• Dudley in Umbria
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WINE

• The landscape and climate of Umbria make for ideal conditions to cultivate thriving vineyards. Rich sources of fresh spring-waters, limestone-clay and plenty of exposure to the sun have ensured a long tradition of high quality winemaking in Umbria where some production methods are ancient, simple and natural.



• There are wide ranges of wines produced in Umbria with some areas having been the base for good high-quality wine since the days of the Roman Empire. In fact, the Umbrian region had areas purely dedicated to the production of wine long before the arrival and complete dominance of the Romans.



• Italy is the largest wine producing country in the world and experts today regard a number of Umbrian wines as being amongst some of their finest. People on the Italian peninsula have produced wine for thousands of years and in the 1960s a classification system was introduced to regulate the growing of grapes and the making of wines and to inform consumers of the producer, source and type of each particular wine.



• The increase in market demands of wine demanded a need to assure and preserve the origin of Italian wines. In accordance, the regulatory system adopted a means of certifying wines for the identification and guarantee of quality. Wines are certified as follows:
  Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG): the cream of the crop. DOCG wines carry a government issued seal of approval. These wines have to meet the strictest standards of regulation and in-depth chemical analysis to prove authenticity.
  Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC): controls are strict but not as stringent as the DOCG label. By law, any wines that use this denomination must originate from specified locations; be produced by utilising approved methods and constitute particular ingredients in order to assert its legitimacy.
  Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT): translates to mean typical geographic regions. Wines bearing this classification indicate to the consumer its area of origin. These areas are much larger than those which produce DOCG and DOC wines, - Vino da Tavola (Table Wine): generally refers to everyday wines. Regulations aren’t as strict as above and usually encompass those that are imposed by health and safety authorities and food/wine standards agencies.



• Umbrian wines to look out for are as follows (many labels cover several types of grape so consult your local wine merchant for advice if you are unsure):
  
  DOCG Wines
  - Montefalco Sagrantino
  - Torgiano Riserva
  
  DOC Wines
  - Assisi
  - Colli Altotiberini
  - Colli Amerini
  - Colli del Trasimeno
  - Colli Martani
  - Colli Perugini
  - Lago di Corbara
  - Montefalco
  - Orvieto
  - Torgiano
  
  IGT Wines
  - Allerona
  - Bettona
  - Cannara
  - Narni
  - Spello
  - Umbria