Courtesy of Pasetti

Francavilla vineyard, Courtesy of Cantine Ettore Galasso

The town of Colonella, Courtesy of Cantina Colonella

Abruzzo will surprise you, with its soaring mountainous landscapes, deep blue sea, and medieval castles and towns atop the jagged foothills.  But this incredibly diverse ecosphere, which is largely protected by national parks and nature reserves, is also home to a rich tapestry of food and wine, something that many aren’t familiar with.  The Consorzio Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo, armed with EU money, intends to change that, shining the spotlight on this unique region, blessed with natural bounty and a viticultural history that dates back to the 6th Century BC.  A promotional campaign, “The Charming Taste of Europe”, introduces Abruzzo to the world stage, increasing the awareness of its decades long evolution from rustic to premium wines.  Abruzzo wineries are repositioning themselves for the future, with a new generation of winemakers focusing on terroir, organic farming and family estates that emphasize quality, which all adds a new layer of complexity to the Abruzzo winescape.

Pescosansonesco vineyard, Courtesy of Pasetti

Grapes, Courtesy of Pasetti

Tratturo Estate, Courtesy of Cantine Marramiero

Coastal vineyards near City of Sant'angelo, Courtesy of Cantine Ettore Galasso

Abruzzo is located in the geographical center of Italy, about two hours drive east from Rome.  It more closely identifies with Southern Italy in its culture, than to the neighboring Marche and Lazio.  A small, mountainous region hugging the Adriatic Sea, it’s rural at its heart, traditionally the home of farmers, flocks of sheep and the shepherds that take care of them.  Some vineyards occupy a sweet spot, hillsides with a view of the sea in the distance.  There are actually two grape growing areas, an inland mountainous region with a Continental climate, and a hilly coastal region, which has a mild Mediterranean climate.  This interplay of the Appenine Mountains and Adriatic Sea provide breezy ventilation and large diurnal temperature swings, a bonus for wine grapes, with unique micro-climates throughout Abruzzo.  This melange of sea and mountains produces wines with minerality, high acidity, and ripeness.

Harvest, Courtesy of Cantine Marramiero

Harvest, Courtesy of Pasetti

Montepulciano grapes, Courtesy of Cantine Ettore Galasso

Abruzzo is home to unique and indigenous wine grape varietals, the most famous is Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, not to be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is a clone of Sangiovese, and named after a Tuscan town.  Montepulciano d'Abruzzo enchants with its full body, velvety texture, deep dark fruit accented with pepper and herbal notes, and balance of acidity and tannin.  And while the world knows Abruzzo by its Montepulciano DOCG status, there are other wines that are equally fascinating.  Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, translating to “pale cherry red” is the rosé version of the Montepulciano grape, showcasing structure, intense red fruit, an herbal zing, freshness and vibrant acidity, not the usual light rosé wine.  Recognized with its own DOC since 2010, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo can allow up to 15% of other local varietals along with the Montepulciano, but in fact many are 100%.  There are many white grape varietals, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is the most grown, but has distinguished itself in recent years from a bulk neutral wine to one with rich aromas and flavors, body and concentration, and the ability to age.  Other unique varietals to Abruzzo are Passerina, Pecorino, and Cococciola.  And if you’re wondering, Pecorino is the name of the grape, in addition to the cheese, both specialties of Abruzzo, named for the Italian word for sheep, which is “pecora”.  In fact, there is a local legend that states that when shepherds moved their sheep from the mountains to the warmer southern regions in the fall, the sheep snacked on the early-ripening Pecorino grapes along the way, and that the shepherds would reimburse the vineyard owners with wedges of Pecorino cheese.

Barrel room, Courtesy of Cantine Marramiero

Steel fermentation tanks, Courtesy of Cantine Marramiero

The Bio seal on the bottles denotes certified organic wines

Abruzzo was once defined as the “Cellar of Europe”, whose mass produced, cooperative wines were used to “cure the anemia of the wines of the North”, before global warming assured a more consistent climate and riper grapes.  Today, it’s not enough to label Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, wineries are now teasing out the nuances, even if it’s from the DOCG area of Colline Teramane, looking to specific estates for definition.  Even Pecorino is experiencing deeper study, from vineyards to winemaking techniques, illustrating what the region is capable of.  That’s the emphasis on Abruzzo terroir.  Secondly, many Abruzzese families have built their own estate wineries, instead of selling their grapes to co-ops, and with more skin in the game, there is an increased focus on winemaking that yields deluxe, elegant versions of their once rustic and cheerful wines.  And because wineries are building their brand, organic farming is on the rise.  Achieving organic certification is a bonus, but even if the producers haven’t yet obtained the official seal, they are still farming this way, and the wines are better for it, with more distinctive fruit yielding more interesting wines. Together, this renaissance among Abruzzo wine producers, a transition from bulk wine to focused quality, is in a way in its infancy, with the wines displaying more character and native varietal identity.

