Cantina Tudernum was founded in 1958 by 57 vineyard owners that came together to produce and market wine as a cooperative. Initially, Cantina Tudernum counted only a few hectares of cultivated land but grew steadily to reach 650 hectares of vineyards between 1975 and 1995. In 1995 the company's vineyard park was downsized to the current 400 hectares as part of a company-wide redevelopment plan that would mark the beginning of a new area of excellence for Cantina Tudernum.
The extensive 1970s vineyards were characterized by wide planting distances and highly productive grapevines that had been functional to a social cooperative that produced large volumes of product. At the beginning of the 1990s an important decision was made to reduce the size of vineyard park and invest in quality and technological improvements. Over 320 hectares of vineyards were planted at this time with less spacing between the vines and higher quality grapes. The change affected both the local grape varieties (Grechetto, Sangiovese and Sagrantino) and the international ones (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay). The changes in the vineyards, the investment in pruning technologies, the decrease in production costs, and the higher quality of the grapes allowed CantinaTudernum to enter a new phase characterized by high quality and excellent value for its consumers.
In the last decade Cantina Tudernum has followed up on its mission of improving quality, investing in resources, and interpreting market demands. As the consumer market has declined over the years, and consumers began to consistently choose quality over quantity, Cantina Tudernum has adapted to meet these demands.
Similarly to the changes that took place in the vineyards, structural changes can be identified in three major phases as well. From the founding to the 1970s cellaring was limited to cement tanks with limited capacity (200-300 hl) disposed on two floors; the underground one is still used today for its excellent temperature and humidity conditions. In the 1970s as a parallel development to the extensive vineyards, large fiberglass tanks were added. These tanks possessed enormous processing capacities of up to 5000 hl. With the 1990s changes, the diminished production, and higher quality wines Cantina Tudernum installed stainless smaller steel tanks (50-80-100 hl). During this third phase ageing wooden barrels and barriques were also added.
Cantina Tudernum's winery technology has advanced at a pace with vineyard improvements and structural investment. Over the years Cantina Tudernum has added soft pressing technologies and processing equipment for red grapes that allow to work small quantities of selected grapes for the production of superior quality wines.Bottling and packaging were brought back in-house and Cantina Tudernum now possesses modern structures capable of producing 0,75l bottles, 1l bottles as well as bag in box packages (3-5l and 10l).
The last 10 years have also been defined by constant research of the autochthonous Umbrian grapevines. In collaboration with the University of Milan (Universita degli Studi di Milano) studies were made on identifying the original Grechetto di Todi grape, characterized by superior quality and unique characteristics compared to the commonly used Grechetto found in the rest of Umbria. Following the success of this endeavor a new study is now taking place to identify the Grechetto Nero (red grape Grechetto) in order to bring this lost delicacy back on the market.
Today, Cantina Tudernum is following in the steps it set out in the early 1990s; scientific research, structural improvements, and investments in operations are all necessary steps in meeting the demands of an increasingly discerning and educated market. Already, prestigious Italian critics and publications have recognized the quality of Tudernum's wines and each year brings further confirmation of the winery's efforts and dedication to excellence in quality and value.
In 2006 Cantina Tudernum has further solidified its presence in Italy and has began distribution in test markets in the European Union and the United States