Tradition reinvented

Cerasuolo embodies the most intimate soul and essence of Abruzzo: a wine that represents the mountainous and marine duality of the region.

It is the wine of tradition, the wine of Abruzzo’s yesteryear table, the wine of the family, the wine offered to distinguished guests; and yet, from being a supposedly outdated wine, it has become the new ‘avant-garde’.

The forze e gentile (‘strong and gentle’) Abruzzo region, as journalist and diplomat of the day Primo Levi (1853-1917) described it, is perfectly embodied in Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo’s characteristics: a rosé with the spirit of a red, and/or a light red with the fresh drinkability of a rosé.

It’s a multifaceted wine that can’t be pigeonholed.

Cerasuolo has the rare gift of substance and vigour, characteristics that come from the red Montepulciano grape (minimum 85% in the blend), but in a lighter, more slender and agile form thanks to cold macerations of 8-12 hours during production.

A versatile, highly fruity and very drinkable wine, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo’s ability to evolve in the bottle is surprising.

Being a rosé with greater structure, it offers plenty of nuance – attractive for consumers who look for wines that are full of expressiveness and invite them to take the next sip.

An everyday wine for all budgets, it corresponds to the contemporary trend for seeking wines that are authentic, work well at the table and are also suited to convivial sharing.

Versatile, approachable and gastronomic, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a wide variety of meals: fish, meat, pasta, cheese, vegetables, or ethnic and fusion cuisine.

Special status

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo was the first Italian DOC formed exclusively for a rosé wine.

Changes to the production regulations effective as of 2023 now incorporate Superiore versions (minimum 90% Montepulciano) in the sub-zones of four Abruzzo provinces: Colline Teramane to the north, through Colline Pescaresi, to Terre di Chieti in the south and Terre Aquilane inland.

In cooler areas with a larger temperature range – the high hills inland – Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo tends towards a more subtle and incisive profile, greater freshness and modest body.

Contrastingly, the vineyards in warmer areas, often closer to the Adriatic coast, tend to produce more structured and mellow wines with intense, pulpy fruitiness.

The genuine frankness and softness of this grape are expressed both in its austere complexity and its pleasant appeal, reflecting its distinctive and naturally energetic character.

Extremely contemporary and versatile, it’s often much more than a ‘simple’ rosé, and sometimes even indistinguishable from a light red wine.

The name Cerasuolo derives from cerasa, ‘cherry’ in the local dialect, which immediately evokes both its rather intense colour and the particular chewy texture that make it easily recognisable.

Authentic Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo does indeed taste of cherries, and its slightly rustic fruitiness and texture can’t be found in other Italian rosés.

It can be drunk chilled in summer to accentuate its crisp fruitiness, and exemplifies the joy of sharing at the table.

18 distinctive Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo

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Chiara de Iulis Pepe

Emidio Pepe, Abruzzo, central Italy

By Alessandra Piubello

Chiara de Iulis Pepe welcomes us smiling and resolute, feet rooted to the ground and a clear gaze beyond the horizon. Now 32 years old, since childhood she has absorbed the Pepe values. Wine and family are one in the Pepe household in Torano Nuovo, in the Teramo hills of Abruzzo where, 60 years ago, a revolution began.

Third-generation Chiara took over from her aunt Sofia in 2020, who in turn had succeeded her father – Chiara’s grandfather – Emidio Pepe in 2000. At 27 years old, Chiara decided to take the bull by the horns. ‘Drinking, selling and talking about wine was no longer enough for me,’ she says in a firm and confident voice.

‘The time had come to actually make it.’ Chiara was ready; her grandfather and aunt’s teachings were deeply rooted within her, and the oenology and viticulture course in Dijon plus work at a French biodynamic company gave her the final push.

‘My intention,’ she explains, ‘is to carry forward the vision of those who came before me, trying to perfect a few details wherever possible.’

Subtle renewal

The generational transition has been fluid in this female-run company; so much so that, even now, the three generations co-exist in harmony. When she took over, Chiara slowly replaced the existing team.

‘Those who work in the vineyards, besides being updated on pruning and biodynamic agriculture introduced by aunt Sofia in 2005, also perform cellar duties, so that the two teams communicate with each other.’

