Orvieto has always been connected with wine. There is evidence of wine production in the territory since the Etruscan period and the frescoes of the Golini tomb represents an example: in these frescoes you can see an Etruscan banquet with pitchers of wine. Maybe also the name of the city during the Etruscan period (Velzna) has a curious similarity with the Etruscan word “Vina” (that means vineyard).
The wine of Orvieto has had a great reputation since the ancient times and that continued increasing in recent years. In particular, when Orvieto was a part of the Pontifical state, many Popes lived in the city palaces and they also appreciated the quality of the local wines so much that the Orvieto wine was renamed the “Wine of the Popes.”
As the fame of Orvieto wines increased they became a sort of payable value. It is believed that many artists, including Luca Signorelli, asked to be paid with a certain amount of wine for their work.
In 1931 the wine of Orvieto was recognized as “typical” and in the following years it was classified and certified as controlled origin (Orvieto Classico DOC).
Now in the territory of Orvieto there are two wines certified DOC: the Orvieto Classico (white) and the Rosso Orvietano.
