.

You can see the wines on offer with this link.

All the wines tasted exemplified the highest quality based on the long length of finish, balance between the racy acidity and concentrated nature of the fruit.

Lungarotti is a “must visit” winery on your trip to Umbria, yet be certain to book a tour in advance.

Click here for
Wine Resources

The Margaritelli Winery

Margaritelli Winery

In contrast to Lungarotti, which is in “town” and just a few minutes’ walk to the wine museum, Margaritelli is in the hills above town.

The story of Margaritelli is perhaps a more modern story, even though it began in 1950 with the retirement of Fernando Margaritelli.

At the age of 60, the patriarch bought a winery to express the Margaritelli family’s passion Umbrian wine. At the time, they made the wine just to enjoy for family gatherings.

But a half-century later, Giuseppe Margaritelli, son of Fernando, expanded the property to become a commercial endeavor.

This began by replanting the vineyard, followed by a conversion to growing only organic grape.

Buying their own Cooperage

The Margaritelli family felt that the quality of oak barrels was so important for wine production they built their own cooperage (the place where they can buy the right oak), “season it” (this means aging it appropriately), and have a good supply on hand when needed.

Margaritelli Today

They export this Margaritelli high quality wine around the world. The family offers a surprising number of styles, including a highly prized, oak-aged wine made from Pinot Noir.

The winery is available for tastings and tours with this link.

The Torgiano Wine Producer Consortium

The Torgiano Wine Dinner with Producers

The opportunity to break bread and speak freely with Torgiano producers at dinner was something I looked forward to. I relished the opportunity to ask about their family histories and hear stories chronicling the moment of “change” when their small time lives, simply making wine for family, became a worldwide enterprise.

What I did not expect was dinner at a world class restaurant!

Restaurant Siro offered incredible cuisine. You can see in the photos below. Most of all, I relished my conversation with the fine producers of Torgiano.

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Raffaele Chierico, just 27, is quickly emerging as the fresh face of Umbria.

His Col di Betto vineyard thrives in the gorgeous green expanse of the D.O.C. territory called “Trasimeno’s hills.”

In 2000, Raffaele’s father bought this land to plant vineyards. This allowed the young Raffaele to grow up with the vines.

After a stint of missionary work in Bolivia, Raffaele learned English as a server in England. Then he settled down to his true profession: making wine.

Yet Raffaele does not just make the wine, as a winemaker. He’s also out in the vineyards pruning the vines, Or in his car speaking to Umbria-area restaurants, convincing them to purchase the wine. Even meeting journalists to tell the story of his vines.

Raffaele Chierico, just 27, is quickly emerging as the new face of Umbria.

His Col di Betto vineyard thrives in the gorgeous green expanse of the D.O.C. territory called “Trasimeno’s hills.”

In 2000, Raffaele’s father bought this land to plant vineyards, allowing the young Raffaele to grow up with the Italian vines.

After a stint of missionary work in Bolivia and learning English as a server in England, Raffaele settled down to his true profession: making wine.

Yet Raffaele does not just make the wine, as a winemaker. He’s also out in the vineyards pruning the vines, in his car speaking to Umbria-area restaurants to purchase the wine, and meeting journalists to tell the story of his vines.

Local Umbria Grapes

Because Raffaele does not yet have a tasting room, we met at a neighboring winery so he could showcase his four wines.

The white wine, Verzellino, is made from the Umbria white grape, Vermentino. The unoaked wine exudes a rich texture and elegance, characterized by refined aromas and flavors of citrus and refreshing acidity.

The red wines (made from varying proportions of Sangiovese, Merlot, “Trasimeno Gamay,” Merlot) come in three quality levels, depending on the location of the vineyard and maturation techniques.

All the red wines displayed the tart cherry flavors of the region, characterized by an excellent balance between the bright acidity and concentrated fruit.

The Col di Betto Wine Tasting

The entry-level Allegro wine revealed fresh, concentrated morello cherry flavors, perfect as an everyday pizza or pasta wine. The Terre Del Cardinale, named for the noble family who owned the vineyard land centuries earlier. This wine boasted more concentrated fruit and emerges as a perfect restaurant wine to pair with meat.