The work follows the established Emidio Pepe path, with no change of direction: no filtration or clarification, only vitrified concrete containers, spontaneous fermentation, manual destemming for the reds, grape treading for the whites, and lengthy ageing.

A quarter of a million bottles are currently ageing in the cellar. Every year, approximately 43% of the 80,000 bottles produced are set aside, but this will rise to 60% when the new cellar is completed in 2027. Chiara has introduced steel tanks with refrigerated double bottoms suitable for treading the white grapes, and which also permit gravity filling into the tanks for manual destalking of the reds.

But her focus is on the vineyard. She reacts to the unpredictable climatic conditions with determination, intelligence and heart. With the same experimental nature as her grandfather, she has introduced vineyard treatments using cow’s milk (in solution, it has been found to have fungicidal properties that act against powdery mildew), covering the soil with green manure without digging it in, and in the new 2ha (strictly pergola) system, she uses agroforestry and widely spaced planting layouts.

‘Our wine,’ Chiara states, ‘must continue to be genuine, digestible, and to express the location and its vitality.’

Catherine Kistler

Occidental, West Sonoma Coast, California

By Ana Carolina Quintela

Catherine Kistler has been making the decisions at Occidental for years now: determining the critical picking times, leading the crew through long harvest days and guiding fermentations in the cellar.

Yet until very recently, she would have hesitated to call herself the head winemaker. ‘Imposter syndrome is real,’ she admitted – a sentiment hardly unusual for women in the working world, particularly in the wine industry.

Perhaps the title also felt too heavy, too bound up with her father’s legacy, even as she carried it forward in practice. Only in the past year, when the vineyard and cellar crews – men and women who had worked alongside her father Steve Kistler for decades – began turning to her for answers instead of him, did she allow herself the title.

‘The respect from the crew, more than anything, helped me feel comfortable in that role,’ she says.

‘2024 is the year where I feel most confident that I can say it’s my vintage. My first full, no-training-wheels sort of thing,’ she adds, letting the words settle.

Direct line

Ocidental was founded in 2011, though Steve continued working at Kistler Vineyards – the winery he founded in 1978 with the late Mark Bixler – until he stepped away from it in 2017. And if Kistler Vineyards became synonymous with California Chardonnay, Occidental has been, from the beginning, devoted entirely to Pinot Noir.

Planted from selections Steve gathered in Vosne-Romanée and propagated over the course of decades, 34ha of vines stretch across a ridge in the FreestoneOccidental area of the West Sonoma Coast.

Catherine joined him full-time at Occidental in 2016, under his direct mentorship after testing herself far from Sonoma. First on the ski slopes, racing at national level from age 13; later in the lecture halls of Harvard, where she studied Classics and History.

Yet, a life in wine felt inevitable. ‘Watching my father, I knew that the insane hours, the nights he wasn’t home, the time he put into making wines – all of that was what gave meaning to the name,’ she reflects.

Still, she never considered another path. ‘It was always my plan to come back.’ The intimacy of their relationship meant she could argue, push back, even make mistakes, while absorbing his 50 years of experience without filter. That closeness gave her both the freedom and the confidence to grow into her own authority.

‘I feel uniquely blessed to be his daughter in this position,’ she says. ‘The fact that I get all the idiosyncrasies that make him amazing at this job landing with me untempered – and for me to accept him as he is, and vice versa – is incredibly fulfilling.’

Under Catherine’s watch, Occidental is writing its next chapter as a family business. The back label now reads Kistler Family instead of her father’s name, a small change with a larger echo.

She also discovered a new parcel, 4km from Bodega Bay, closer to the ocean than any site they’ve farmed before. Rootstocks are in, and she is grafting them slowly to Occidental’s field selections, with fruit expected in 2028.

The gesture is less about growth than about anchoring – on land and legacy, attuned to her.

‘You just vibrate at that frequency of being here. I love the people around, I love my family, and I love the wines I make,’ she says. The words carry the same focus and effortless grace that define her presence and her wines.

Next instalment: Thomas Herbert & Leo and Roc Gramona

Wines from a new generation:

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Abruzzo’s landscape is astonishing: a backdrop of statuesque mountains soaring to nearly 3,000m above sea level and capped with snow for six months of the year, with river valleys running down to the Adriatic coast through a band of hills where cool breezes and dramatic night-day temperature swings provide perfect conditions for fragrant, expressive wines.

