Tag Archives: umbria

Gone Fishing on Lake Trasimeno

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A bone-chilling wind whistled across the water, as I huddled on a boat with fingers tucked into my armpits. We were sailing across Lake Trasimeno, the second largest body of freshwater in Italy. Aurelio, our captain and president of the local Trasimeno fishermen’s cooperative, explained that the maximum depth of the lake was about 5 m, and the area we were currently in was only 1,8-2 m deep. Moreover, this is an endorheic body of water, a lake with no natural outlets that is entirely rain-fed. Essentially, we were rocking our way across a giant puddle.

It may not look like much, but Lake Trasimeno is actually the cleanest lake in Italy, according to tests conducted by environmental agencies. There are no industrial zones located nearby with potentially polluting run-off, and the surrounding areas are sparsely populated. The lake boasts a healthy population of plankton, which results in clean and fresh-tasting fish.
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Cash, Lies and Truffles at Urbani Tartufi

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The stillness was broken only by the sound of breathing. All around us, rolling foothills and oak-covered peaks stretched into the distance, a gently shimmering tapestry of fall foliage. But the outward peace of this halcyon setting masked a burning secret. Beneath the roots of these forests, there was buried treasure–truffles, worth millions of euros and sitting in the cross-hairs of Italy’s legions of truffle hunters.

What is it about these warty fungus lumps that makes them so coveted? Is it their beguiling scent, an indescribable mixture of musk, mushrooms and earth? Is it their ability to make unremarkable dishes, like pasta or eggs, instantly pop with flavor? Or it is perhaps simply the cachet of unobtainability that drives their demand?

Their appearance may not be particularly eye-catching, but these small grubby morsels are one of the most expensive food products on the market. During bad harvest seasons, the price of white truffles can easily rise above €6000/kg. (For reference, this is about one-fifth of the price of gold.) And so, to better learn about this jewel of Italian gastronomy, we ventured to the king of truffle purveyors, Urbani Tartufi.
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The Bottled Poetry of Arnaldo Caprai

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“This is one of the most important products in the panorama of Italian wines. Are you familiar with it?” I was haplessly ignorant as Eleonara Marzi began her presentation on sagrantino wines. Over the next week though, we would drink the hometown favorite of Umbria more times than I could remember.

Sagrantino is a native grape variety that has been cultivated in Montefalco for over 400 years, and sagrantino secco is recognized as a DOCG wine indigenous to Umbria. However, until the 1970s, most Umbrian wineries focused on producing merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Sagrantino was mostly relegated to the production of passito, or sweet dessert wines. This was due in part to the intensity of sagrantino grapes, which are higher in tannins and polyphenols than any other grape. To combat the persistence of the tannins, farmers generally added sugar to increase the softness of the wine and make it more drinkable.

In the winemaking world, the Arnaldo Caprai winery is credited with promoting and elevating sagrantino to the vaunted world-famous status it holds today. After the phylloxera fungal plague of the 19th century, most sagrantino vines died out and only a few hectares remained under cultivation. Through their collaboration with the University of Milan, the winery selected and propagated the best sagrantino clones, while retaining variability within the sagrantino variety, thereby safeguarding an important part of Italian ampelography. Plants were tailored to match the soil composition, microclimate and altitude of their vineyard.
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Travel Note: Umbria Stage

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It’s that time of the month again; the UNISG masters students are heading out this week for another round of travel. The destination for this stage is Umbria, a region in central Italy, bordering Tuscany and Lazio, where Rome is located. It is the only region of Italy that has no borders with other countries and no coastal access. Over the next few days, we will be exploring Umbria’s famed olive oils, truffles, wines and cured meat products. Best of all, if the weather cooperates, we will be fishing on Lake Trasimeno with a bunch of local fishermen! I am mildly embarrassed to admit that I have never gone fishing before, so this is pretty exciting.

Here’s the schedule for Thursday, Nov. 11th:

9:00 – Breakfast
10:00 – Depart for Sant’anatolio di Narco
11:00 – Visit Urbani Tartufi (truffle producer)
13:00 – Lunch
15:00 – Depart for Casa Naticchia Montefalco
16:00 – Visit Novelli Winery
19:00 – Dinner at the winery
20:00 – Depart for San Feliciano
21:30 – Check in at Hotel Ali sul Lago, on Lake Trasimeno

Another 8-hour bus ride awaits. I’ll be lugging my book of Italian grammar exercises for entertainment.