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 tranquillity 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.

Like other prime real estate, with vineyards it’s location, location, location. In the 1970s, few Europeans considered California a place for fine wine production. Nonetheless, Jean-Jacques Michel did. This far-sighted Swiss recognized Sonoma County’s potential, particularly a site in Dry Creek Valley. He purchased the land in 1979, terraced the hillsides and planted fifty acres to produce limited quantities of premium Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery, constructed in 1985, was named Domaine Michel, and the first wines, a 1984 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 1986 Chardonnay, were released in 1987.

All bets were on the land. Over millions of years, the slow uplift of ancient river bottom deposits created the benchlands. With additional time, the nutrients were leached from these alluvial soils, leaving a challenging medium for growing most plants but a positive stress factor for grapevines. These deep, lean, rare soils produce grapes of intense flavor.

Approximately 27km from the Pacific Ocean and over California’s Coastal Range Mountains, the estate is situated between the Valley’s floor and the forested ridges on these benchlands. The unusual landforms are smoothly sloping, stepped hills that are remnants of geological benches. Laid out in a graceful array, these benches are uplifts of earth weathered and eroded by sun, wind and rain. It is as if Mother Nature, in a majestic gesture, contoured them for growing grapes.

Some soil diversity is conspicuous on these benchlands with evidence of two distinct soils eroded from different geologic epochs. Easy to recognize by color, the two primary soils have white sandstone and red volcanic origins. The gravelly, well-drained sandstone soil provides cabernet sauvignon with the warmth that it needs to develop ripe, fully flavored berries. More compact, the red volcanic soil benefits the chardonnay and satisfies the variety’s preference for cooler growing conditions. Most benches on the Michel-Schlumberger Estate face south and slightly east, giving the vines full exposure to the warm springtime sun and the orientation to the cooler morning sun of summer. Jean-Jacques Michel recognized the productive real estate.

He named the property Domaine Michel because he envisioned a European-modeled estate that would grow grapes and make the wine. Additioinally, and to honor the history of the property, the facility was built with a mission-style architecture that reflected Spain’s significance in early California--white stucco walls, tile roofs, a bell tower, a Moorish window and a grand courtyard.

The Moorish window became the logo. The actual window is located on the side of the winery next to the courtyard. It reflects what the architect calls "California Mission Revival," particularly evident at a mission at Carmel. The Moors made excursions into Spain and left part of their culture. Ultimately, the Franciscans brought the window design element into California and it became part of California’s architectural heritage; hence, the winery logo.

A friend of Jean-Jacques Michel, Jacques Schlumberger, was influenced by his family's 400-year-Alsatian-wine heritage and joined the venture in 1991. He set the stage for the now renamed Michel-Schlumberger Benchland Wine Estate (M-S). Since 1993, Schlumberger has directed the wine property, continuing Michel’s commitment to small lots of wine imprinted with the property’s terroir--the superb benchland fruit.

Fred Payne joined the enterprise in 1989 and manages the vineyards as well as the cellar. In 1971 he was working as a chemist for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable Laboratory. Consequently, he was invited to participate on panels studying sensory evaluation with chemists trained in oenology.

"I was captivated by the sensorial topics—appearance, aroma, and taste—and found the oenologist’s view of the world fascinating," he says. "I decided to go to graduate school at the University of California at Davis where I studied food science, biochemistry, oenology and viticulture. Afterwards I was privileged to be associated with some of the best winemakers in California, my mentors: Mike Grgich, Warren Winiarski and Andre Tchelistcheff. "

Until recently, it had been several years since I had visited Michel-Schlumberger and I was delighted with all that’s happening. Fred is making elegant wines, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay, but he also has two new wines--Syrah and Pinot Blanc. We tasted the current new varietals, foreign wines that Michel-Schlumberger is marketing, and toured soon-to-be-planted vineyards as well as the older ones. The duet of winemaker and this benchland property is producing some lovely fruit-driven, food friendly wines across the board. They exhibited approachable varietal frankness with richness and balance.

