Abruzzo on Italy’s East Coast

Abruzzo

Abruzzo is located on the Eastern Coast of Italy, about midway down the boot. To the North is Marche, and to the south Molise, and just 100 km away directly west on the other side of the Apennines, you will find Rome.

65% of the region is mountainous, sitting on the east side of the Apennines and rolling down to the Adriatic Sea. The distance between the two is never more than 40 minutes in a car.

A full 30% of the region is protected by parks, three of which are National Parks. There are mountain lakes, medieval towns, and the trabocchi fishing huts on the coast, many of which now are restaurants.

The mountainous part of the region is beautiful and has the “transumanza,” a route by which the Abruzzo shepherds take their sheep into the hills in the spring. They reverse this route in the fall as the weather cools.

Campo Imperatore, in Abruzzo Italy Adobe Stock By Alessandro

Vineyard Regions in Abruzzo

There are 4 main regions for vineyards:

L’Aquila – which takes in the mountainous western half of the area. The inland basins here have a continental climate

Teramo – the northern coastal region

Chieti – the southern coastal region

Pescara – tucked in between Teramo and Chieti

These last three regions face the Adriatic and have a more mild climate.

Administrative Map of Abruzzo Italy (Adobe Stock by lesniewski)

Vineyard and palace in Chieti's provinceAdobe Stock By Angelo D'Amico

DOCs and DOCGs in Abruzzo

There are 12 DOCs and 2 DOCGs in Abruzzo

DOCs

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo
Controguerra
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Ortona
Sottozona Alto Tirino
Sottozona Casauria Terre Di Casauria
Sottozona Teate
Sottozona Terre dei Peligni
Sottozona Tera dei Vestini
Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
Villamagna

DOCGs

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo “Colline Teramane”
Terre Tollesi o Tullum

As to grape varieties? There are 8 primary varieties in the region and all but 1 are white grapes. You have Terbbiano Abruzzese, Peccorino, Passerina, Cococciola, Montonico, Malvasia and Moscatello. Then there is Montepulciano.

Wine has been made in this region since ancient times, but in the last 50 years, the methods of viticulture and the quality of the wines have increased.

Vineyards cover 34,000 hectares here in Abruzzo, and over 80% of those vineyards are of Montepulciano.

The vineyards are concentrated in the hills, with Chieti being the largest production area.

There are 250 wineries in Abruzzo, but over 10,000 growers, many of whom own and tend just 1 hectare of vines. In the 1950s and 60s, cooperatives were created to help growers survive. Today 75% of the wine produced in Abruzzo is made by the 35 coops in the region. These coops range from smaller than 100 growers to over 1000.

In the past, every village had a coop. Now, the large coops might represent 50 or more villages.

Throughout the region, the Abuzzo Pergola is used in over 80% of the vineyards, but as new vineyards are put in, the trend is to plant to cordon and spur trained vines.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Tasting at the Four Seasons

Abruzzo is a region I’ve explored virtually. A few years ago, I did an article that included a Cerasuolo d’Abuzzo. I attended a session on Pecorino d’Abruzzo, in Eugene, one on Trebbiano d’Abruzzo in Italy last year, and then most recently, the IEEM Montepulciano d’Abruzzo tasting here in Las Vegas at the Four Seasons.

The room for the recent tasting was full to overflowing, with guests who had not confirmed their attendance arriving. A bit of time was taken to accommodate everyone, and we were on to our session.

Davide Acerra from Abruzzo took us through a slide presentation, though he really just hit the key points and expanded on them, easily describing the region and creating visuals that made the region irresistible. It’s no wonder that Wine Enthusiast named Abruzzo the 2023 Wine Region of the Year.

Italy, Abruzzo - September 2022: local family making of red wine from italian grapes Montepulciano Adobe Stock By sabino.parente

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

First, let’s make sure there is no confusion here. This is the grape variety Montepulciano. You may have also heard of Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, which is actually made primarily from Sangiovese in the Montepulciano village of Tuscany.