My favorite was the “E” (standing for Etrusco, name of the indigenous people) made with 100% Gamay del Trasimeno D.O.C.. This wine enjoys the flavor of the wild cherry of the area, called visciola, and has a delicious richness.

It’s important to mention that what the Umbrians call “Gamay” is actually a form of Syrah. Legend claims it was brought to the region by Sardinian shepherds or a Spanish queen, depending on the story you choose to believe.

Visiting the Col di Betto Vineyards

After the tasting, Raffaele proudly drove me to his vineyards. I loved the look of the healthy rolling hills and the view of the lake from the top of the vineyard. Also at the top of the hill were two small buildings he aims to rebuild into a shop and living quarters. The shop will sell wine, as well as the bread he plans to produce from his cereal crops.

Quite a pleasure to listen to Raffaele discuss his view of life (“wine and bread are a vehicle to reunite people”) and his plans for the future.

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Hello, nice to meet you.”

Devis Romanelli greets me as I approach his family home and winery.

Handsome enough to be an Italian fashion model, Mr. Romanelli is the descendant of several generations of grape growers before him. 

While families with vineyards sold their grapes to the cooperative in the past, today Devis Romanelli is in charge of creating a powerful brand for the family business.

Romanelli Vineyards

The Romanelli vineyards sit in a prime position on the hills of Montefalco, in the heart of Umbria Italy.

Besides top-quality vineyards, the Romanelli family possesses olive groves (which I found to be a source of wealth and prestige in traditional Umbrian culture). The Romanelli family produces three distinct types of premium olive oil besides their wine.

This close-knit family produces organically grown grapes and olives, respecting the eco-system by encouraging owls and other necessary creatures to keep their system in balance.

Winery Projects

Mr. Romanelli began our conversation by emphasizing that two “projects” characterize their estate: Romanelli Nature and Romanelli Tourism.

Romanelli Nature is an eco-sustainability project developed to support biodiversity through things such as installations of bird boxes throughout the vineyards.

As we exited the vineyard, Mr. Romanelli spoke to me about their relatively new ‘wine-tourism’ program reflecting eco-tourism.

Romanelli Eco Tourism

It’s one thing to have a winemaker and olive oil producer tell you about their attitude toward hospitality, then read the actual voices of people who visited.

In the reviews, everyone praised the quality of the olive oil and wine, but more than that, expressed surprise and delight at the hospitality of the family. One review from 2012 said that though they stopped by without a reservation, the matriarch invited them in and gave them an excellent tasting of the winery’s products.

Before my visit, I checked out the wine tours the winery offers via a local operator, Gusto Tours Guests also expressed pleasure of their Romanelli visit on the website.

But in mentioning this to Mr. Romanelli, I discovered that he and Mark, the Gusto wine operator, had become friends and almost partners in a way. When Mr. Romanelli is busy in the vineyards, Mark gives the presentation for him.

The Romanelli Wine Tasting & Visit

Mr. Romanelli invited me inside the dining room that serves as the tasting room for guests, and possibly the dinner table for the family in the evenings. Very homey.

I enjoyed the quality of all the wines representing the typical blends of the Umbria area — Sagrantino, Sangiovese, and Merlot blends for the reds and Trebbiano for the white. I became fascinated with the most unusual wine called Le Tese.

Made from Trebbiano, this wine offered a most enjoyable aroma and flavor, like nothing I’d tasted before. Beyond its richness, I detected a “resin” like flavor nearly impossible to describe.

Then it was revealed that the name of this wine reflects its special training system, in which grape growers attach the grapevine to a tree.

The Lunch

Mr. Romanelli’s mother prepared a delicious lunch of eggs and pasta that complemented the family’s selection of wines.

Fresh bread shimmered with the family’s delicious olive oil (my favorite was labeled as spicy).

Display of the New Romanelli Labels

After the wine tasting and lunch, Mr. Romanelli showed me the new labels he created with the help of a designer. You can see a picture above. The major difference is that an easy-to-recognize icon sits above the main front label, inspired by artwork in the nearby Duomo.

This was an inspiring visit – much appreciation to the Montefalco consortium for making it possible.

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