Wines of Lazio

An ancient history

The history of viticulture in this area goes back to the mists of time. It is, in fact, one of the areas with the oldest traditions on the peninsula along with the land of Enotria. The Tuscia and Colli Viterbesi area was inhabited by Etruscan peoples as far back as the 9th century B.C., who over the centuries began a progressive process of domestication and subsequent cultivation of the vine. Taking advantage of the liana nature of the vitis vinifera, the Etruscans made it climb trees, which thus became true living guardians of the vine.

The main territories and wine grape varieties of Lazio

The region has within it a considerable variety of areas, characterised by particular peculiarities. It is precisely this characteristic of considerable variability that allows the typical wines of Lazio to represent a small mosaic with different characteristics and personalities. Areas that are very rich in history and tradition are joined by areas where wine growing has only recently been introduced with excellent results. The ancient Etruscan area is still one of the best in the region.

In this area we find the great whites of Orvieto, the famous Est , Est! of Montefiascone and the wines of Tuscia. The soils, often of ancient volcanic origin, with the presence of tuff, are rich in minerals, essential for the sustenance of the vines. The most widely cultivated vines in Orvieto are Trebbiano Toscano and Grechetto; in Montefiascone, Trebbiano Toscano, Trebbiano Giallo, Malvasia Bianca Lunga and Malvasia del Lazio; in Tuscia, in addition to the white vines already mentioned, Procanico is cultivated and among the reds, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Canaiolo and Merlot.

The area of the great reds is located inland, south-east of Rome, towards the border with Abruzzo. This is the area in which Cesanese del Piglio and Cesanese di Affile are produced, red wines with an intense and elegant profile, made from the indigenous vine of the same name, which in recent years have been asserting themselves as one of the most interesting realities of Central Italy.

The emerging area is undoubtedly that ofAgro Pontino. This is a young area, where viticulture arrived only after the land reclamation, but which is revealing considerable potential. The proximity of the sea makes the climate particularly mild. The lack of a winegrowing tradition has been experienced by the area's producers, and in particular by Casale del Giglio, a true beacon for the area, not as a shortcoming, but as an advantage. After careful zoning work, the most suitable vines were planted for each terrain, in order to obtain the best possible results from the vine-soil combination. It is no coincidence that Lazio wines such as Syrah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Viognier and Petit Manseng, to name but the most famous, are cultivated with excellent results.

We close our roundup with a little excellence from the southern part of the region. In Terracina, a local clone of the Muscat grape, known as Moscato di Terracina, is cultivated and used to produce aromatic whites and persuasive, harmonious passito wines.

Buy the best wines from Lazio at the best price online at xtraWine. Discover the great whites rich in history and tradition and the surprising reds, which will amaze with rare indigenous grape varieties or interesting versions of famous international varieties.