Montepulciano is the 3^rd most planted grape in Italy, sitting just behind Sangiovese and Trebbiano. While it is also found in Marche, Molise, and Puglia, it is most widely planted here in Abruzzo.

The Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC was founded in 1968. The regulations require that the vines not be planted above 500 meters, but there is an exception that allows them to be planted to 600 meters if they are exposed to the noon sun.

Rich in anthocyanins, Montepulciano produces deeply colored wines from its thick skins. These are wines that need time to open up. Decanting or pouring an hour before tasting is recommended.

This tasting was part of “The Charming Taste of Europe” Campaign, co-funded by the European Union to promote Italian wines, kiwis, and cherries from Greece and the Sweet Wines of Bordeaux in the US and Canada.

My attendance at the tasting and the lunch that followed were complimentary, but all opinions expressed here are my own.

The Tasting

On to the wines we tasted.

Led by Master Sommelier Brandon Tebbe, we tasted 7 wines, each with its unique expression of the region. These were all 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, and all were DOC-level wines.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC 2021

The first wine was a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC 2021 from Jasci & Marchesani.

From vineyards in Vasto/Monteodorisio in Chieti. This is an easy youthful wine that stays on its skins to mellow the grape tannins.

This small family vineyard has been practicing organic farming since the 1960s though they were not certified until 1978. They are located in southeast Chieti, very close to the coast.

This wine is youthful and easy, plush from its maritime climate. With a slight carbonic note, it is perfect to serve slightly chilled in the summer.

$13.5% abv – SRP $20

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Santo Stefano 2021

Cantina Mucci has 5 generations of history in wine. Luigi Mucci obtained his diploma as a Technical Oenologist in 1895. It was not until 1982, though, that Valentino Mucci started the family wine business.

Today they produce around 250,000 bottles per year from their 20 hectares in the Torino di Sangro Hills on the Chieti regions Trabocchi Coast. Their vineyards are a little further inland than those of Jasci & Marchesani.

This wine is aged 6 months in 100% new American Oak that has been air-dried for 3-4 years. Elegant and well-balanced, this wine has notes of blackberries and chocolate.

13.5% abv – SRP $20

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Vigne Lomanegra 2019

Rosarubra is a biodynamic winery in Pietranico in the province of Pescara. Their 30 hectares are filled with biodiversity with bees, insects, wildlife, and a variety of plants.

Pietranico is a small town with around 600 inhabitants, located on a hill on the east side of the Rota river. An ancient castle gives the town its name.

The Vigne Lomanegra line of wines are what they deem to be the best biodynamic expression of their wines. They are as the land, the weather, and the vintage intended them to be.

This wine ages 24 months in barriques and has notes of red fruit, sweet vanilla, and a bit of rose petal. This was one of my favorites.

14.5% abv – SRP $39

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva Tenutarossa 2019

Pasetti is located in Pescosansonesco (yes, that’s a mouthful!), not far from Pietranico

This Vineyard sits at 1650 feet. (550 meters) in the Grans Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, on a north-east-facing slope. This altitude allows for diurnal shifts (day-to-night temperatures) that elevate the structure of the wine and allow it to keep its high acidity.

This family business produces 10,000 bottles annually and is the only winery allowed to use the National Park logo on its bottles.

This Riserva spends 2 years in French oak barriques and 12 months in bottle before release.

This wine has high acid and tannins, with notes of ripe and dried fruits, anise, cocoa, tobacco, and a dried floral note.

15% abv – SRP $15-22

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva Tre Saggi 2018

Located in Loreto Aprutino in the Pescara province, Tenuta Talamonti was founded in 2001. The Redmont -Di Tonno family came to this unspoiled area in Abruzzo. They are at the foot of the Grans Sasso, halfway between the mountains and the sea.

