Raina Umbria Grechetto 2024

Francesco Mariani took a rather roundabout route into winemaking. He started out as a chef, eventually finding his way to Montefalco and the vineyards — though thankfully, he never gave up cooking. That background seems to have found its way into his wines too: there’s a real focus on flavour, purity and letting good ingredients speak for themselves.

At Cantina Raìna, Francesco takes a pretty hands-off approach in both the vineyard and cellar, working with as little intervention as possible to let the fruit and the place do the talking. The result is a collection of wines that feel honest, expressive and very much rooted in where they come from.

The name “Raìna” comes from the nickname of the previous owner of the field where Francesco planted his first Sagrantino vines. Founded in 2002, the winery now works 10 hectares of vineyards around Montefalco, between 220 and 300 metres above sea level. The vines sit on predominantly south-east facing slopes, with stony, medium-textured soils that help give the wines plenty of character.

And while Sagrantino is the local heavyweight, Francesco’s wines aren’t about showing off. They’re about letting the grapes, the soil and the vintage have their say — which, frankly, is exactly how we like our wine.