The culinary specialties of the region
Umbria is a region of culinary hotspots, each year there are hundreds of small food festivals celebrating fresh local produce and regional traditions. Farmers’ markets take place weekly, with several often lasting all day long, selling traditional food and hand-grown ingredients indoors and open-air.
Antognolla, and the surrounding countryside, is renowned for its local, simply prepared and delicately-handled culinary specialties. From olive oil, to wine and chocolate, the ‘green heart’ of Italy’s indulgent local produce will make your mouth water, and your glasses clink.
Here is a selection of the true culinary gems in Antognolla…
Olives
Found in the silvery green groves of Antognolla are local farms peppered with homegrown olive trees. An Italian staple for any meal and known as the ‘liquid gold of Umbria’, Antognolla milled over 500kg of olives in one year alone for natural olive oil production.
Did you know that since 2018, in an effort to encourage natural farming in the region, Antognolla has looked after over 500 olive trees?
Wine
The agricultural conditions of the hot and dry summers juxtaposed with the cold winters with moderate rainfall is what makes Antognolla the ideal location for harvesting wine. Carefully selected grape varieties include Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The famous sagrantino grapes in Montefalco produce some of the finest, antioxidant-rich red DOCG-protected wines in the area. With the installation of new vineyards now in the final phase of growth, Antognolla will have its first red grape harvest in 2024, bottles of Merlot ready in 2028, and sparkling Metodo Classico wine ready to drink in 2026.
Antognolla has joined forces with the renowned oenologist Riccardo Cotarella to bring residents and visitors the finest, expertly chosen wines, to suit their palettes.
Chocolate
For those with a sweet tooth, why not try the region's much-loved chocolate festival, EuroChocolate. Having taken place every year since 1993 in Perugia, the capital city of Umbria, it’s grown to be Europe’s largest chocolate festival. Eugenio Guarducci, Founder of Eurochocolate told Antognolla that ‘a permanent chocolate city in the historic centre of Perugia is also taking shape.’ Head over to the city between 15th and 24th November to enjoy complimentary sweet treats and a never-ending supply of chocolate tasters.
Also from Perugia is Italy’s most romantic chocolate, Baci chocolates.. Baci chocolate is a household name for many worldwide, and means ‘kiss’ in Italian. We can’t decide which is sweeter… the name or the chocolate!
Truffles
Whilst around the world truffles are seen as an expensive luxury, here in Umbria, they’re simply part of everyday life, from hunting to grating in abundance on every dish.
Can you guess what the traditional pasta dish of the region is? Pasta alla norcina, pasta served in a creamy sauce with spiced sausage, and a generous topping of grated black trufles sourced fresh from the farm. The dish also celebrates the local skill of the ‘norcini’, or the pork butchers in English, as cured meats remain a speciality in the region.
A local family in Pettino, proud of the truffles they harvest on a daily basis, run a Black Truffle Lodge and Pettino Country Experience. Here, you can participate in truffle hunts, shepherding, cheese-making, and try freshly made pasta and homemade wine. Want to learn the Pettino family’s story? Check out their interview for the Antognolla Magazine.