Argillae - Orvieto Umbria
Identity
“Our terroir is our soul and our main source of inspiration. It discloses all our potential and draws all our limits”

We are firmly convinced that for our job, for what we do every day with passion and dedication, terroir is key.
But what does “terroir” mean?
A lot have been said and written around the concept of terroir.
Our personal interpretation of terroir is the following one:
The soil composition, the particular climate conditions, the grape varieties specifically selected and implanted, all there is around the vineyards (rivers, lakes, mountains, volcanoes or oceans …) and also plant and animal species living there… but moreover the unique and not duplicable way they blend and coexist together…This is the wine concept of terroir and it plays a crucial role in the modern winemaking activity.

Taking inspiration by one of the main component of our terroir, and specifically one of the main component of our soil, we have named our winery “ARGILLAE” which is the Latin name for “Clay”.

What makes the clay-calcareus soil so interesting for the wine production?
Altogether, our terroir is mostly made of calcareous-clayey soil.
Clayey-calcareous soil manages to stay cooler than other soils and this characteristic works out very well for hot regions like Umbria. The clayey part retains water and this helps the grapes during dry season, while the calcareous part drains well, avoiding diseases caused by stagnation and humidity. Clayey calcareous soils tend to produce full-body wines with good acidity, ensuring longevity and excellent ageing capacity.

Nevertheless the most interesting part of our terroir – the one that provides that unique character to our wines - are the fossils and shellfish resulting from Pliocene Area. Millions of years ago all our land was completely covered by sea level. What remains now of that period is hundreds of fossils that give to our wines a vibrant mineral taste, adding complexity and structure to our wine.

GROUND COMPOSITION IN DETAILS
Across 36 hectares of vineyards it is possible to detect some interesting differences in the ground composition that we exploit for growing different varieties.

After many analysis and researches we where able to identify 3 main sub-terroir which are:

  • Medium mixture soil: mostly made of clay and limestone
  • Clayey soil: 70% made of clay
  • Sandy soil: 40% made of sand together with clay and limestone
ORVIETO'S WINE AND ITS ADMIRERS

The fame gained by Orvieto's wine during Etruscan times came back and spread during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, thanks to bishops, cardinals and Popes who spent periods of time of variable length on the cliff and its surroundings. Amongst the Pontiffs, Adrian IV, Urban IV, Martin IV and Clement VII chose to stay in Orvieto to escape the hazards of Papal Rome; during the years when Orvieto was a Papal residence, several casks of wine would be sent to Rome to the tables of important personalities of the times. It was not by chance that Orvieto's wine began to be named and known as the "Popes'wine".

There are many anecdotes narrating that the quality of Orvieto's wine was always admired by well-known conoisseurs. Pope Paul III (born Farnese) preferred it to any other wine and Pope Gregory XVI decided that his own dead body should be bathed in this wine before burial. Also, may people are aware of the meaningful role played by wine in the construction of Orvieto's cathedral. The masters working in the quarry of Mount Piso between 1347 and 1349 where travertine was dug out and abraded, bought this wine in large amounts together with panatelle, so they could drink it when they worked far from Orvieto. The Opera del Duomo itself would donate it on several occasions, such as upon completion of important works on the cathedral building site. But the piece of information that most amazes us, is that wine was expressly mentioned in contracts of employment, as a medium of payment. The agreement entered into by the Opera del Duomo and painter Pinturicchio in 1496 provided that the latter be granted "sei quartenghi di grano per ogni anno... e il vino necessario" (six quartenghi of wheat per year (a quartengo weighing approximately 150 pounds) ...and the necessary wine). The agreement entered into by the Opera del Duomo and Luca Signorelli in 1500 for the realization of the frescoes of the San Brizio Chapel, provides that the Opera should grant Signorelli 12 some of wine (approximately 1,000 liters of wine) each year.

Later on, the admiration and desire for Orvieto's wine were expressed in a funny and clever way in the petition recited by Pasquino to Pope Paul V (born Borghese), on the day of the official opening of the Acqua Marcia Roman Aqueduct in the late seventeenth century:

il miracolo è fatto, o Padre Santo, (the miracle is made, Holy Father)
con l'acqua vostra che ci piace tanto; (with your water, which we like so much )
ma sarebbe il portento assai più lieto, (but such a powerful event would be even happier)
se l'acqua la cangiaste in vin d'Orvieto. (if you could change water into Orvieto's wine)

In a vibrant passage of his 1835 sonnet "Regole contro l'ubriacature"(rules to avoid getting drunk), Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli, underlined how "Orvieto's white" was considered "a wine for great events" for its prominent qualities as opposed to common wines and was destined exclusively to the tables of the rich and powerful people who could afford to pay a high price for it.

