Meet the Winemaker: Lungarotti - an Umbrian Icon

Step into the heart of Italy — no passport required — and spend an evening in the company of one of Umbria’s most important wine families.

Lungarotti isn’t just a winery; it’s a cornerstone of modern Italian wine. Long before Umbria was on most wine lovers’ radar, Lungarotti was quietly (and then not so quietly) proving that this landlocked region could produce wines of real character, depth and longevity.

This special Meet the Winemaker evening brings that story to life — with the added bonus of tasting the wines in the presence of someone who knows them inside out.

Graham (Wine School Chief Steward) returned from Umbria in Sept 2025, keen to showcase the brilliant wines of Lungarotti in Torgiano. Founder Giorgio put Umbria on the Italian fine wine map in the 1960s with his Rubesco - join grandson, Francesco, for a memorable tasting.

What makes Lungarotti so special?

Founded in the 1960s, Lungarotti played a pivotal role in elevating Umbrian wine from local curiosity to international contender. Their work with Sangiovese helped define the elegant, food-friendly reds of Torgiano, while their championing of Sagrantino — Umbria’s bold, tannic, age-worthy native grape — helped rescue it from near obscurity.

Lungarotti throughout the years.

While the Lungarotti family have been making wine in the Middle Tiber Valley, south of Perugia, since the 1700s, Giorgio in 1962 kick-started the modern era for Lungarotti, bringing together a number of families and their farms and launching his first wine, Rubesco, dominated by Sangiovese. The first harvest of Rubesco Riserva "Vigna di Monticchio" was in 1964 - a blend of Sangiovese and Canaiolo, similar to Tuscan wines further north.

In 1968 Torgiano was the first DOC awarded in Umbria - following the creation of the DOC system in 1963. During the 1970s, Rubesco becomes popular on the British market, the Lungarottis open a museum and restaurant in Torgiano and Giorgio is fundamental to the creation of Montefalco DOC.

In 1990 top cuvée, Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio, was awarded DOCG - the 10th in Italy. With the passing of Giorgio in 1999, his widow Maria Grazia continued his mission with 2 of her daughters, Chiara & Teresa, joining the team - and 2 years later 20 acres were purchased in Montefalco, south of Torgiano, which further developed the company's portofolio of classic Umbrian wines.

2017 was also a significant milestone with the release of Lingarotti's first organic wine.

We are very excited that we will be tasting 8 wines with Francesco from both Torgiano and Montefalco estates.

Wines on tasting - 8 confirmed: 

• Il Pometo Trespo, Umbria IGT Bianco - 100% Trebbiano Spoletino
• Torre di Giano, Bianco di Torgiano DOC - Vermentino, Grechetto, Trebbiano
• Aurente, Chardonnay di Torgiano DOC - 100% Chardonnay
• Il Pometo Sangiovese, Umbria IGT Sangiovese - 100% Sangiovese
• Rubesco, Rosso di Torgiano DOC - Sangiovese, Colorino
• San Giorgio, Umbria IGT Rosso - Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese
• Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio, Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG - 100% Sangiovese
• Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - 100% Sagrantino