What is Umbria known for? This region, in central Italy, is known for food and wine. I think all regions in Italy are known for food and wine. But this one has some specialties. On the food side, the region is known for truffles. Umbria is Italy’s largest truffle-hunting region, and the prized black truffles from Norcia and white truffles from the woodlands add an earthy flavor to dishes. It’s also known for great olive oil. On the wine side, it’s known for its white wines, including the Orvieto DOC, Grechetto di Todi, Torgiano, and Rosso di Montefalco. Today, we’re going to focus on Grechetto of Todi.
About Umbria
Umbria is called the Land of Saints, because several saints were born there, including St. Francesco d’Assisi and San Benedetto da Norcia.
It is also referred to as the green heart of Italy because of its idyllic setting.
EssentialItaly tells us that “Umbria is known as the wine region of Italy.” The most famous winery in Umbria is the Lungarotti Winery, which sits near the border of Tuscany. The winery was responsible for the first DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) of the region, as it ramped up the production and quality standards in the 1960s.
Exploring Grechetto di Todi
Grechetto is the grape, and Todi is the village.
According to italia.it, “Todi is a wonderful Umbrian village on the banks of the Tiber River that has so much to offer in terms of history, art and nature. But there is more, because in Todi even the palate can enjoy the bounty of the land.”
One of the area’s most appreciated wine products is Grechetto, a white wine that has been around since at least the Middle Ages.
wine.com tells us that “Grechetto is the region’s star white variety. Whether on its own or as part of a blend, this grape has elevated the general quality of whites throughout this central, land-locked Italian region. Producers tend to favor its use in the native Orvieto white wine, a dynamic blend composed of varying percentages of Trebbiano, Grechetto, Verdello and Canaiolo Bianco, to name a few.
Avvinare describes the wine as being “a lovely white wine with notes of pear and almonds as well as hints of white flowers.” We definitely tasted the almonds in the one we tried by Palucci.
What Is This Grape Similar To?
Reluctant Gourmet says, “Think Chardonnay meets Pinot Grigio.”
wine.com seconds that comment.
When I tried it, I definitely could see the Chardonnay similarities – a smooth, somewhat heavy wine.
Have you tried Grechetto? What did you think?
