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The fruits of the earth
The vine and the olive set an unmistakable stamp on the hilly landscapes.
In millenary agricultural practices, cultivation techniques have always been assisted by a constant attention to beauty in order to combine utility and harmony in the arrangement of the rows of vines or in the lines of trees: it is in this that the charm of the Umbrian countryside lies.
The various ways of cultivating these fruit-bearing plants each have their own significance and epoch.
Nowadays, the olive groves and vineyards are to a large extent specialised. Modern cultivation systems focus on an increase in quality, which is also achieved through the selection of traditional types.
This explains how, in such a small region as Umbria, no fewer than eleven wines are DOC and two are DOCG, with the region's production registering constant success on Italian and international markets, whilst almost all the olive oil is extra virgin and boasts the "Umbria" denomination of protected origin, which includes the entire regional territory.
Original Umbrian Vines
Umbria is the land par excellence for wine-growing because of its sunny, wet hilly terrain, and clayey-calcareous soil. The great variety of wines is made possibile by the ability to take advantage of the different environmental conditions, but also by the varied climatic conditions that give a production of many flavours and types of wine. There are many autochthonous species of vines, both for red and white. A classic from Todi is Grechetto, already well-known in ancient times, which produces white wines with a pleasing fruity flavour. Diffuse throughout the region is Trebbiano, which is present in the area around Orvieto with the variety known as Procanico. The delicate and perfumed Malvasia imposes itself in the area around Amelia. Sagrantino excels among the local vines for the production of red wine, perhaps planted at Montefalco in the Middle ages by a Franciscan monk who had imported it from Spain. Its name probably derives from the habit of using this sweet nectar to celebrate the sacrements. Another vine present in all of the region is Sangiovese. It is used to make wine in the Colli Martani area.
Vine growing in ancient times
If you look carefully at the agrarian landscape, you will still be able to identify the traces of very ancient systems and retie the threads of a vocation that dates back to the ancient Umbrians and to the Etruscans. In the old lines of trees it is therefore possible to recognise Etruscan techniques. And near Montefalco you can see lands that have been given over to vineyards for more than a thousand years: they are the ones from which the famous Sagrantino comes, and which at the time of the Romans produced the "triola" species of vine celebrated by Pliny the Elder. In the Amelia district, on the other hand, willow trees were used as vine supports, as recounted by Virgil. At that time, and up until the not so distant past, vine growing was promiscuous, in other words the vine was "mated" with (i.e. supported by) a tree: it was often a maple, but poplars and elms were also used, which had the advantage of providing leaves for forage.
Liquid gold
For thousands of years the silvery hue of olive trees has cloaked Umbria's hillsides. Like the vine, the olive tree was also a treasure of the Etruscan people and under the Romans became one of the most important and profitable agricultural products in the region. It was mainly sold by way of the river port of Otricoli.
In order to learn more about the material and symbolic aspects of this production it is well worth paying a visit to the "Museo della Civiltà dell'Ulivo" in Trevi and the "Museo dell'Olivo e dell'Olio" in Torgiano, whilst it is sufficient to observe the typical hilly landscapes of the Umbrian Valley, the Tiber Valley or the Amelia and Orvieto districts to gain an understanding of the centuries-old task to organise the terrain in order to make maximum use of steep slopes and terraces.
The olive tree requires permeable soils and sunny sites, and the fruits should be harvested at the beginning of maturation in order to obtain a fruity oil with a low level of acidity.
The quality of Umbrian oils is one of the best in Italy and in the world: almost the entire production is extra virgin, a statistic that has few comparisons.
In consideration of the above, Umbrian oil can now boast the denomination of protected origin "Umbria", which includes five sub-areas:
Colli di Assisi-Spoleto
Colli Martani
Colli Amerini
Colli del Trasimeno
Colli Orvietani
The art of the pork butcher
The pig is the king of Umbrian cuisine. Cooked in a wood-burning oven with aromatic herbs, garlic, pepper and wild fennel or on the spit with bay leaves, this animal is the protagonist of the table on public feast-days: "porchetta" [roast sucking pig] is in fact a traditional dish that, according to some, was actually "invented" in Umbria.
The Norcia district is the chosen land for pork butchery and produces typical salamis, cured meats and sausages with strong and authentic flavours.
"Mazzafegati", "coralline", mortadella, fresh and seasoned sausages, "capocolli" and the highly-prized raw ham from Norcia, which now has a Protected Geographical Indication, are the ancient specialities that are still made using artisan methods. These have been joined more recently by cured wild-boar and fallow-deer meats.
Source: http://www.umbria2000.it |
