Umbria Wine Region Agriculture

The Giant White Truffle Guy
Stanley Ho likes his truffles -- or maybe he just likes attention. Ho is a casino owner who lives and works in Hong Kong. At an international auction in 2008, Ho shelled out $200,000 for Italy's largest white truffle, which weighed in at 2.2 lbs (1 kg). Sound like a lot of money for a fungus? Not really, considering how much truffles cost. This elite fungus is hard to come by. A bunch of white truffles the size of Ho's would run you about $5,000 [source: Reuters].­

Umbria is a land-locked agricultural haven. With its roly-poly hills and­ relatively undisturbed natural resources, the region is able to kick out amazing crops. Umbria also produces meats, cheeses, vegetables and olive oil. But the true culinary kickers are its truffles. Truffles are a type of fungi (mushrooms) that are quite exclusive and expensive, costing hundreds of dollars per pound. Umbria produces "black diamonds," the typical dark truffle, along with a unique, white variety [source: ItalianMade].

Viticulture in Umbria dates back to the time of the Etruscans, who began the great tradition in Orvieto. Orvieto, the wine, later became one of the most popular wines of the region. It's a white wine that clobbers the competition by hailing almost 80 percent of the region's DOC labels. The town's magic lies in its proximity to the Paglia and Tiger rivers [source: ItalianMade, Cellar Tours]. Lakes Trasimeno and Bolsena also provide a boost to the agricultural landscape.

One of the most famous wineries in Umbria is the Lungarotti Winery. Located near the border of Tuscany, this winery was responsible for the first DOC of the region. Lungarotti began ramping up production and quality standards in the 1960s. It honors the region's traditions with a wine museum, an olive oil museum and a foundation dedicated to the land's agricultural traditions [sources: Cellar Tours, Lungarotti].

Needless to say, Umbria provides a rich selection of reds, roses and whites. Read on to learn about many of the noteworthy wines of the region.