The Montepulciano d’Abruzzo variety dominates the region’s production with generous, fruity and elegant, or powerful and complex purple-toned wines. Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, the intense deep cherry-coloured rosé made with the same grape, is the locals’ go-to wine for its incredible versatility and charm – perfect with dishes such as brodetto (fish stew), arrosticini (the lamb skewers that have achieved cult status), charcuterie and Pecorino cheese.

Abruzzo’s white wine scene is focusing ever more on bold, herby Pecorino (the grape, not the cheese!) alongside Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Passerina and the less common Cococciola and Montonico. The passion and drive for quality of the region’s winemakers is palpable, aided by a dynamic consorzio.

Northern Abruzzo, home to the Colline Teramane DOCG, resembles a drawing, with neat rows of hills backed by the Gran Sasso d’Italia massif. This idyllic scenery is vivid at Emidio Pepe, one of Abruzzo’s legendary wineries, which also offers accommodation for the season after mid-April. A pioneer of extreme ageing, Pepe began in 1964 with less than a hectare under vine (now some 17ha). Intervention is minimal: handpicked grapes are pressed by foot-treading (join in if you’re there at harvest time); and ageing can last for 20 years or more.

Nearby, on the coast at Roseto degli Abruzzi, lies the Mazzarosa winery, built by 19th-century senator Giuseppe Devincenzi, who introduced new agricultural methods and grape varieties to the region. The estate has preserved its own clones for its Pecorino white, and its red Vere Novo is the result of an experiment during Covid lockdown, made with partial whole-bunch fermentation giving an intense, velvety Montepulciano (the inaugural 2020 vintage won Platinum in the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards).

In the same area, winemaker Antonio Lamona at Vini La Quercia is one of only a few growing the Montonico grape, which thrives in mountain conditions and is celebrated with a festival in Bisenti that takes place over the first weekend in October. Lamona makes an apple-fresh still version.

In his consultant role, Lamona helped set up another Colline Teramane winery, Abbazia di Propezzano, which, like most Abruzzo wineries, also produces olive oil from centuries-old trees. Each local area has its traditional varieties and there is an olive oil museum at the charming hill town Loreto Aprutino. Also welcoming visitors is nearby Ciavolich, a long-established family-run winery with farmhouse accommodation and whirlpool hot-tubs in a secret garden.

Another attractive winery that offers accommodation, as well as a range of summertime events in the vineyards, is Tenuta Tre Gemme. In an especially scenic position surrounded by vines, offering open views panning between the ever-present mountains and the sea, it’s run by two sisters who made a major career change to concentrate on the family estate, making highly enjoyable wines, including a fresh, agile Cerasuolo.

New heights

In Abruzzo’s southern province of Chieti, where the majority of the region’s wine is made, Tenuta I Fauri (offers accommodation), run by Luigi di Camillo and his sister Valentina, are upholding traditions while experimenting with styles; their excellent wines include a characterful pét-nat Pecorino. The Pecorino grape had virtually disappeared a few decades ago and its resurgence in the mid-1990s is largely thanks to Cataldi Madonna, where it was first bottled in 1996 from vines at 320m-440m in Ofena, Aquila province; the microclimate’s extreme temperature swings make for exceptionally fragrant and complex wines.

Southeast of Ofena, Domenico ‘Mimmo’ Pasetti took over his family winery in 1999 (offering accommodation) and is now growing Pecorino up to a remarkable 1,000m elevation and more near Pescosansonesco. Never tiring of experimenting, Pasetti had the foresight to move away from the coast and replant vineyards at higher altitudes.

Masciarelli (offers accommodation) also has vines at Ofena, as well as other plots around the region. Founded by the late Gianni Masciarelli in 1981, its most celebrated wine is its minty, chocolatey Villa Gemma Montepulciano Riserva. Gianni’s widow Marina Cvetic now runs the winery and the stunning Castello di Semivicoli.

Near the sea

Back on the coast, the stretch of southern Abruzzo between Ortona and the attractive town of Vasto is called Costa dei Trabocchi, after the numerous picturesque wooden fishing platforms that stretch over the sea, many of which now host seasonal restaurants. Located less than 5km inland from the nearby Punta Aderci nature reserve, Fontefico, run by brothers Emanuele and Nicola Altieri, offers cookery classes and meals paired with their wines, which include a lemony Trebbiano d’Abruzzo.

