This episode of “Wine 101” is sponsored by La Marca Prosecco. Umbria, the only landlocked region in Italy, is known as the country’s “green heart.” Just like Umbria, La Marca has a lot of heart to give. It’s authentically interesting and a testament to the wonderful people who live there. When I was visiting Italy, the locals welcomed me like I was one of their own, Prosecco in hand. When you enjoy La Marca, you taste the love of life, love of food, and love of wine.
Smack in the middle of Italy is the landlocked region of Umbria. It’s not as noisy as Rome, less touristy than Tuscany, and the home of some famous wines — most notably Orvieto white wine. Due to its popularity, this wine’s quality took a hit in the ‘60s and ‘70s when production went into overdrive to satisfy demand. But now, the region is having a renaissance of sorts.
Orvieto’s quality is back up to par, Grechetto is flourishing, and red wine varieties are beginning to pop up as we enter the modern world. In fact, Umbria has 15 DOCs and 2 DOCGs, so there’s quite a bit of variety here — from noble rot sweet wines to Montefalco di Sagrantino, one of the most tannin-heavy reds in the world.
Tune in to hear the beloved Keith Beavers break down the region and talk about what Umbrian wines you can find on the U.S. market. It’s all right here on the “Wine 101” podcast.
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“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big old shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. Big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darby Cicci for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.
E. & J. Gallo Winery is excited to sponsor this episode of VinePair’s “Wine 101.” Gallo always welcomes new friends to wine with an amazingly wide spectrum of favorites, ranging from everyday to luxury and sparkling wine. (Gallo also makes award-winning spirits, but this is a wine podcast.) Whether you are new to wine or an aficionado, Gallo welcomes you to wine. Visit TheBarrelRoom.com today to find your next favorite, where shipping is available.