Regions

Umbria IGT

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Umbria's region-wide IGT, covering the provinces of Perugia and Terni in the region its production rules call the green heart of Italy, home of Sagrantino, Grechetto, and the Montefalco Sagrantino and Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCGs.

Umbria IGT is the regional indicazione geografica tipica for Umbria, which Decanter describes as a landlocked region in Central Italy, and its production zone covers the whole of the provinces of Perugia and Terni (MASAF). It covers white, red, and rosé wines made from one or more of the grape varieties suitable for cultivation in Umbria, and it sits below the region's 13 DOCs and two DOCGs, Montefalco Sagrantino and Torgiano Rosso Riserva. In 2022, Umbria had 12,400 hectares of vineyards producing just under 600,000 hectolitres of wine, according to Italian Wine Central.

Region profile

AppellationWarm climateMediterranean

Altitude: 220 to 500 m
Soils: clay, limestone, volcanic, sand
Influences: altitude, diurnal swing

Grape mix

Dominant

Sagrantino Grechetto

Significant

Sangiovese Trebbiano Toscano

Minor

Chardonnay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

Signature: Sagrantino

Body

Acidity

Tannin

Alcohol

Aromatic intensity

Compare Umbria IGT with another region

Read from this article's own text only. Signature values sit on a 1 to 5 scale across all wines; tap a bar for the sentence behind it.

History and Heritage

The MASAF production rules for Umbria IGT say the Etruscans already devoted great care to the vine in central Italy, and that Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) recorded in his Historia Naturalis how advanced the region's viticulture had become. At Orvieto, the Orvieto DOC rules trace winemaking to the Etruscan city of Velzna on the tufa crag, and state that in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Orvieto was one of the favoured wines of the papal court, admired by Pope Paul III Farnese and Pope Gregory XVI. The Montefalco Sagrantino rules date the oldest known mention of the 'sagrantina' grape at Montefalco to 1549, and say Sagrantino was traditionally made as a sweet passito; a dry 'Sagrantino Asciutto' is first cited at a regional exhibition held in Montefalco in September 1925, and the dry wine was launched commercially only from the early 1970s. Torgiano was the first zone in Umbria to receive DOC recognition, in 1968, and Torgiano Rosso Riserva became a DOCG in 1990; Montefalco Sagrantino became a DOC in 1979 and a DOCG in 1992 (MASAF).

Etruscan roots: the Umbria IGT rules cite Etruscan viticulture, Pliny the Elder's Historia Naturalis, and Etruscan wine vessels found in the region's necropolises
Torgiano DOC was approved by presidential decree on 20 March 1968, the first DOC in Umbria; Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG was approved by decree of 20 October 1990 (MASAF)
Sagrantino's oldest documented mention at Montefalco dates to 1549; the dry style is first recorded in 1925 and was marketed from the early 1970s (Montefalco Sagrantino rules, MASAF)
Montefalco Sagrantino was approved as a DOC on 30 October 1979 and as a DOCG on 5 November 1992 (MASAF); Decanter notes it was known as Sagrantino di Montefalco until 2009

Key Facts

Umbria IGT's production zone covers the entire administrative territory of the provinces of Perugia and Terni (MASAF production rules)
In 2022, Umbria had 12,400 hectares of vineyards producing just under 600,000 hectolitres of wine, according to Italian Wine Central
Italian Wine Central's Umbria page, which gives no date for these shares (consulted in 2026), lists Sangiovese (22%), Trebbiano (17%), and Grechetto (13%) as Umbria's primary grape varieties
MASAF's registers list 2 DOCGs, 13 DOCs, and 6 IGTs for Umbria; the IGTs are Allerona, Bettona, Cannara, Narni, Spello, and Umbria
Montefalco Sagrantino became a DOCG by ministerial decree of 5 November 1992 and requires 100% Sagrantino, at least 33 months of ageing plus 4 months in bottle, and a maximum of 8 tonnes of grapes per hectare (MASAF)
Torgiano became Umbria's first DOC in 1968; Torgiano Rosso Riserva followed as a DOCG in 1990 and requires 70% to 100% Sangiovese and at least 36 months of ageing (MASAF)
Orvieto DOC requires at least 60% Trebbiano Toscano (Procanico) and Grechetto, and its zone spans communes in the provinces of Terni and Viterbo (MASAF)

