The name Lungarotti is synonymous with fine wine, art, food, olive oil, restoration and innovation. Former patriarch Giorgio Lungarotti (1910-1999) was a man of extraordinary vision and energy. In the 1950's he was firmly convinced that there was greatness in the future of Italian wines -- victims at the time of a mediocre image, especially abroad. His dream was for them to reach higher standards of quality. As a pioneer, Dr. Lungarotti’s innovations revolutionized local planting and cultivation systems. He experimented with new grape varietals and brought modern techniques to the winery. It was later written that, "he put Umbria on the map of the world."

After founding the Lungarotti Group with family members, various new and dynamic pursuits were followed; yet, the family revered its Italian heritage. For example, old vineyards were revived with out-of-fashion Italian grapes and other varietals that were abandoned after World War II. Such untraditional methods in the 1960s turned heads that soon led to praise.

The environs and town of Torgiano in Umbria include several family enterprises: the Cantine Giorgio Lungarotti (winery), the Wine Museum, Le Tre Vaselle hotel, Poggio alle Vigne holiday apartments and the Olive Oil Museum. Giorgio Lungarotti also organized the "Banco d’Assaggio dei Vini d’Italia," an annual Italian wine competition judged by an international panel of wine experts and held in Torgiano at Le Tre Vaselle each November. The primary interest, however, began with the land and records are available from ancient times.

Romans, or perhaps even the Etruscans, decided that the land in Umbria was suitable for vineyards. The ancients codified rules for agriculture that were used for centuries, even until after World War II. Accordingly, vines were staked to trees that were planted apart spaciously enough for other plants to grow around them. The Lungarotti agricultural interests continued in this tradition until Giorgio transformed the vineyards with modern expansion and equipment that contradicted the old ways. His efforts in 1968 resulted in one of the earliest appellations—Denominazione di Origine, abbreviated to DOC.

The latest information on Italian food and wine products is published in From Italy with Flavor, The Newsletter of Premium Foods and Wines of Italy. Concerning the classification of Italian wines, the current issue explained that "in the last several decades, Italy has experienced a veritable revolution in the wine sector. The big leap forward began in the sixties when the Italian Parliament enacted a law establishing a controlled appellation system, the DOC program. It opened the floodgates and today there are more than 300 official denomination. In the 1980s, parliament added another category to the system, the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita wines (DOCG). Before receiving the government’s seal, the DOCG wines undergo chemical analyses and tasting committees must certify that their characteristics meet the standards set for the appellation. To date, 22 per cent of Italian wines have entered the DOC and DOCG classifications. In 1992, the Italian government revised the appellation laws and added a third category, Indicasione Geografica Tipica (IGT), to give the system greater flexibility. They represent 28 per cent. The production zones are much larger than those of the DOC and DOCG wines and the rules are less restrictive."

Zones delimit wines geographically for their authenticity. The laws gave Italian wines a new credibility. Notwithstanding the quality of the controlled appellation wines, the simple, table-wine classification-- Vino da Tavola (50 per cent of Italian wines)—represents many worthy individual efforts that qualify as excellent selections. Much of the pioneering effort for better wines began with Giorgio Lungarotti.

On his own property, he converted mixed farming operations into one specializing in vine growing and wine production. The agricultural transformation began the experimentation with grape varieties (new, old, and abandoned) to improve grape quality by studying clones and vineyard practices. The cordon system reduced distances between the vines and resulted in greater vines per hectare (approximately 4000 vines/Ha). These features enhance a balanced production. Electronic meteorological stations monitor the environment, keeping treatments (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) to a minimum and in accordance with the ecologically compatible standards of the European Union.

Today, Lungarotti wines are among the most well-respected wines in Italy, and daughter Teresa Severini Lungarotti, is the chief winemaker.

"Giorgio was 52 when he founded our cellars and 60 when he married my mother Maria Grazia," says Teresa Severini Lungarotti, winemaker and export director. "He accomplished an enormous amount, and my sister Chiara and I promised him before his death in April (1999) to carry on the heritage he bequeathed us. Our operation has almost complete autonomy with approximately 300 hectares—240 family owned and the others directly controlled," she explains. "Our cellars combine tradition with up-to-date technology. Chiara and I are dedicated to Giorgio’s forward-thinking policies as well as the preservation of Italy’s wine history."

Part of that history is preserved in the Wine Museum. Founded in 1974 and directed by Maria Grazia, an art historian, the Wine Museum is acclaimed as one the most comprehensive of its kind.

Housed in an old patrician summer residence, the Palazzo Graziani-Baglioni, it is located in the center of Torgiano. The basement was the wine cellar and now displays an old wine press and other large objects connected with wine production.

Ancient tools and vessels used in grape cultivation frequently are found in vinous-friendly soils and have been brought to the museum. Objects uncovered in Umbria indicate that wine has had a place in the lives of these peoples since very early times. Finding fragments of amphorae, pitchers, stone tanks, tubs and other wine paraphernalia in the vineyards inspired the Lungarottis and they wanted to preserve them for public enjoyment.

