Orvieto is unquestionably the best-known wine of Umbria, central Italy, and accounts for 80% of the region's vineyard area. The wine industry has played as vital role in the region's culture and economy for hundreds of years.

The vineyards which produce Orvieto wine are planted on both sides of the Paglia, the river which flows through Orvieto town en route to its confluence with the Tiber. The tufaceous soils and bedrock which are so characteristic of the area not only contribute to the quality of the local terroir, but are also well suited to the excavation of cellars for long-term storage. This tufo rock (as in Greco di Tufo) has similar uses around Chinon and Saumur-Champigny, in France's Loire Valley, where it is known as tuffeau.