Umbria has had since the times of the Etruscans a great vocation for viticulture, thanks to the favorable climate, the valleys sheltered by the mountain ranges and a rainfall well distributed throughout the year.
The production in 2009 was about 987.000 hl of wine, above all white, starting from trebbiano tuscan, grechetto, malvasia long white, verdello, as well as some international, among which the chardonnay, with excellent results.
Once linked only to the famous Orvieto, a DOC shared with Lazio, in recent years Umbria has taken important successes with two recognized DOCG red wines, the Torgiano Rosso Riserva and the Sagrantino di Montefalco. The first is obtained mainly from Sangiovese, the second from the Sagrantino autochthonous, which has its most emblematic feature in tannins. The Sagrantino di Montefalco is also produced in the Passito version, a dessert wine of great personality and with a great potential yet to be expressed. Other vines grown in this region, which are improving the average quality level, are the Montepulciano, cherry, barbera, merlot, gamay and alicante.