The Sagrantino

The oldest mention of the cultivation of the "Sagrantino" grape in Montefalco dates back to 1549 and is documented by an order for Sagrantino must by a merchant from Trevi. However, the origin of the grape is certainly much older: some authors want to identify it with the "itriola" grape described by Plinio il Vecchio and cultivated in the municipality of Mevania (Bevagna), but it could have been imported from Asia Minor or Spain by the first followers of St. Francis. The particular characteristics of the grape, rich in sugars and tannins, have linked its history to the production of sweet wines until the 1970s. However, it is the "dry" version that has consecrated this wine on the scene of great Italian reds. The 1972 harvest represented the first test of Sagrantino vinification. At that time, the request for DOC recognition was presented, fixing the regulations and the delimitation of the production area to the municipalities of Montefalco, Giano dell'Umbria, Gualdo Cattaneo, Castel Ritaldi, and Bevagna. The DOC recognition was granted in 1979, followed in 1992 by the DOCG, a testament to the importance that this wine holds in the national wine tradition.