Just inland from Ortona, Abruzzo’s second, tiny DOCG area surrounds the village of Tollo. Benefiting from cool mountain breezes, the Tullum DOCG (alternatively known as Terre Tollesi) produces particularly expressive Pecorino, Passerina and Montepulciano. Here, in the grounds of the Feudo Antico (offers accommodation), archaeological excavations are underway to unearth a Roman villa with ancient winemaking equipment discovered during the replanting of a long-abandoned vineyard. Alongside the Tullum DOCG range, the winery makes an exquisite Pecorino in partnership with chef Niko Romito from vines at his restaurant, the Michelin three-star Casadonna Reale, above 800m in Castel di Sangro.

Your Abruzzo address book

Accommodation

Baldovino

Simple, stylish rooms with hill views create a wonderful sense of calm at this spacious B&B on the family-run Tenuta I Fauri wine estate near Villamagna.

Castello di Semivicoli

Authentic historic atmosphere at the Masciarelli winery’s beautifully restored castle, surrounded by vines.

L’Orso e l’Ape

Homely and relaxing B&B at the heart of the tiny Podere Colle San Massimo organic wine estate near Giulianova.

Restaurants

D.One

Intimate Michelin one-star dining rooms, bedrooms and a tasting cellar in stylishly restructured locations around the hilltop village of Montepagano.

Da Bacone

Run by a family involved in fishing, this is the go-to place on Pescara’s seafront for excellent seafood and an extensive choice of wines.

Ristorante Zenobi

This Slow Food-approved, family-run countryside restaurant in northern Abruzzo offers a menu that’s a roll-call of traditional specialities.

Things to do

Enoteca Regionale d’Abruzzo

Abruzzo’s regional wine cellar is the place to visit for a personalised tasting, to buy a bottle, or simply to enjoy a glass with a platter of local produce. See Facebook

Harvest time – lend a hand/foot

Several wineries offer hands-on grape harvest experiences with lunch among the vines. Fontefico organises harvest activities for children; at Emidio Pepe you can help tread the grapes.

Slow travel

Paths for cyclists and walkers run alongside much of Abruzzo’s coastline, including the 42km Via Verde along the scenic Costa dei Trabocchi. Among the inland routes, the Ciclovia Acquaviva passes the Abbazia di Propezzano and La Quercia wineries.

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Jason Millar, Sara Bachiorri and Bruno Besa tasted 105 wines with 2 Outstanding and 32 Highly recommended.

Montepulciano: Panel tasting scores

105 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 2

Highly recommended 32

Recommended 60

Commended 8

Fair 2

Poor 2

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their current-release vintages of Montepulciano red wines, with a minimum retail price of £9.99 or US$12

A staple of pizzerias across the land, Montepulciano is a grape variety that everyone knows but few love. Despite being the second most-planted red grape in Italy, it has struggled to be taken as anything other than good-value ‘house wine’.

This panel tasting focused on Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and showed encouraging signs of progress in recent vintages. It also made it clear that picking a premium Montepulciano can be a lottery, with little evident territorial definition and the range of styles wide.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the Montepulciano panel tasting

First, let us say that there is real personality in the Montepulciano variety, with its bold fruit, modest acidity and structuring tannins. The grape’s flavour profile ranges from tangy raspberry and blueberry to ripe dark cherry and fresh blackberry in warmer sites, sometimes interwoven with appealing herbal, spice and liquorice notes. It can support bottle ageing, but all of the judges felt, as Sara Bachiorri stated, that the ‘wines with fruit at the forefront were the best’.

Oak per se was not a problem for the judges: our top-scoring wine spent 18 months in barrique. Oak was only criticised when its use was clumsy and wines did not have the concentration or quality of fruit to properly integrate and absorb the wood. Unfortunately, this was widespread.

In fact, some of the most pleasurable wines had little or no oak. One of our favourites, Tenuta i Fauri’s Ottobre Rosso 2021, didn’t see a single stave, with nine months in concrete and time in bottle before release. Around one third of our Highly Recommended wines were aged without oak, and many more spent only a relatively short period in oak. As Bruno Besa remarked: ‘Montepulciano is versatile enough to take all sorts of winemaking styles, although producers should definitely move away from over-extracted, wood-driven styles.’

