Pacioso

Pacioso comes from Agri Segretum, the small organic estate that Lorenzo De Monaco and Eileen Holland built from scratch in Collazzone, in the heart of Umbria's Tiber River Valley. They planted their first vines in 2008 on a sun-exposed, southwest-facing slope at 300 metres, within what has since become the Todi DOC appellation. The soil here is a mix of limestone and clay, farmed organically and worked almost entirely by hand, from pruning through to harvest.

True to the estate's tradition, every wine takes its name from local Umbrian dialect, usually a term for a child or a character trait. Pacioso follows that same spirit, an Italian word used to describe someone easy-going, cheerful and pleasantly unhurried, which fits this Trebbiano rather well. The grapes are hand-picked, fermented spontaneously with native yeasts, and the wine rests entirely in bottle without any wood ageing, keeping the fruit fresh and direct.

The result stays true to Trebbiano's classic signature: green apple, citrus and delicate floral notes, with a light mineral undertone running beneath the fruit. At 12.5% alcohol it is dry, easy-drinking and entirely without pretension, a reliable glass that suits newcomers to natural wine just as much as seasoned drinkers looking for something honest and unfussy. Pour it at any gathering and it will do exactly what its name promises.