Lazio wines: five bottles worth seeking out

Away from the major tourist attraction of Rome, Lazio offers a quieter side of Italy.

Lazio is located on the west coast of central Italy, bordered to the north by Tuscany, Umbria and the Marche, to the east by the Abruzzo, and to the south by Molise and Campania.

It has three DOCGs; Cannellino di Frascati, Frascati Superiore, Cesanese del Piglio, as well as 27 DOCs.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for five Lazio wines to try

White wines from Lazio

As a region, Lazio is more well-known for its white wines. The most famous is Frascati, which is produced near the city of Frascati and throughout Castelli Romani, a group of hillside and lakeside towns southeast of Rome.

Frascati is typically a blend of the region’s two major white grapes, Malvasia (with its family of varieties), and Trebbiano.

The rarer, native white variety Bellone, which is making quite a reputation for itself with its single-varietal wines, is also allowed in the blend.

Frascati wines are typically medium-bodied, soft, creamy and dry.

From Montefiascone, in the far north of the Lazio region around Lake Bolsena, comes Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone, a dry white wine with an unforgettable name.

Red wines from Lazio

As for reds, Merlot is widely grown and, in the hands of one of Italy’s most skillful winemakers, Riccardo Cotarella, has produced the world class Montiano.

At their Famiglia Cotarella winery at Falesco in the northeastern part of Lazio, they have produced many outstanding wines from Syrah and Merlot as well as native varieties. These wines have helped to earn Lazio international recognition.

To the east of Frascati is the home of the indigenous Cesanese variety. Increasingly appreciated and sought after, it produces lively, sappy, medium-bodied red wines with rich cherry, raspberry and contrasting green pepper flavours.

Look out for wines from Cesanese del Piglio DOCG, Cesanese di Affile DOC and Cesanese di Olevano Romano DOC.

Another native grape, Nero Buono, is a rare and characterful variety from the area of Cori, southeast of Rome. It thrives on volcanic soils and at high altitudes, producing dark, medium-bodied wines with black fruit and herb notes.

Lazio wines: factbox

Annual production: 1.5 million hl

Hectares under vine: 20,326ha

Key varieties: Malvasia (30%), Trebbiano (28%)

Producers to know: Famiglia Cotarella Falesco, Sergio Mottura Poggio della Costa, Marco Carpineti, Cincinnato, Castel de Paolis

Five Lazio wines to try:

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