Geography and Climate

Umbria sits in the centre of Italy, in the Apennines north of Rome and east of Tuscany, with Perugia as its capital and largest city (Italian Wine Central), and Decanter describes it as a landlocked region in Central Italy. The Umbria IGT production zone covers the entire administrative territory of the provinces of Perugia and Terni, and winemaking is also permitted in the neighbouring province of Viterbo and the comune of Montepulciano (MASAF). The IGT rules describe many soil types: soils on low river terraces, tufaceous hills found only in the Orvieto area, sandy-conglomerate hills such as those from Montone to Perugia and from Pietrafitta to Montefalco, sandstone hills in north-western Umbria, clay-marl hills including clays laid down in the ancient 'Lago Tiberino', and soils formed on limestone. The same rules give average annual rainfall of 897.54 mm over the century and 937.1 mm for 1991-2010. In Montefalco, the Sagrantino rules give a cultivation band from 220 to 472 metres and describe a continental climate, with a 1961-1990 average of 3.8 degrees Celsius in January and 25.3 degrees Celsius in July; at Torgiano, vines grow between 220 and 300 metres on clay-sand soils over a calcareous and tufaceous subsoil (MASAF).

Landlocked: Decanter calls Umbria a landlocked region in Central Italy; Italian Wine Central places it north of Rome and east of Tuscany
Umbria IGT zone: all of the provinces of Perugia and Terni, with winemaking also allowed in the province of Viterbo and the comune of Montepulciano (MASAF)
Montefalco: vineyards from 220 to 472 metres, with only well-exposed hillside sites eligible and valley floors excluded; the rules describe calcium carbonate as always very abundant in the soils (MASAF)
Orvieto: the Umbria IGT rules place tufaceous hills only in the Orvieto area, and the Orvieto Classico boundary follows the Ripa, the edge of the volcanic plateau (MASAF)

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Key Grapes and Wine Styles

Italian Wine Central's Umbria page, which gives no date for the shares (consulted in 2026), lists Umbria's primary grape varieties as Sangiovese (22%), Trebbiano (17%), and Grechetto (13%), and JancisRobinson.com calls Sangiovese the most common red grape of Umbria. Sagrantino is the region's signature red: Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG must be made exclusively from it, and Decanter's James Button calls it a variety indigenous to Umbria. Its thick skin, which the MASAF Montefalco Sagrantino rules describe as rich in tannins, is why Decanter reports the variety is often described as Italy's most tannic. The DOCG rules describe the dry wine as intense ruby red, sometimes with violet tints and turning garnet with age, with a scent that recalls blackberries. Trebbiano Toscano, called Procanico locally, and Grechetto together make up at least 60% of Orvieto, and JancisRobinson.com notes barrel-aged, full-bodied dry whites from Grechetto, sometimes blended with Chardonnay and/or Sauvignon Blanc. Sangiovese leads Torgiano Rosso Riserva (70% to 100%) and Montefalco Rosso (60% to 80%, with 10% to 25% Sagrantino). Under the Umbria IGT, a wine may name one variety if at least 85% of its grapes come from that variety, or two varieties if it is made only from those two (MASAF).

Sagrantino: 100% of Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG, in dry (Secco) and sweet (Passito) versions; minimum total alcohol 13.00% for the Secco (MASAF)
Grechetto: at least 85% of Montefalco Grechetto DOC; with Trebbiano Toscano (Procanico), at least 60% of Orvieto DOC (MASAF)
Trebbiano Spoletino: at least 50% of Montefalco Bianco DOC (MASAF)
Sangiovese: 22% per Italian Wine Central's undated Umbria page (consulted in 2026); 70% to 100% of Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG and 60% to 80% of Montefalco Rosso DOC (MASAF)