There were exciting indications that more innovative winemaking is taking place under a new generation of small growers. Semicarbonic maceration and whole-bunch fermentation were features of some of the higher-scoring wines As Bachiorri remarked: ‘I’d love to see more experimentation to tame the tannins and elevate the bright, wild fruit character of Montepulciano.’

See all the wines from the Montepulciano panel tasting

Having said that, cellar work will only take producers so far. There is more to be done in the vineyards to gain understanding of Montepulciano at the site-specific level – work that has not historically been valued in an area dominated by cooperatives and region-wide blends.

Changes from the 2023 vintage to introduce a Superiore level and consolidate myriad IGTs into one Terre d’Abruzzo classification should help the better wines stand out from the mass of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC, which covers the entire region. But currently, with wines from the Riserva DOC classification in this tasting scoring only marginally higher on average than the regular DOC designation, and Colline Teramane DOCG only marginally higher than Riserva, the value proposition for wine drinkers is questionable. Besa was frank: ‘I believe the DOC, DOCG and Riserva designations have little effect on quality or commercial appeal.’

So what to do? Our advice is to seek out the rapidly improving, good-value wines from smaller growers and not to underestimate how enjoyable wines that have been aged with little or no oak can be. In fact, they were among the best.

Montepulciano panel tasting scores

Wines were tasted blind

The judges

Jason Millar is a freelance wine writer, consultant, judge and communicator, with a focus on South Africa and Italy. He was formerly buyer and director at retailer Theatre of Wine, and in 2016 was the top WSET Diploma graduate worldwide.

Sara Bachiorri is in the buying team at merchant WoodWinters. A DWWA judge, she was formerly head sommelier at The Glasshouse in Kew then Chez Bruce in London, followed by a stint at Italian specialist merchant FortyFive10°.

Bruno Besa is founder and managing director of specialist wine importer Astrum Wine Cellars. A DWWA judge, he is originally from Friuli in northeast Italy, and was formerly a sommelier at the Dorchester Collection in London.

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Abruzzo is often described as a ‘miniature Italy’: in just a few square kilometres it encapsulates a world of bucolic landscapes, nature, parks, pristine villages, waterfalls, castles and historic cities, offering a blend of tradition and modernity, and is still largely undiscovered by international tourists. The region boasts 130km of coastline; to the north, the beaches are flat and sandy, while the southern area known as the Costa dei Trabocchi (trabocchi are traditional fishing platforms) has long stretches of rocky cliffs.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 Abruzzo wines in a range of styles

Geographically, this is central Italy. The regional capital, L’Aquila, is an hour and a half by car from Rome (120km) and one hour (100km) from Pescara’s international airport on the Adriatic coast. It’s a region of incredible variety and contrasts, with a vast range of soil composition and climate conditions, and striking biodiversity.

The natural landscape is mostly untouched and, with three national parks, one regional park and numerous other protected nature reserves, Abruzzo has earned itself a well-deserved reputation as ‘the green region of Europe’.

Abruzzo at a glance

Area planted: 32,000ha

Production: about 140m bottles (DOC and IGT)

Denominations: DOCG Casauria, Colline Teramane, Tullum; DOC Abruzzo, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, Controguerra, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Ortona, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Villamagna

Main Denomination: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC, planted across 19,000ha and typically producing 100m bottles annually (70% of which is exported)

Source: Consorzio Tutela Vini D’Abruzzo, 2022

All this is reflected in the wines: there’s not one style of Trebbiano d’Abruzzo or Pecorino whites, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo rosato or Montepulciano d’Abruzzo red – these wines often showcase very different styles, methods and organoleptic properties, and their finest examples are strongly rooted in the homegrown tradition which has remained impervious to external influences.

The terroir

Hillside vineyards in Abruzzo, bordered by the mountains to the west and the coast to the east, account for 96% of the region’s vineyard plantings, according to the Assovini association. They feel almost suspended between the sea and the imposing Maiella and Gran Sasso peaks, the two giants of the Apennines which provide shelter from the humid air masses rolling across from the Tyrrhenian sea. These create dramatic temperature shifts which, combined with the bright light, caressing breezes from both the Apennines and the Adriatic, and well-suited limestone-clay soil, create the perfect habitat for vines.

