Sagrantino and the Wines of Montefalco Gain Increasing Interest in California

The Most Iconic Producers from Umbria Visited Los Angeles and San Francisco During a Recent US Tour to Promote Their Signature Wines, Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG and Montefalco Rosso DOC

Last week, the Montefalco Consortium—the body that represents all producers from the homonymous area in Umbria—traveled to California to promote its iconic Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG and Montefalco Rosso DOC varietals to the local trade and press. Stops included Los Angeles (June 11th at Terroni Restaurant) and San Francisco (June 10th at 54 Mint, Press Club), two important California markets in which the Consortium is seeking to increase awareness of Montefalco wines within target audiences. The response has been fantastic—several key trade and press influencers attended two days’ worth of tastings and guided seminars, showing great interest in the still relatively unknown wine region from Umbria.

Together with sommelier and Umbria native Matteo Pastori, the Consortium organized walk-around tastings and guided seminars of Sagrantino, the most important wine of the area, made with 100% of the indigenous grape. The Consortium also partnered with NASA (North American Sommelier Association) to educate the trade and press attendees.

“This is our third tour in the United States as a Consortium,” says Amilcare Pambuffetti, president of the Cosorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco. ”The interest and engagement shown at the events tell us that there’s a great potential for marketing our wines. It’s critical, for both Umbria and the Montefalco region, to travel regularly to the US and promote the unique characteristics of our territory and products.”

Participating producers included Antonelli San Marco, Arnaldo Caprai, Le Cimate, Perticaia, Romanelli, Scacciadiavoli, Tenuta Bellafonte, and Tenuta Castelbuono.

About the Montefalco Consortium (Consorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco)
Since 1981, wine producers of Montefalco have joined together in the Montefalco Consortium. This organization is responsible for coordinating with local producers and guiding them in both constant quality research and the promotion of the quintessential wines of their territory. The Consortium guarantees the high standards of production and promoting both Montefalco Sagrantino and Montefalco Rosso around the world.

The Consortium’s main responsibilities are:

• protection of the viticulture in the production zone and of the Montefalco denomination wines;
• promotion of the Montefalco denomination wines;
• surveillance to prevent abuse, fraud or irregular use of the denominations.