Notable Producers

Decanter's James Button reports that Arnaldo Caprai bought the five-hectare Val di Maggio estate in 1971 and passed it to his son Marco in 1988, and that the estate today totals around 150 hectares. The same article says the Sagrantino Clonal Selection project ran from 1990 to 1993, and that the flagship 25 Anni Montefalco Sagrantino was first released in 1993 to celebrate the estate's 25th anniversary. JancisRobinson.com credits Arnaldo Caprai's softening work on Sagrantino with putting the top wines of Umbria on the map, and says Lungarotti was for long the dominant producer, with a creditable track record of long-lasting Torgiano wines. The Torgiano Rosso Riserva rules name Lungarotti as the historic firm that contributed decisively to creating the denomination. JancisRobinson.com also notes Antinori's vineyard holdings at Castello della Sala, where a finely oaked white shows how good a grape the local Grechetto can be. The Montefalco Sagrantino rules record that the dry Sagrantino entered at the 1925 Montefalco exhibition was presented by Senator Rolandi Ricci, then owner of the historic Cantina Scacciadiavoli.

Arnaldo Caprai: five-hectare Val di Maggio estate bought in 1971; passed to Marco Caprai in 1988; around 150 hectares today (Decanter)
25 Anni Montefalco Sagrantino: first released in 1993 for the estate's 25th anniversary (Decanter)
Lungarotti: the historic Torgiano firm that the MASAF rules credit with a decisive role in creating the Torgiano Rosso Riserva denomination
Castello della Sala (Antinori): JancisRobinson.com cites its finely oaked white as showing the quality of Grechetto

Wine Laws and Classification

Classification ladder

Geographic tiers

Italian Wine Denominations

Italy Full article 4 tiers, lowest to highest

4 DOCG Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita

A wine must have held DOC status for at least seven years and be judged of particular merit for its intrinsic quality and acquired commercial reputation before DOCG recognition; DOCG wines undergo systematic chemical-physical and organoleptic checks, and each container carries a state seal with a series and an identification number.

100% from named areaat least seven years as a DOC before DOCG recognition

Examples Barolo DOCG Barbaresco DOCG Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Chianti Classico DOCG

Federdoc, the national confederation of voluntary protection consortia established in 1979, adds that a wine must have spent at least seven years as a DOC before DOCG recognition, that DOCG wine cannot be distributed in containers over six litres, and that each DOCG bottle carries a state-issued alphanumeric label.

From the Italy article, read from two or more sentences
3 DOC Denominazione di Origine Controllata

DOC wines must meet the conditions and requirements set out in each denomination's production specification (disciplinare), and DOC recognition is reserved for wines from zones that have been IGT for at least five years.

100% from named area

Examples Langhe DOC Mount Etna DOC ALTO ADIGE / SÜDTIROL DOC Cannonau di Sardegna DOC

The 1963 decree reserved controlled denominations for wines that meet the conditions and requirements set out in each denomination's production specification, the disciplinare.

From Italian Wine Classification, read from two or more sentences
2 IGT Indicazione Geografica Tipica

IGT wines must be made at least 85 percent from grapes harvested in the geographical zone whose name they carry, but face fewer restrictions on varieties and winemaking techniques.

85% from named area

Examples Puglia IGT Toscana IGT Umbria IGT Lazio IGT

IGT wines must be made at least 85 percent from grapes harvested in the geographical zone whose name they carry.

From the Italy article
1 Vino da Tavola Vini da Tavola

Wine that does not qualify for DOP or IGP, because it is made outside an approved area or does not follow that area's rules, is simply vino.

Italian Wine Central describes everything that does not qualify for DOP or IGP, because it is made outside an approved area or does not follow that area's rules, as simply wine, or vino.

From Italian Wine Classification, read from two or more sentences

Controlled ('controllate') and controlled and guaranteed ('controllate e garantite') denominations were both defined by a 1963 presidential decree; IGT was created in 1992.
Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Barolo and Barbaresco became DOCG in 1980.
Under EU law DOCG and DOC are both PDO (DOP) and IGT is PGI (IGP); wine outside both is simply vino, traditionally vino da tavola.

Tiers, criteria and figures come only from Italian Wine Classification own text and the Italy article's classification section. Tap a rung for its criteria and the sentence behind it.

