Latium regional wines

The beautiful Latium territories have been growing vines and producing wine for millennia. Historically Latium is the reign of the white wines. But the region it is ideally placed with its hilly territory, nearness to sea and volcanic lakes and its land have all the potential to create prestigious reds as few winemakers have realized in the last 20 years. Grape growing and wine making were well known to the

Romans who produced excellent wines since Imperial times. The whites are the predominant variety — out of 25 DOC wines produced in the region, 20 are white. Latium's hills, privileged by abundant sunshine on generous and fertile volcanic soils, seem to be just ideal for the production of wines, especially the white based on various types of Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes. Although white wine accounts for an overwhelming share of the region’s production some of its red wines certain of its red wines have been impressing the experts and . are well-known and sought by connoisseurs.

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White Malvasia reigns in Rome’s region of Latium. It is prominent in Frascati and the wines of the Alban hills, and combines with the ubiquitous Trebbiano in Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone and most other whites of the region. The Etruscans, who

shared the area with the Latins and several other Italic tribes, founded the first settlements and city centers, also cultivating the land and introducing new agricultural plants. The ancient Romans drank white wines, too, though Horace and company reserved their greatest praise for the red Falernian and Caecuban – which were grown along the coast in southern Latium and Campania. Latium's DOC reds vary in composition. Aprilia, in the reclaimed stretches of what were once the Pontine Marshes, turns out considerable quantities of Merlot and Sangiovese. The reds of Cerveteri, Cori and Velletri are based on Montepulciano and Sangiovese.

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The native Cesanese makes richly flavored dry and sweet reds in the three DOC zones of the Prenestina and Ciociaria hills southeast of Rome. Aleatico makes a Port-like dessert wine on the northern shores of Lake Bolsena at Gradoli. Cabernet and Merlot are the stars of a number of highly praised modern reds of Latium which prove that the fortunes of premium wine production are not confined to the more numerous and famous whites.

The typical grapes for Lazio regional white wines are Mostly Malvasia and Trebbiano grapes and, in lesser quantity, Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay and Voigner among the white and Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, Merlot, Cesanese, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and Montepulciano, ripen along the volcanic slopes of the Colli Albani and other areas with soil rich in phosphorous and potassium salts for the red ones. The sweet Moscato di Terracina from the southern coast is a candidate for DOC label. The use of low temperature processing and sterile filtration have transformed their personalities into dryer, crisper, more durable wines with a propensity to travel that has opened up new commercial horizons. Still, with only occasional exceptions, the whites of Latium are pleasantly fleshy and fruity, wines that go enticingly well with a great range of foods but are not the sort to be laid away or fussed over.

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