Shout It from the Hilltop, its Montefalco

When we talk about wine, first and foremost we begin with the subject of place, terroir. Although vitis vinifera was originally a wild berry producing vine, it is naturally constrained by a preferred growing zone between 30 - 50 degrees longitude north and south of the equator. As we have learned to tame the savage grape and finesse it to coax out the most exquisite elixir, we have more narrowly defined the best geographical zones, ranking them, quantifying them, analyzing them to the nth degree. One of those zones is Montefalco DOC in the central Italian hinterland region of Umbria, one of the "newer kids on the block", despite it being a wine growing region for centuries. Situated at the southern end of its more famous neighbor, the Val D'Orcia, Montefalco is prime real estate for delicious wines, red and white, as well as some done as a frizzante or bubbly, and others as passito that are dolci or sweet wines. It achieved DOC status in 1979 and the most prestigious DOCG Italian growing region rating in 1992. The cultivars you will find in this region that make for outstanding wines are sagrantino, sangiovese, trebbiano, and grechetto. The last wine I sampled from this region was the 2022 Schippa Montefalco Rosso. Pouring the beautiful ruby delight, in the mouth it served up flavors like black cherry, blackberry, black currant (cassis), red currant, cranberry, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, pine sprig, lavender, and plum. It was a medium plus bodied wine tempered by blending in a bit of sangiovese which is typical for the region. The sagrantino varietal is known for its tannic edge which gives it backbone and ability to be cellared, to be enjoyed after it has had a good rest. Rosso versions are usually ready to drink right away after release. My favorite pairing with a sagrantino wine is with the readily available tartare di manzo (beef). In Gubbio, one of my favorite eateries, Cuveé Enoteca & Wine Bar, serves up a menu of several choices of tartare di manzo with a host of condimenti, like pesto, tartufo, sea salt and olive oil, and of course warm Umbrian flat bread to scoop it up. If you are in town, I suggest you put them on your agenda for a casual meal, or just for some lighthearted wine time. On weekends they are open late. A presto!