Umbria IGT sits at the base of Umbria's quality ladder, below the DOC and DOCG tiers covered in the Italian Wine Classification article. MASAF's registers list six Umbrian IGTs (Allerona, Bettona, Cannara, Narni, Spello, and Umbria), thirteen DOCs, and two DOCGs, Montefalco Sagrantino and Torgiano Rosso Riserva; Orvieto DOC is shared with Lazio. The Umbria IGT, approved by ministerial decree on 18 November 1995, covers white, red, and rosé wines, including frizzante and novello versions, plus passito for whites and reds. Maximum yields are 18 tonnes per hectare for white and 17 for red and rosé, falling to 16 and 14 tonnes when a variety is named, and the grapes need a minimum natural alcohol of 10.00%. The rules also let Umbria IGT serve as a fallback for wine from vineyards registered for the region's DOCs, provided it meets the IGT requirements, and they ban qualifiers such as 'superiore'. Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG requires 100% Sagrantino, a maximum of 8 tonnes per hectare, at least 33 months of ageing from 1 December of the harvest year (including at least 12 months in oak barrels for the Secco) plus at least four further months in bottle, and a minimum total alcohol of 13.00% for the Secco. Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG requires 70% to 100% Sangiovese, at least 36 months of ageing including 12 in wood and 6 in bottle, and a minimum total alcohol of 12.50%. Orvieto DOC requires at least 60% Trebbiano Toscano (Procanico) and Grechetto, with up to 40% other white varieties, in secco, abboccato, amabile, dolce, superiore, vendemmia tardiva, and muffa nobile versions; the rules say the dry version predominates today.

Umbria IGT (approved 1995): provinces of Perugia and Terni; a named variety needs at least 85%; up to 18 t/ha for white and 17 t/ha for red and rosé; minimum natural alcohol 10.00% (MASAF)
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG (1992): 100% Sagrantino; 8 t/ha; 33 months of ageing (12 in oak for the Secco) plus 4 months in bottle; 13.00% minimum total alcohol for the Secco (MASAF)
Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG (1990): 70% to 100% Sangiovese; 8 t/ha; 36 months of ageing including 12 in wood and 6 in bottle; 12.50% minimum total alcohol (MASAF)
Orvieto DOC (1971): at least 60% Trebbiano Toscano (Procanico) and Grechetto; the Classico zone is the oldest area, delimited by ministerial decree of 23 October 1931; shared between Umbria and Lazio (MASAF)

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Visiting and Culture

The Montefalco Sagrantino zone takes in the whole comune of Montefalco and parts of Bevagna, Gualdo Cattaneo, Castel Ritaldi, and Giano dell'Umbria, in the province of Perugia, where the rules describe the highest hills topped by ancient medieval villages. Inside Montefalco's walls, the rules note that old Sagrantino vines have always been grown at the ancient monasteries of Santa Chiara and San Leonardo. Orvieto stands on a tufa crag, and the Orvieto DOC rules describe an Etruscan winemaking system on three levels cut into the tufa, in which grapes were crushed at ground level and the must flowed down to the rooms below to ferment and then to age. Frescoes from the Golini I tomb, kept at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Orvieto, show the preparations for an Etruscan banquet, with a bunch of grapes among the fruit. At Torgiano, the rules report that excavations of a Roman villa rustica at the edge of the town uncovered a large quantity of wine amphorae (MASAF).

Montefalco Sagrantino communes: Montefalco (whole comune), Bevagna, Gualdo Cattaneo, Castel Ritaldi, and Giano dell'Umbria (MASAF)
Orvieto: the DOC rules describe Etruscan cellars on three levels cut into the tufa for crushing, fermenting, and ageing
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Orvieto: holds the Golini I tomb frescoes of an Etruscan banquet (MASAF Orvieto rules)
Torgiano: a Roman villa rustica excavated at the edge of the town yielded many wine amphorae (MASAF Torgiano Rosso Riserva rules)

Sources and last verified

Primary sources (MASAF): https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/4625, https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252Fd%252F5%252FD.fd1629819dea12c20cf4/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/pdf?mode=download, https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F5%252Ff%252FD.e4c1a674e6ce4cccb8ba/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/pdf?mode=download, https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F0%252F8%252FD.80c31f0c0a116455addf/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/7z?mode=download, https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252Ff%252F6%252FD.b5bdd1dbb38eb7253e5a/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/7z?mode=download, https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F2%252F3%252FD.8ccd09a077f2ec35dc9b/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/7z?mode=download, https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F2%252F3%252FD.8ccd09a077f2ec35dc9b/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/7z?mode=download, https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F2%252F3%252FD.8ccd09a077f2ec35dc9b/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/7z?mode=download, https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252Ff%252F6%252FD.b5bdd1dbb38eb7253e5a/P/BLOB%3AID%3D4625/E/7z?mode=download. Secondary sources: https://italianwinecentral.com/region-province/umbria/, https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/wine-regions/italy/umbria, https://www.decanter.com/premium/arnaldo-caprai-championing-top-quality-sagrantino-460895/. Last verified 2026-09-25