They vinify all their parcels separately to preserve what they call “treasures” from the vineyard.

The Tre Saggi is their Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva. Grown in Limestone clay soil at 300 meter above sea level, these vines were planted between 1995 and 2002.

This Riserva wine had cool minty spices, tooth coating tannins and is big, ageable, and structured. There are notes of coffee and blackcurrant.

14% abv – SRP $24

Cantine Agriverde Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC Riserva Plateo 2018

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva Pateo 2018

We head south again and closer to the coast to Caldari. Agriverde has been organic since 1988. The vineyards sit at 750 feet with south-southeast exposure.

This wine was full-bodied with red fruit, spices, cocoa, and coffee.

14.5 abv – SRP $30

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Riserva Costa dei Trabocchi Vallevo 2017

This wine comes from Cantina Frentana, a large coop in the region who have been around 65 years. Built in the early 1960s, the gravity flow winery looked a bit like an aircraft control tower. Restored in 2014, the Torre Vinaria is now a symbol of the Cantina.

The Wine is named for the fishing shacks (Trabocchi). They make just 5000 bottles of this wine, which is trained on Pergolas. These grapes are grown in Rocca San Giovanni in Chieti.

This is “plushable” to coin the word that Brandon mashed together without thinking as he sipped this wine. “Plushable” certainly works. This is black cherry and chocolate.

13.5% abv – SRP $17-$20

Unwind and Savor Sparkling Spumante on Italy’s Gorgeous Trabocchi Coast in Abruzzo

Abruzzo’s Adriatic coast is dotted with spidery platforms with spindly arms. Looking like giant spiny lobsters or spider crabs, they sit out on the water with rickety catwalks connecting them with the coast.

Trabocchi (the plural version of Trabocco) are old fishing machines that you find along the Adriatic coast. These platforms built on stilts out in the sea have a long thin pier that connects them with the shore. The platform has poles and winches that allow them to drop in a large net, scoop up fish and raise it back out of the water. It was a safe way to fish without needing a boat. Some say the technology was brought by the ancient Phoenicians, others that it was French families in the 1600s.

These tiny platforms with wooden shacks on top and the spidery poles sticking out to hold up the nets make an interesting silhouette on this coast. They fell into disrepair after World War II, but in 1994 a law was passed to conserve these platforms that had become so iconic along this coast. Today you find a couple dozen Trabocci on the southern coast of Abruzzo in the province of Chieti, running from Francavilla al Mare, just south of Pescara, to San Salvo on the border with Molise. The Costa dei Trabocchi area is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today the Trabocchi are privately owned, and many have been turned into restaurants.

Street in Vallevo, Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy

Dinner on a Trabocco

While visiting Abruzzo in June, I experienced dinner on a Trabocco. We dined at Trabocco Punta Tufano. Our group of 30 or so journalists on this press trip arrived in the Rocco San Giovanni region and drove to the village of Vallevò on the coast. This is part of the area known as the Trabocci Coast.
Arriving, we strolled down the street, naturally drawn to the pier that would lead us out onto the Trabocco. The pier and the roof of the Trabocco were trimmed with string lights, and the water gently lapped under the pier as we entered. These are not fancy restaurants. Structurally sound, they remain rustic, and I could see the ocean between the boards under my feet.

The dinner was set to highlight the sparkling, white, and rosé of the region paired with coastal dishes. Winemakers and members of the Consorzio Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo were there to greet us.