Part of the credit is given to the vintages. There were several good ones during the decade of the 1990s.

"1997 was a vintage for up-front, fruit-driven wine, the kind that syrah especially likes," Fred explains. "We always pick our fruit for its flavor."

This particular Michel-Schlumberger Syrah is a unique interpretation of Rhone wine because it is blended with Zinfandel rather than Grenache or Mourvedre as in France.

"This is the second vintage and we’re learning where the market is and how to express the flavors of these varieties," Fred says.

With the growing population of wines in the world, Jacques believes there is often an increasing sameness among wines, and one of their exciting adventures at M-S is to express Fred’s skills as well as where the grapes come from—climate and temperature variation, soil differences; i.e., terroir.

According to Jacques, they are on a journey of rediscovery. Fred found an old French clone that was brought to the U.S. in 1870s—an antique cabernet clone that was part of an experiment discontinued at U.C. Davis due to Prohibition. It recently resurfaced, and although untended for years, the vines were thriving, virus-free and had survived phylloxera—if indeed there had been any. The clone has been planted experimentally in Napa. It’s a shy bearer with slightly unpredictable flavors and an unreliable production each year. But following its development is part of their adventure.

"Our passion is to express cabernet flavors to their fullest potential and what each clone may contribute to those flavors," Fred says. "Clones give their unique personalities to the wine. What’s fascinating to me is that here in California we’ve arrived at a point where we have antique varieties. People tend to think of California as ‘New World,’ but we have these aged clones which qualify as antique."

Part of the expansion at Michel-Schlulmberger includes the production of Pinot Blanc, a wine they think is often misunderstood. The Alsatian Schlumbergers have been making Pinot Blanc for generations and Jacques wanted to express the best that Pinot Blanc has to offer from California.

"Merlot is another good example of what we’re doing," Fred adds. "We’re looking at other varietals to blend with Merlot, such as Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carmenére. They help establish nuances of quality. And there’s a marvelous interaction among those who grow, make, publicize and sell wines that has a way of widening possibilities and encouraging new discoveries."

Partly modern naturalist and partly old-fashioned farmer, he strongly believes Michel-Schlumberger wines are representative of their soil, climate and grape.

"The benchland’s climate offers warm, dry summer days so grapes ripen and develop fully," Fred says. "Breezy evenings and foggy mornings, created by the Pacific Ocean 17km away, encourage the grapes to build substantial structure."

Additionally, Michel-Schlumberger reserve wines are based on a specific part of the vineyard. They will always be wines that demand age and will improve with aging.

The following notes are from our tasting.

MICHEL-SCHLUMBERGER 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon: Concentrated aromas and flavors of blackberry and cherry, tea and aromatic spice, a bit of smoky, balanced with a long finish. Long ripening season, small crop and a dry harvest are marks of this great cabernet vintage.

MICHEL-SCHLUMBERGER 1994 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: Depth of black cherry and currant flavors, some spice, tar and cedar, hint of pomegranate and plum with green tea smokiness, long, lush finish. Enjoy now or cellar a few years.

MICHEL-SCHLUMBERGER 1997 Syrah: The Syrah is a secret blend with just a little zinfandel and voignier to give it expansive fruit tones. Big and mouth-filling wine, it is soft on the palate, with flavors of ripe fruit, earth and smoke.

MICHEL-SCHLUMBERGER 1996 Merlot: Aromatic and classic in style, full of ripe fruit with balance and finesse, blackberry, dried iris, nutmeg.

MICHEL-SCHLUMBERGER 1998 Pinot Blanc: The benchland twist gives the wine its tropical fruit aroma with citrus blossoms, apricots, banana and orange. It complements many fresh-flavored foods and spicy types.

MICHEL-SCHLUMBERGER 1997 Chardonnay: The 1997 expresses a powerfully ripe Chardonnay with contrasting delicate aromas--citrus and pineapple highlighted by floral blossoms, smoky hazelnut and flint impressions, nice complex aftertaste. Complex flavors will age nicely for several years.