Looking at even more recent evidence, it is known that Orvieto's wine was used by Garibaldi and the Thousand, before leaving Talamone's port, to toast to the Sicilian adventure. A valiant Tuscan officer by the name of Giuseppe Bandi, personal secretary to General Garibaldi, so narrates: "La mia comparsa fu salutata con un grido dagli amici e da quell'ottimo uomo del Generale (Garibaldi). (my appearance was greeted by friends and by that great man that is the General, with a cheer) Mi fé cenno di avvicinarmi a lui e porgendomi un bicchiere colmo di vino d'Orvieto mi disse: (he beckoned me to go closer to him, handed me a glassful of Orvieto's wine, and said): bevete anche voi alla buona fortuna d'Italia (you too drink to the good luck of Italy)".

Also the Orvietani pride themselves of the fact that Sigmund Freud wrote a postcard to his wife Martha when visiting Orvieto in 1897, telling her about the Duomo and the wine, which he defined as "famous" and "similar to Port": this combination of qualities may sound curious, nevertheless it points out what was the main characteristic of the Orvieto wine of old times, that is the fact that it was a sweet wine reputed similar to the passito wine considered the best by far, that is the French Sauternes.
WINE PRODUCTION ACCORDING TO THE ETRUSCANS

During the Etruscan civilization (8th-3rd centuries B.C.), Orvieto experienced a period of great splendour. And it is thanks to the Etruscans that the winemaking art started in the town.

The Etruscans excavated caves in the tufa rock cliff, and developed a winemaking system the result of which was a drink with peculiar organoleptic characteristics:it was aromatic, fragrant and golden yellow in colour.

The grapes were crushed on the ground floor (first level) and the grape must was channelled through clay pipes to the lower areas (second level) where fermentation occurred. After racking, wine was moved to a still lower floor (third level), suitable for wine maturation and long-term storage.

The Etruscans used to harvest the grapes when they were completely ripe, after which they carried them into the cellars by using wooden boxes carried by pack animals and placed them all in truncated cone-shaped casks. Once a cask had been filled, a barefoot man would climb over it and crush the grapes in order to obtain the must. Water was then added to the crushed grapes inside the cask. The must obtained was only half of the weight of the grapes, fermentation would occur within five -eight days and a final tasting in small containers would be carried out by a selection of experts to verify the final quality.

Once fermentation was completed, wine was drawn off and poured into a barrel so that it would come out of the tap free of dregs. A further stage of vinification would then take place: a man would get inside the cask and start to make must out of the grapes that had not been completely crushed or were laying amidst the grape skins, seeds and pulp. Finally, after racking stages had been completed, a B quality wine would be obtained. To this purpose, it is worth having a look at a jug showing the wording "VINO B" (B WINE) now kept in the Museum of Medieval Majolicas in Orvieto's Via della Cava.

The Etruscans set up a flourishing wine trade, with adventurous expeditions into Northern Europe; so did the Romans who, during their domination over the city, would send wine to Rome via the river port of Palianum where several wine jars have recently been found. .

TERROIR

We are firmly convinced that for our job, for what we do every day with passion and dedication, terroir is key. But what does “terroir” mean? A lot have been said and written around the concept of terroir. Our personal interpretation of terroir is the following one: The soil composition, the particular climate conditions, the grape varieties specifically selected and implanted, all there is around the vineyards (rivers, lakes, mountains, volcanoes or oceans …) and also plant and animal species living there… but moreover the unique and not duplicable way they blend and coexist together…This is the wine concept of terroir and it plays a crucial role in the modern winemaking activity.

Taking inspiration by one of the main component of our terroir, and specifically one of the main component of our soil, we have named our winery “argillae” which is the Latin name for “Clay”.

Read more...
Argillae - Orvieto Umbria
Argillae - Orvieto Umbria
Argillae - Orvieto Umbria
SUSTAINABILITY
Our project to sustain the environment is a crucial part of our identity and plays a big role in all our activities.

