Umbria, a treasure trove of medieval history, culture, and tradition, lies in the center of Italy. It is a jewel with a landscape speckled by mountains and green valleys, seeped with age-old traditions and famed flavors. It is the birthplace of many great saints such as St. Francis and St. Benedict.
Umbria is also the motherland of the Sagrantino grape. This thick-skinned varietal comes in small clusters and has no relationship to any other of Italy’s grapes. It has very high concentration of polyphenols and tannin.
The local winemakers have a long history of perfection in wine production dating back to 1549 in Montefalco, which is part of the province of Perugia. After its disappearance in the 1960s, Sagrantino was revived by dedicated Umbrian farmers, and it is finding now its place on the international arena. Currently its production is limited.
One of the legends is that in ancient times, the wine was produced by Franciscan monks who brought it from Asia Minor as a sacramental wine and by local farmers specifically during religious feasts and festivals. Actually the name Sagrantino originates from the Latin “sacer,” or sacrament. The region produces mostly red wine with some whites.
There are different types of Sagrantino grape. There is the stronger Sagrantino and there is the more elegant Sagrantino, with each vineyard having a Sagrantino with its own marvelous personality and character specific to that lot.
If you want something strong, because Sagrantino has the most tannic personality of all the grape varieties, you can choose from vineyards like Tabarini or Capria, and if you want a more elegant and lighter Sagrantino, you can choose from Pericaia or Scacciadiavoli.
