Lazio

With the city of Roma (Rome) as the national capital, Lazio has been at the  heart of the country in many senses for two thousand years.

The winemaking conditions here are dominated by the Tyrrenhian Sea, which moderates temperature; by volcanic soils, which run from the north of the region (the Monti Volsini) to the south of Roma (Colli Albani); and, inland, by the presence of the Southern Appenines, which amplify the day/night and summer/winter temperature differential.

Rainfall is lowest at the Tuscan border in the north, and greatest in the southwest, where the region meets Molise and Abruzzo.

The soils of Lazio are complex, but can broadly be defined as volcanic (described above); clay-sand, resulting from river activity and the retreat of the sea; and limestone, which is mainly in the south of the region.

The majority of Lazio’s production is of white grapes – specifically the different varieties of Malvasia (notably Malvasia Bianca di Candia and Malvasia del Lazio, which is also known as Malvasia Puntinata) and Trebbiano.  Reds include Cesanese, which appears in two biotypes, Cesanese d’Affile and Cesanese Comune.