This represents our commitment towards the environment and towards the health of our consumers. It’s a “project” and not a philosophy because we are an active part of it and because we want to improve our commitment over time.

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ORVIETO

Through an evocative appellation, Orvieto has been defined as “the awkward and tall town”, thus referring to its spectacular and unique position. Indeed this old town stands on a massive tufa rock: seen from afar during the night it appears to be suspended in the sky, while during the day it seems to be laying on the clouds.

A real gem of middle ages art, this town is famous around the world for its Cathedral, a marvel of Gothic architecture and for its well (Pozzo di San Patrizio), a masterpiece of hydraulic engineering.

Small, clean and welcoming, Orvieto is a must see during a journey in Umbria and it deserves an entire weekend to appreciate all its extraordinary beauties.

Besides the two above-mentioned, we suggest you to visit also: the San Brizio chapel, the “Museo dell’Opera del Duomo”, the “Museo Faina” and the underground city.
Argillae - Orvieto Umbria
Argillae - Orvieto Umbria
Argillae - Orvieto Umbria
Argillae - Orvieto Umbria

A JOURNEY IN UMBRIA

Unspoiled landscape surrounded by greenery and small middle-aged towns make Umbria an enchanted place.

Dubbed by Giosuè Carducci “The green Umbria”, this region is nowadays know as “the green heart of Italy” and indeed Umbria seems to be a masterpiece painted by Pinturicchio or Perugino: everywhere there are breathtaking sceneries as for example the Marmore falls, The Clitunno springs or the amazing Trasimeno lake, so beautiful that it was able to surprise even Goethe, Stendhal and Byron. Thousands of middle ages small towns stand on green hills, thus evoking an ancient and glorious past. It is absolutely impossible to say which of these towns is the most beautiful one…Orvieto? Assisi? Perugia or Gubbio? And what about Spoleto?

The citizens are proud of their past and they like organizing parades and masked shows linked to ancient traditions or religious celebrations. Among them, we recommend not to miss la Corsa dei Ceri which is held in Gubbio every 15th of May and the Corpus Domini in Orvieto.
Argillae - Orvieto Umbria
Argillae - Orvieto Umbria
Argillae - Orvieto Umbria

ORVIETO WINE AND THE ETRUSCANS

During the Etruscan civilization (8th-3rd centuries B.C.), Orvieto experienced a period of great splendour. And it is thanks to the Etruscans that the winemaking art started in the town.

The Etruscans excavated caves in the tufa rock cliff, and developed a winemaking system the result of which was a drink with peculiar organoleptic characteristics:it was aromatic, fragrant and golden yellow in colour.

The grapes were crushed on the ground floor (first level) and the grape must was channelled through clay pipes to the lower areas (second level) where fermentation occurred. After racking, wine was moved to a still lower floor (third level), suitable for wine maturation and long-term storage.

Read more...

ORVIETO, A HISTORICAL WINE

The fame gained by Orvieto's wine during Etruscan times came back and spread during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, thanks to bishops, cardinals and Popes who spent periods of time of variable length on the cliff and its surroundings. Amongst the Pontiffs, Adrian IV, Urban IV, Martin IV and Clement VII chose to stay in Orvieto to escape the hazards of Papal Rome; during the years when Orvieto was a Papal residence, several casks of wine would be sent to Rome to the tables of important personalities of the times. It was not by chance that Orvieto's wine began to be named and known as the "Popes'wine"..

The importance of Orvieto's wine in the Middle Ages is confirmed by the large amount of ceramic bowls, cups and jugs that were found in medieval dumps in the early twentieth century.

Read more...
Argillae - Orvieto Umbria
Argillae - Orvieto Umbria
Argillae - Orvieto Umbria

TYPICAL UMBRIA DISHES

Umbria's cuisine features simple and genuine ingredients like pulses, cereals and extra virgin olive oil. Umbria- being a landlocked region- has a meat based cuisine. Among the specialties you can find wild-boar , cold cuts, salami and sausages to be tasted with unsalted bread. Not to mention the black truffle which is extraordinary here! Among the pasta dishes, you should try the "Umbrichelli": a long pasta like spaghetti but thicker and ....you can be sure it's handmade.