Courtesy of Pasetti

Courtesy of Pasetti

Today, Abruzzo exports 65% of the wines they produce, about 140M bottles of wine from 250 wineries, and the United States is the second largest importer of these wines.  As a consumer, it’s important to note that most Abruzzo wines are varietal-driven, meaning they are rarely blended.  Things to look out for, the Chieti produces the most wines, and the vineyards closer to the coast yield fruitier, lower acid and structured wines, considered more “quaffable” or easy drinking.  Wines from the mountainous, hillside vineyards are more mineral-driven, and have more structure and acid, yielding more elegant, premium wines.

The Authentic Italian Table was presented by Chef Barbara Pollastrini, IACCW Executive Director Genny Nevoso, and Sommelier Diego Meraviglia

Consorzio Executive Director Davide Acerra, Chef Barbara Pollastrini, and IACCW Executive Director Genny Nevoso

Getting the word out about Abruzzo, The Charming Taste of Europe and the True Italian Taste campaign brought Vini d’Abruzzo to Los Angeles for media and trade events to raise the profile of the region.  A fascinating evening at the Wisdome LA, in the Arts District of Downtown LA, kicked off the tour, with a storytelling wine dinner experience that immersed everyone in an overhead video presentation of what makes Abruzzo special, created by Imaginarium Creative Studio and projected on the dome above.  It was like a virtual trip to the land of Abruzzo, with its pristine natural wonders, winemaking culture, and artisanship, accompanied by a four course food and wine pairing.  “The Authentic Italian Table”, put on by the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West (IACCW), and made possible by the True Italian Taste campaign, is a series of events highlighting Italy’s food and wine heritage, sadly this was the last of the series, at least for the moment.  Pre-dinner, cocktails and bites were served outside the dome, with a lively pouring of Abruzzo’s signature Montepulciano and Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo wines.  Then the main show and dinner commenced, with Chef Barbara Pollastrini’s menu, classic Abruzzo wines of Pecorino, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, the Imaginarium projection mapping and storytelling show, Lavazza coffees, and various speeches by Sommelier Diego Meraviglia, IACCW Executive Director Genny Nevoso, Consorzio Executive Director Davide Acerra and Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino, a first-generation Italian-American.

Sommelier Diego Meraviglia shares his knowledge and passion for Abruzzo wines

The glow of multiple Pecorinos!

Sommelier Diego Meraviglia explains the essence of Pecorino

The Charming Taste of Europe sponsored Vini d'Abruzzo on tour in Los Angeles

Cantina Colonnella Parhelia IGP Pecorino 2021

Cantina Frentana Costa Del Mulino Abruzzo Pecorino DOC 2021

Galasso Corno Grande IGT Terre di Chieti Pecorino 2021

Talamonti Trabocchetto Abruzzo Pecorino Superiore DOC 2021

Marramiero Abruzzo Pecorino DOC 2021

Ciavolich Fosso Cancelli Trebbiano d'Abruzzo DOP 2019

The next day, Vini d’Abruzzo conducted a guided tasting/seminar and walk-around tasting for wine professionals at The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills.  The seminar and tasting painted a colorful portrait of Pecorino, presented in astonishingly delightful detail by Diego Meraviglia, whose knowledge and experience has made him indispensable to the world of Italian wine.  From Abruzzo’s historical roots to today’s outstanding transformation, Meraviglia crafted a case for why everyone should beat a path to Abruzzo, a relatively unsung region that offers tremendous value for tourists and wine lovers.  It was so fascinating, to compare one wine grape varietal, among six different producers, they each had their own character, yet with a common core of the essence of Pecorino.  Yet for the life of me, without Meraviglia’s skilled tutelage, I would never have known that it was the same grape.  That common characteristic?  Density in the mid palate, minerality or salinity, a waxy core, and mouthwatering palate and finish, those are the hallmarks of Pecorino.  For me, it was like Pecorino was a bit of a chameleon, one wine like Sauvignon Blanc, another Riesling-like, the next a bit like Viognier.  And contrasted with a Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, standing in for a Pecorino that didn’t make it in time for the seminar, definitely a master class in Abruzzo white wine.  An interesting side note, Pecorino was almost extinct, resurrected from obscurity just a quarter century ago!

Tasting among the small number of Abruzzo wine producers, there were a few finds for my palate: the Ciavolich Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Fosso Cancelli, the Pasetti Testarossa Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, the Marramiero Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Inferni Riserva, the Talamonti Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, the Colli Aprutini Pecorino Parhelia, just to name a few.  Thanks to all the producers who traveled to the US, to share their wines with an eager crowd!  But what really struck me was the artful choice of food that accompanied the wine tasting, a lavish seafood platter complimented the whites, carved roast beef brought out the complex notes of the red and rosé Montepulciano wines.

It was a grand introduction to the wines of Abruzzo, and everyone who attended echoed the same desire, to visit the region and experience the food and wine for themselves, whispering that Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is also one of the great grapes of Italy, with a rightful place among the heady company of Sangiovese and Nebbiolo.  And Trebbiano and Pecorino can also shine, setting themselves apart with their distinctive flavor profile.  The renaissance is here, with Abruzzo’s wine producers concentrating on what the terroir contributes to its viticulture, and advancing the art of winemaking, it’s an evolution of style and strategy that elevates all of Abruzzo for the better.