This terroir is ideal for producing structured wines and allows the region’s main variety, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, the chance to express its full potential. Vineyards can be found, too, in areas defined as mountainous, at altitudes of 600m-800m. Although currently just 4% of the region’s plantings are in the mountains, the high-altitude sites are bound to attract more interest in the future with climate change threatening warmer growing seasons. Meanwhile, the sandy-clay soil in the hilly coastal strip, which enjoys a Mediterranean climate, is particularly suitable for white grapes.

Substance and nuance

Research in the region has shown that the Italic peoples began growing grapes in Abruzzo around 1,000 BC. The Greek historian Polybius wrote in his Histories that Abruzzo wines helped Hannibal and his troops regain their strength after their victory at Cannae [in Puglia]. Major archaeological finds have provided evidence of winemaking in Roman times. And the Roman poet Ovid, who was born in Abruzzo, described his native region as fertile ground for grapes.

The first historical written record of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo dates from 1792. The grape originated in the Valle Peligna (near L’Aquila) at the foot of the Maiella and Sirente-Velino mountains; it later migrated to the hills inland around Pescara. It has been grown throughout the coastal hills since about 1950 and accounts for more than 80% of Abruzzo’s denomination wines, and it is among the top three DOC wines produced in Italy (by quantity).

Generous, versatile and malleable, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo can be interpreted as a wine that is concentrated, structured, muscular and potent, often bearing strong signs of oak ageing. Alternative styles, meanwhile, accentuate freshness, elegance, easy drinking and intensity, without compromising on the grape’s typical grit and character: these wines are aged in steel or concrete vats, or even terracotta amphorae. In northern Abruzzo, the Colline Teramane have been a DOCG zone for 20 years; the hills benefit from their specific elevation and geology which, combined with the silty-clayey soil and temperature swings, give the Montepulciano grown here substance and sheer energy.

Abruzzo’s other emblematic variety is Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. For years, it has been giving wine lovers immensely rewarding results with complex, long-lived, subtly nuanced wines, gaining a reputation as a prestige Italian white. And while credit for this breakthrough should be given to some pioneering producers, today there’s a whole new generation producing fresh interpretations of Trebbiano d’Abruzzo that are focused on – and respectful of – the terroir, and differ according to the growing areas. The Loreto Aprutino commune is renowned for its special soil and climatic qualities, and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo from here has an international reputation for being among the world’s best whites.

Varietal calling cards

Today’s trendiest variety in Abruzzo is Pecorino, which is increasingly widespread in the region. Conscious of its unfulfilled potential, Abruzzo producers are now focusing on this white grape, the qualities of which were rediscovered in the 1990s. To achieve excellent results, early-ripening Pecorino prefers fresh areas with extreme temperature swings, producing well-structured wines with marked acidity. In terms of taste, Pecorino displays differing levels of sapidity depending on the soil, making it a very versatile white. Other indigenous varieties grown in Abruzzo include Passerina, which produces a fresh, fragrant, not overly structured wine; Cococciola, which has pronounced citrus notes; and Montonico, which gives a wine of bright acidity and floral aromas.

The region’s traditional ‘peasant’ wine has always been Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, a fruit-forward wine which combines the easy-drinking nature of rosé with the punch of a red. Made from the region’s quintessential grape Montepulciano, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo is pleasingly multi-faceted and highly complex in its own way, with a strong identity and possessing everything it takes to become one of Abruzzo’s flagship wines. Indeed, this characterful wine would be impossible to reproduce in any other region of Italy: a rosé capable of delivering lively freshness, generous fruit and remarkable structure all at once is a rare feat, even in the diverse panorama of rosé wines.

Pace of change

Metodo classico sparkling wines from Abruzzo have been around since the 1980s, the regional consorzio says, while some local producers have been making Charmat method wines since the late 2000s. To meet the growing demand for bubbly, the Abruzzo consorzio decided to establish a collective regional brand, Trabocco, to spotlight all the Charmat method sparkling wines – white or rosé – produced there using Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Pecorino, Passerina, Montonico, Cococciola and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grapes.

