FIVE UMBRIAN CELLARS IN OPERAWINE

At the Vinitaly 2024 premiere event, OperaWine (Saturday 13 April, Gallerie Mercatali), five labels will be selected by the authoritative trade magazine, Wine Spectator , among the 131 Italian wines ambassadors of Made in Italy excellence. Labels attributable to five Umbrian wineries, which represent the oenological excellence of the area: Caprai, Lungarotti, Scacciadiavoli, Tabarrini, Famiglia Cotarella . The five companies are united by the very high quality of the wines produced and present themselves as ambassadors of Made in Italy and are also associated with UmbriaTop Wines , the cooperative society that brings together the majority of regional wine companies. The five companies, with their prestigious presence at OperaWine, inaugurate Vinitaly 2024, concrete testimony to the green heart of Italy , Umbria. Few other wineries in Italy and in the world are immediately identified just by citing the name of the denomination to which they belong, like Arnaldo Caprai , itself a symbol of Sagrantino di Montefalco. A unique reality, the first in Italian excellence, capable of creating wines out of the ordinary in terms of depth, elegance and longevity: not only reds, but also whites. The credit for this adventure that began at the end of the Seventies goes to Marco Caprai, Arnaldo's son. In fact, it was he, more than anyone else, who believed in the richness of Sagrantino, reinterpreting it in a modern key, through the most innovative production and business management methods, which allowed him to win the favor of the public and critics all over the world. the world. Not least the whites: the Grecante Arnaldo Caprai, 100% Grechetto, managed to conquer the Top100 of Wine Spectator. Arnaldo Capra has a green soul, considering issues relating to sustainability, protection and safeguarding the environment to be fundamental. The observation point always remains the same: trying to behave in harmony with natural evolutionary cycles, preserving and enhancing the territory in which we operate.

Marco Caprai , CEO of the Arnaldo Caprai agricultural company, recently awarded the title of Officer of Merit of the Italian Republic for ethical entrepreneurship: “We have been present at OperaWine 12 editions out of 13 and this year too we are taking part in the Vinitaly premiere with great pride: being part of the wineries that represent the best of Italian wine production selected by Wine Spectator for OperaWine is an opportunity for important international visibility not only for our 25 Anni and for our company, but also for the Montefalco Sagrantino in general".

Lungarotti contributed to writing the history of Italian wine in the world. A story that began with Giorgio Lungarotti, a pioneer of modern Italian viticulture who, after the Second World War, transformed the family farm in Torgiano into a successful winery. A story that continues thanks to the commitment, passion and competence of the 3 generations of the Lungarotti family who together today carry on the activities by innovating, without giving up the unmistakable character of iconic wines such as Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio - Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG, considered among the best Italian reds, and Rubesco - Rosso di Torgiano DOC. Lungarotti has a total of 250 hectares of vineyards located between the Torgiano and Montefalco estates, where viticulture attentive to sustainability and biodiversity is practiced. Among the pillars of the company, also the valorisation of wine tourism and the promotion of the culture of wine, oil and artistic heritage through the Wine Museum and the Olive and Oil Museum of Torgiano.

“We are happy to be at OperaWine with our Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio which this year celebrates its 60th birthday,” says Chiara Lungarotti , CEO of the historic Torgiano company. "Created by my father Giorgio in 1964, our standard-bearer has been able to tell the story of Umbria wine in the world. Tasting in sequence from the first vintage to the one currently on the market is like leafing through a book that tells how the expression of Sangiovese has evolved in all these years, also based on environmental and climatic changes. Changes that have demonstrated the extraordinary ability of this vine to adapt if planted in a highly suitable territory such as that of Torgiano has proven to be".

The Scacciadiavoli agricultural company , immersed in the Umbrian hills that thin out between Foligno and Todi along the Strada del Sagrantino, has always combined love for the land with the production of superior quality wines. Owned by the Pambuffetti family since 1954 and now in its fourth generation, it is one of the oldest wineries in Umbria with a Bacchic history that begins in the second half of the 19th century, unchanged in spirit from generation to generation, renewed and strengthened over time.130 hectares of surface area, of which 40 are planted with vineyards in perfect symbiosis with the landscape that embraces the Municipalities in the Montefalco DOC and DOCG and Spoleto DOC denominations. The most cultivated vines are Sagrantino and Sangiovese, but also Grechetto and Trebbiano Spoletino. The winery located in Montefalco, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, produces around 270,000 bottles a year, mainly marketed in Italy (65%) and a good share abroad (35%).

“For a few years now - underlines Liu Pambuffetti , production and export manager - we have had the privilege of being selected by Wine Spectator. For us the American market is very important and to celebrate this special event every year we bring an equally special bottle. This year it will be the turn of Sagrantino 2010 which will be tasted during OperaWine”.

Tabarrini is one of the most popular artisan businesses in the Montefalco area, with vineyards and cellar in the Turrita area. Giampaolo Tabarrini took over his parents' farm at the end of the nineties and is characterized by dynamism and a projection towards the future which are based on equally strong roots: in his own land, in the traditions of the place and in the values that the family Tabarrini passes down from generation to generation. The various parcels, located in suitable areas of the Montefalco territory, define a mosaic made of heterogeneous tiles and a strong identity. Each Cru is worked in a different way, depending on the characteristics of the terroir, although extraordinary care and obsessive attention is paid to all of them throughout the year. Each grape is treated with respect and pride, starting with Sagrantino. A bastion of history and territoriality, this native variety has no equal in the world, like Trebbiano Spoletino among the white ones. Regarding the latter, a great deal of clonal selection work has been done which has led to the planting of new proprietary vineyards, capable of giving continuity to work on the variety begun many years ago, in a completely pioneering manner. The perfect and gradual maturity of the grapes, with harvests decidedly delayed compared to the average for the area, are a requirement that the Tabarrini family considers essential for the realization of their idea of wine. Of the twenty-two hectares of the estate, fifteen are planted with vineyards. At OperaWine he is present with Il Bisbetico Domato 2020.

Finally, Cantina Cotarella . The link between the Cotarella family and the world of wine originates in the 1960s, when Antonio and Domenico Cotarella, winemakers in Monterubiaglio, a hamlet in the municipality of Castel Viscardo in the province of Terni, built the first cellar. The brothers Renzo and Riccardo Cotarella, both winemakers who grew up in a land of long winemaking traditions, then founded Falesco in 1979, transforming what was a small family business into a successful winemaking enterprise. It is here, between Umbria and Lazio, that wines of unquestionable charm are born, characterized by a contemporary style and at the same time characterized by a particular longevity. The company covers a vineyard area of approximately 280 hectares. In a hilly area characterized by soils of volcanic origin, both native varieties and international grapes are cultivated, so among the rows there are plants of Aleatico, Trebbiano, Malvasia, Verdicchio, Sangiovese and Vermentino, as well as Merlot, Syrah, Viognier and cabernet. In 2016 Dominga, Marta and Enrica, daughters of Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, officially took over the helm of the company, and in 2017, to communicate the generational transition, the entire brand architecture was redesigned, where the Cotarella family name now appears. Lazio Montiano 2020 was selected by Wine Spectator among the best wines present at OperaWine 2024. Produced in the province of Viterbo, with 100% Merlot grapes, Montiano is undoubtedly one of the iconic wines of the winery, always considered an example of innovation and elegance.