The Wine Museum’s world-class collection is contained in 22 rooms covering three floors. It displays a series of archeological, technical, historic and artistic collections that guide the visitor through 5,000 years of history. Wine is introduced with its mythology from the Middle-Eastern origins, through the Etruscans and Romans to today and is highlighted by Hittite vases, Attic chalices, Roman glassware and amphorae. Artifacts and ceramics come from the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and contemporary periods. Engravings on the wine theme from Mantegna to Picasso, ex libris, wafer irons and antique books are displayed, as are winemaking tools and presses from the 17^th and 18^th centuries. It’s an incredible tour.

The Lungarotti family has made Torgiano and its rolling hillsides at the confluence of the Tiber and Chiascio rivers a destination place. The small, 17^th-century village (built on a Roman medieval hamlet) is a short distance from Perugia and Assisi, along the road linking Florence and Rome. Beside Torgiano’s medieval fortifying walls is the small, 61-room-and-suite, five-star hotel, Le Tre Vaselle. It’s a luxurious destination for fine food and wine enthusiasts and those looking for tranquility and posh relaxation. Le Tre Vaselle is a renovated 17th–century manor house with thick stone walls, wooden beams, terracotta floors and great stone fireplaces. Antique furnishings, hand-woven fabrics, oil paintings, engravings, and sketches, (mainly on wine) are balanced with modern accoutrements that make a warm and welcoming ambiance. Renowned for its charm, cuisine and wine, tourists enjoy the peaceful Umbrian countryside, small-town atmosphere and proximity to nearby towns.

After patriarch Lungarotti created a focal point for winemaking, olive-growing and tourism, the various family members pursued their interests. His wife, Maria Grazia, directs the Lungarotti Foundation and museum. Agronomist and enologist Teresa Severini guides the wine production at Canatine Giorgio Lungarotti, the marketing and communications, and Chiara Lungarotti, also an agronomist, is responsible for viticulture.

"I like quoting our friend author Hugh Johnson who said my father put Umbria on the world wine map," Teresa says. "Father realized our region’s potential at a time many Italian wines had a mediocre image, especially abroad. His transformation of the family holdings to specialized interests differentiated the product line to reach higher standards. He believed that wine and culture were inherent to each other and planned our company to include the development of cultural and hospitality activities."

"Giorgio was a great, great entrepreneur, an enlightened man who 40 years ago understood the necessity of change, maintaining at the same time an intelligent respect for roots and tradition," Teresa says. "He considered his family his precious collaborators. We carry on."

The capable Lungarotti daughters admit that it is not always easy to balance the traditional and modern, ecology with technology, and economics and culture. Their goal, however, is to do so, not only in the vineyards and winery, but in all their ventures. The Lungarotti Group has, over the years, transformed the economy of Torgiano into winemaking and olive-growing and one that is tourist-based. Respect for their Umbrian culture and heritage has been preserved in the Wine Museum, the soon-to-be opened Museum of Olive-growing and Olive Oil, Le Tre Vaselle Hotel, and the "Poggio alle Vigne" agriturismo, (holiday apartments in the vineyards).

Lungarotti has become a synonym of quality, and without them, these delightful permutations and perambulations would not be possible.

IL VESSILLO (IGT): A blend of Pinot Nero and Cabernet Sauvignon, normally considered incompatible, but from Torgiano soil it expresses harmony, balance and complementary character.

SAN GIORGIO (IGT): Lovely and ample, depth of fruit, full-bodied deliciousness, blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Canaiolo--whose character and elegance can be enhanced during aging.

CHARDONNAY PALAZZI (DOC): Exclusively Chardonnay grapes, green apple and pear, excellent structure: oak aging rounds out the body without overpowering the wine, balanced.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON (DOC): Hearty, warm flavors of spice, toasty oak, rounded complexity. Cabernet Sauvignon virtually disappeared from Umbria at the end of the 19th century following the phylloxera epidemic and was reintroduced by Giorgio Lungarotti in the 1960s.

RUBESCO RISERVA MONTICCHIO DOCG): A classic wine of balance and elegance, full flavored with black cherry, richness and velvet texture, its many awards and prizes make it Lungarotti's flagship.

TORRE DI GIANO "IL PINO" (DOC): Touted as a wine for connoisseurs, it is produced only in the best years from the finest white grapes, a graceful structure touched by oak adds to elegant complexity.

Additionally, Teresa wanted to create a blended wine to go with simple foods like soups and similar dishes. "I wanted an easy consuming wine, a wine of the future, one that would go with a soup or with a beef dish--an important wine but an approachable one without big tannins," she says, "so I made Guibilante. It is our word for jubilant and will sell for about $20. The wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, caniola and montepulciano in equal amount,20%. It has a very short time in wood, 1 ½ months—to respect the perfume of the grapes—and there will be 18,000 cases."

Guibilante is the perfect word for the Lungarotti family team and the delicious wines.

WHERE: Torgiano is only 8km from Perugia, in the region of Umbria.

HOW: by car, from the E45 highway. Coming from the north, either from Florence or from Cesena, pass by Perugia in the direction of Rome until the exit "Torgiano/San Martino in Campo." From Rome, take the exit "Torgiano" immediately after the exit "Deruta". By train, one arrives at Perugia/Ponte San Giovanni and by plane at the Perugia/S. Egidio airport, a 15-minute taxi ride from Torgiano.