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Flavor Profile

Montefalco Sagrantino presents deep ruby to near-opaque garnet color with intense aromas of dark cherry, blackberry, dried herbs, licorice, and violet, evolving toward leather, tobacco, tar, and mineral notes with bottle age. The palate delivers massive, chewy tannins, full body, firm acidity, and a long finish with dark fruit and bitter chocolate; minimum 13% ABV though frequently 15% or higher in practice. Grechetto whites display pale straw-gold color with aromatic profiles of citrus zest, green apple, stone fruit, and a characteristic nutty, almond-tinged note; the palate is crisp with moderate-to-good acidity, subtle texture from the grape's thick skin, and a clean, dry finish. Orvieto whites show light straw-yellow color with delicate citrus, white blossom, and mineral notes, offering clean, refreshing acidity and a pleasant, slightly bitter almond finish typical of the appellation. Cervaro della Sala and similar IGT whites blending Chardonnay and Grechetto display richer, more complex profiles with vanilla, stone fruit, and toasted hazelnut from barrique aging alongside characteristic Umbrian minerality.

Food Pairings

Montefalco Sagrantino (10+ years old) with wild boar ragu, braised game meats, truffle-dressed pasta, or aged Pecorino UmbroYoung Sagrantino or Montefalco Rosso DOC with rosemary-roasted lamb, grilled porchetta, or hearty lentil stews from CastelluccioGrechetto with fresh burrata, artichoke antipasti, white fish preparations, or fava bean purees with pecorino shavingsOrvieto Classico with seafood pasta, clam-based dishes, vegetable risotto, or light antipasto mistiTorgiano Rosso Riserva with herb-crusted roast pork, mushroom-based dishes, or medium-aged Umbrian cheesesCervaro della Sala and Grechetto-Chardonnay IGT whites with lobster, scallops, chicken with truffles, or rich vegetable gratins

Wines to Try

Arnaldo Caprai Grecante Colli Martani
A Grechetto from Arnaldo Caprai that Decanter says has been produced since the 1989 vintage.
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How to Say It

Sagrantinosah-grahn-TEE-noh

Grechettogreh-KET-toh

Montefalcomon-teh-FAHL-koh

Torgianotor-JAH-noh

Trebbianotreh-BYAH-noh

Orvietoor-VYEH-toh

Collepianokol-leh-PYAH-noh

Lungarottiloon-gah-ROT-tee

Exam Study NotesWSET / CMS

Umbria IGT = regional IGT for the provinces of Perugia and Terni; approved 1995; white, red, and rosé; one named variety needs at least 85%, and two named varieties means the wine is made only from those two (MASAF)
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG = 100% Sagrantino; Secco and Passito; 33 months of ageing from 1 December of the harvest year (12 in oak for the Secco) plus 4 months in bottle; 8 t/ha; 13.00% minimum total alcohol for the Secco (MASAF)
Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG = 70% to 100% Sangiovese; 36 months of ageing including 12 in wood and 6 in bottle, counted from 1 November; 12.50% minimum total alcohol; Torgiano was Umbria's first DOC (1968), DOCG 1990 (MASAF)
Orvieto DOC = at least 60% Trebbiano Toscano (Procanico) and Grechetto, up to 40% other whites; secco, abboccato, amabile, dolce, superiore, vendemmia tardiva, and muffa nobile; Classico zone delimited in 1931; shared with Lazio (MASAF)
Umbria counts 2 DOCGs, 13 DOCs, and 6 IGTs (MASAF); Sangiovese (22%), Trebbiano (17%), and Grechetto (13%) are the primary varieties per Italian Wine Central's undated Umbria page (consulted in 2026)

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