Umbria, in central Italy, is a region of lush rolling hills, hilltop villages and iconic, historic towns. The latter are exemplified by Orvieto and Assisi. At the very heart of the Italian Peninsula, it is surrounded by Tuscany, Marche and Lazio. It is in fact the only Italian region without a coastline or international border.

Although best-known for its white wines, Umbria's two top level DOCG designations are for red wines. The native red grape Sagrantino has gained prominence in the Montefalco area, creating wines of great depth and power. The best examples, from producers such as Paolo Bea or Arnaldo Caprai, rival anything from Italy. Therefore it was no surprise when Sagrantino di Montefalco received DOCG status in 1992.