The Strada di Sagrantino

Last weekend, we spent some time at in the region of Umbria. We drove the Stada di Sagrantino, this is a road that follows the wineries that produce Sagrantino. At the end of the road we ended up at the winery of Demetrio's friend, http://www.arnaldocaprai.it/

This winery makes Sagrantino di Montefalco, the grapes are called Sagrantino and the town in which they are made is called Montefalco. This red wine is one that has reached success only recently; I am not sure when it stated to become popular but when I still lived in Seattle this wine was featured many times at Larry’s Markets. It is an ancient grape variety that dates back to the pre-Roma era and was cultivated by Franciscan monks; many say they grape originated from Spain.

Here a bit more information about Sagrantino:

Sagrantino of Montefalco, in its dry version, is a garnet-red Italian wine with a faint scent of violet petals, an aroma and bouquet reminiscent of blackberries, alcoholic strength between 13 and 15 percent, to be served at room temperature, 17° to 20° centigrade, not more. It is excellent for soups and light meats; though its full-bodied character is typically partnered with roasted meats, game and piquant cheeses.

This wine, in its version produced from partially dried grapes, (called Passito) is perfection: full-bodied and mellow, spicy, warm taste, alcoholic strength never below 14 percent, color tending towards garnet red. Here a better definition of Passito.

Passito
[pah-SEE-toh]

An Italian term used both for a method of making sweet wines and for the sweet wines made this way. Passito wines begin by laying freshly picked grapes on mats (or hanging them in bunches) so that they can partially dry. This process eliminates much of the grape's water and concentrates its sugar and flavor components. Depending on the technique used, the drying time can vary from several weeks (in the hot sun) to several months (in a cool ventilated room).