This week’s grape hails is Grechetto  which grows in Umbria but also  in Lazio and Tuscany. I spoke about it today on Instagram during my morning grape series.

The green heart of Italy, Umbria is the home of the Grechetto Bianco grape also called Grechetto di Orvieto. Grechetto produces a lovely white wine with notes of pear and almonds as well as hints of white flowers. It is used in a variety of DOC wines including Montefalco, Oriveto, Torigiano, Colli di Trasimeno, Colli Amerini as well as in Vin Santo di Montepulciano.

I’ve always loved Umbria for its artists, landscape, wine, foods and Umbria Jazz. Something about the Perugino green always reminds me of the deep green you see in Umbria which is different than the one you see in Tuscany which again differs from the green you see in Apulia. Italy is such a beautiful and varied country.

The first years I lived in Italy I traveled a number of times to see performances during Umbria Jazz. It was incredible as was a weekend I spent eating tartufo in every form for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Gubbio or the first time I saw the churches in the small town of Bevagna. Yes, Umbria has a lot to recommend it along with wines made from Grechetto.

Grechetto is the flagship grape of the Sergio Mottura winery. Very famous for their Grechetto based wines, the family tenuta is located in Civitella d’Agliano (VT), betwen Rome and Florence. The 130 hectare farm has 36 hectares of grapes planted and the grapes are cultivated organically, following the European Union legislation in this sector and the Associazione Italiana per l’Agricoltura Biologica.

When mentioning Mottura’s wines I must mention the Latour A Civitella made from 100% Grechetto which is full bodied and rich on the palate with notes of citrus and white fruits, I would drink this wine with a whole host of dishes including Indian food which I am craving  as I write this.