This fast-evolving, dynamic region is a hive of activity: new estates are springing up, and older producers are stepping back or working alongside the youngbloods. A new ‘Abruzzo model’ will come into force this year, leading to a reorganisation of the region’s wine production, simplifying the different denominations at an administrative level, and aiming to highlight the distinctive identities of local zones.

Abruzzo: The names to know

Some key figures have shaped Abruzzo’s winemaking history. Edoardo Valentini set out to champion Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and highlight its worth in the 1950s. He died in 2006, and today, his son Francesco Paolo Valentini’s Trebbiano d’Abruzzo offerings are world class, reflecting his vision of an authentic, true-to-type wine: one can literally taste the sense of place and tradition (+39 085 829 1138). Since the late 1960s, Emidio Pepe has introduced the world to the potential of Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. His wines have the power to move with their quirky character, vibrating with disarming inner energy. Sadly no longer with us, Gianni Masciarelli (who died in 2008) and Giovanni Faraone (2019) were two other pioneering titans of winemaking in Abruzzo whose influence should not be overlooked.

Today’s Abruzzo wine scene is abuzz with innovation. In 2019, 30-year-old oenologist Giulia Cataldi Madonna took over the family business from her father Luigi, yet another of the region’s innovators who is reputed as the first in Abruzzo to plant Pecorino. Giulia is the young, determined face of the generational shift. She has an aura of pure energy, which she pours into her wines, infusing them with vitality and tension on the palate.

Siblings Valentina and Luigi Di Camillo, with their winery I Fauri, are young oenologists born into a family of winemakers. As keen experimenters and researchers, they produce wines that are light, fresh, juicy, characterful and immensely quaffable.

Fausto Albanesi and his wife Adriana founded Torre dei Beati in Loreto Aprutino about 25 years ago. Fausto is a tireless ambassador for the terroir of the region, and their wines underline an expressive, local identity born out of an ethical, minimalist approach.

Young oenologist Fabio Di Donato founded his winery Cingilia 10 years ago. His wines show an increasingly lively, strong identity, showcasing the fruits of a well-suited terroir and the gentle hand that has drawn out their powerful expressiveness.

Emilio Rapino took over his father’s winery in 2014. His wines have a big personality and are remarkably true to type, with a clear expression of the terroir and respect for the variety.

Pick and mix: Piubello’s 10 Abruzzo wines to showcase the region’s styles

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Italy is known in the wine world for its multitudinous grape varieties, stunning scenery and outstanding food. While many wine lovers head straight for the cypress-covered hills of Tuscany, or the foggy heights of Piedmont in the northwest, there are three regions that – in my opinion – are Italy’s best-kept secrets, adjoining north-south down the country’s central Adriatic coast: Marche, Abruzzo and Molise.

Here, where the sea meets the mountains, some of Italy’s finest grapes – white Pecorino and Trebbiano, or red Montepulciano and Tintilia – give their best expression.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 Marche, Abruzzo and Molise wines worth seeking out

Marche

Sandwiched between the perhaps better-known regions of Emilia Romagna in the north and Abruzzo in the south, Marche has approximately 17,000ha under vine, according to the Istituto Marchigiano di Tutela Vini, and more than 12,000 growers. Production here is largely white, with Trebbiano widely planted all over the territory, but Marche is also home to one of the most famous grapes in Italy: Verdicchio.

The region plays host to the vineyards of two main types of Verdicchio: Castelli di Jesi DOC and di Matelica DOC. Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is the better-known and more prestigious appellation and, due to the close proximity of the sea, it can offer a range of styles, from light and fresh to rich, full and complex, largely depending on how and if the wines are aged, and on the level of lees contact during production. Verdicchio di Matelica, being more inland, tends to have a higher-toned and fresher character and can offer great ageing potential.

Verdicchio is a very versatile grape, and it can be found not only in its still form but also in sparkling (both Charmat and traditional method), and even sweet passito wines. The dry wine is best enjoyed with seafood and, thanks to its crisp character, it makes a great aperitif; the more complex and aged wines can be easily matched with chicken and veal, or alternatively monkfish or sea bream.