When I took a moment and tuned out the cheerful voices of my fellow guests at the dinner, I could hear, smell and feel the sea. These restaurants are on piles that go deep into the sea bed below us, but as the water and waves move under the Trabucco, you can see the water between the boards under your feet and feel the gentle sway of the ocean. It was rhythmic and hypnotic, and had I been enjoying a romantic dinner, I would have surrendered myself to revel in this, but…there were wines to taste and discuss and people to meet…

The Adriatic beneath Trabocco Punta Tufano Abruzzo

Spumante d’Abruzzo DOC Trabocco

We began with Sparkling wines, Spumante d’Abruzzo DOC covers wines made in the Martinotti (or Italian) method from grapes indigenous to the Abruzzo region. Just a few days after our visit, they did a big launch of their collective brand Spumante d’Abruzzo DOC Trabocco, adding the name of one of the symbols of Abruzzo. The name was approved for use last July. Currently this name is authorized for use by Casal Thaulero, Citra, Eredi Legonziano and Vin.Co wineries.

We tasted the Spumante d’Abruzzo Doc Trabocco Pecorino Aureae Stealle Citra and Spumante d’Abruzzo doc Trabocco Rosé Brut Voilà Casal Thaulero this evening and I had the opportunity to taste several of the Spumante from Vin.Co a few days later at the Grand Tasting.

Dinner flowed with wine poured and a dish to pair, followed by another wine and another pairing…through all 6 dishes with additional wines to compare and contrast. The conversation was lively, the food and wines delicious, and the atmosphere was something that is not likely ever to be duplicated.

Wines from the dinner at Trabocco Punta Tufano in Abruzzo

The Wines

Here are the delicious wines we enjoyed

Spumante d’Abruzzo Doc Trabocco Pecorino Aureae stealle Citra
Spumante d’Abruzzo doc Trabocco Rosé Brut Voilà Casal Thaulero
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC Orsetto Oro 2022
Abruzzo Doc Pecorino Superiore 2022 Ferzo
Vino Spumante Método Classico Bianco Brut Fenaroli
Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Doc Santa Clara 2022 Olivastri Tommaso
Abruzzo Pecorino doc L’Ariosa 2022 Olivastri Tommaso
Cerasuolo d’aBruzzo doc Marcantonio 2022 Olivastri Tommaso

The food

Entrée

Shrimp with raspberry mayonnaise (Gambero rosso con maionese di lamponi)

Antipasta

Stuffed mussels (cozze ripiene)

Mackerel fillet cooked at low temperature then sautéed (filetto sgombro cotto a bassa temperature e ripassato)

Primo/ Pasta

Mezzo pacchero with prawns (Mezzo pacchero agli scampi)

Secondo – main course

Sea bream fillet in lemon sauce with side salad (filletto di orate in salsa di Limone con insalatina)

Dolce/dessert

Amaretto parfait (semifreddo ai fruitti di bosco)

Welcome to Abruzzo

As we left, the lights of the coast lit up the sea in a drowsy way, the sound of the sea sloshing beneath our feet lulling us as we moved to the end of our long day and a bit of rest.

What a brilliant introduction to beautiful Abruzzo, Italy!

This is just one small part of this amazing region. If you are headed to Italy, do yourself a favor and plan to spend part of your time in this magical region. Find a Trabocco to enjoy lunch or dinner as you sway gently with the tide, and grab a glass of Spumante d’Abruzzo DOC Trabucco!

View of the shore from a Trabocco at night in Abruzzo

Abruzzo

Vineyard Regions in Abruzzo

DOCs and DOCGs in Abruzzo

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

The Tasting

Unwind and Savor Sparkling Spumante on Italy’s Gorgeous Trabocchi Coast in Abruzzo

Dinner on a Trabocco

Spumante d’Abruzzo DOC Trabocco

The Wines

The food

Welcome to Abruzzo

Posts on Italian Wine

Like this:

Abruzzo on Italy’s East Coast

Abruzzo

Vineyard Regions in Abruzzo

DOCs and DOCGs in Abruzzo

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

The Tasting

Unwind and Savor Sparkling Spumante on Italy’s Gorgeous Trabocchi Coast in Abruzzo

Dinner on a Trabocco

Spumante d’Abruzzo DOC Trabocco

The Wines

The food

Welcome to Abruzzo

Posts on Italian Wine

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