Trebbiano Spoletino

Trebbiano Spoletino is an ancient indigenous grape variety of Umbria, cultivated for 2000 years in the territories of Spoleto, Montefalco, Campello sul Clitunno, Castel Ritaldi, and Trevi. The first evidence of its presence in these territories dates back to the 1st century AD, recorded by the Roman poet Marco Valerio Marziale.The name Trebbiano Spoletino seems to derive from the city of Trevi, near Spoleto, whose name in Latin is "Trebium," and it bears no resemblance to other Trebbiano varieties, except in name.In the flat areas of Spoleto and Trevi, vines were cultivated using the "planted with a tuteur" method, meaning they were married to maple, elm, and poplar trees. This provided natural protection for the grapes against animals, soil humidity, and fog, allowing the vines to grow by climbing around the trunk, developing long clusters (tuteurs) of grapes on the branches.Harvesting was exclusively done by hand, using ladders leaned against the trees, and it was long and laborious. This method persisted until recent times, around the late 1960s when modern agriculture replaced tree-lined fields with extensive cultivation, nearly causing this variety to be forgotten.Only in recent times, from the late '90s and early 2000s, some producers in the area rediscovered Trebbiano Spoletino, presenting it as a single-variety wine in various versions: dry, sparkling, macerated, and passito. Trebbiano Spoletino grapes produce wines with fresh and elegant aromas, featuring fruity notes, tropical hints, good expressive complexity, and vibrant acidity.The purpose of this publication is to narrate the reality of Trebbiano Spoletino as it stands today in 2023 and to allow wine enthusiasts to discover this exceptional grape variety, a future ambassador for Umbria's white wines. Read more