If you’re looking for great Pecorino and Passerina, the wines from Offida have structure, richness and length. Promoted to DOCG status in 2011, Offida is a small area, just 463ha in 2019, in the far south of the Marche by the border with Abruzzo, reaching inland almost as far as Ascoli Piceno town. Likely the more familiar of the two, Pecorino is incredibly versatile, allegedly named after the local sheep (‘pecora’) and their fondness for the grapes grown locally. The vines prefer cooler areas where the grapes can benefit from breezes, allowing a long ripening season. Pecorino wines can be simple and refreshing if fermented in stainless steel, or rich and complex if aged in oak, offering a wide range of aromas and textures.

Even though the Marche region is famous for the production of white wines, there are also a few red appellations producing notable wines.

Lacrima di Morro d’Alba, produced just up the coast from the city of Ancona, is a very particular and interesting wine; the Lacrima grape has intense, almost perfumed notes of violets, strawberries and lavender, with firm tannins. It can be produced in a passito style as well.

The name Lacrima, literally ‘teardrop’, could relate to the shape of the grape, or the fact that the skins of the ripened grapes can split, causing juice to seep out. Montepulciano in Marche produces deep, juicy reds, sometimes blended with Sangiovese and sometimes international varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The results are medium- to full-bodied wines that are packed with rustic tannins, layers of red forest fruits and plenty of earthy undertones.

Marche producers are increasingly becoming completely organic, such as third-generation family-run Tenuta De Angelis in the province of Ascoli, who believe that Passerina and Pecorino have a great future, especially when produced in a fresher, lighter style. Alighiero De Angelis produces a unique sparkling Passerina, zingy and citrussy, and a Pecorino aged in oak for 12 months, capturing the great versatility of the grape.

Another key player in the Marche has to be Umani Ronchi, the reference on Verdicchio and Rosso Cònero – DOC reds produced from a minimum 85% Montepulciano. With more than 100ha in the Verdicchio area, Umani Ronchi has been making high-quality wines for more than 40 years. Now run by Michele Bernetti, the estate’s best wine is its Rosso Cònero Campo San Giorgio, a stunning example of pure Montepulciano, aged for two years in small and large oak casks.

Abruzzo

Lying between the Apennine mountains and the Adriatic, Abruzzo is the home of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC red wines, familiar to many, as well as several white varieties including Pecorino, Passerina and Cococciola. The region is blessed with a favourable climate; the vines grow in a sort of amphitheatre, protected by the high mountains and warmed by the sea breezes. In the last few years, Abruzzo has seen a huge increase in small and independent producers going back to their roots, rediscovering traditional grapes and terroirs.

Montepulciano is the most important variety in Abruzzo, grown on some 17,000ha in 2019 and representing more than half of the region’s total plantings (source: Consorzio Vini d’Abruzzo). Being a generous and vigorous variety, Montepulciano has always been seen as a table wine grape, but producers such as Emidio Pepe, Masciarelli and Valentini have produced world-class wines showing that, if planted in the right areas, this is a variety worthy of attention. It can be grown all over the region, but it thrives in the highest vineyards at 300m-400m altitude.

Another wine unique to Abruzzo is Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, a rosé whose distinctive intensity and depth is given by the richness and intensity of the Montepulciano grape. Valentini’s Cerasuolo has become one of the most important rosés in Italy.

Trebbiano is the queen of the white grapes in Abruzzo, produced all over the provinces of Chieti, L’Aquila, Pescara and Teramo. Known for its racy, crisp, zesty character, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo can be vinified in stainless steel or aged in oak, giving layers of texture and aroma. One of the most planted varieties in Italy, it is often seen as an everyday wine, high in acidity and with little or no personality, but the Abruzzo wines are a different matter – often with huge ageing potential due to the high acidity.

Most of the Trebbiano grown in Abruzzo is actually Trebbiano Toscano. Second-generation winemaker Cristiana Tiberio says that at her family winery they have replanted 5ha of Trebbiano Abruzzese, the native Trebbiano, through a massale selection [taking cuttings from top-quality, established old vines on an existing plot] to preserve the genetic structure of their vine stock.

The variety is prone to rot and burns easily in the summer sun, and this explains why the ‘pergola Abruzzese’ training is the best way to grow this native variety, with the vines trained across an overhead trellis system to provide their own shade. At the Tiberio estate, the Trebbiano is produced without any pressing, using simply the free-run juice of the grapes from 90-year-oldvines. The delicate Trebbiano Abruzzese is then fermented with natural yeast and fermented in stainless steel. With age, the wine gains almost waxy and honeyed notes.

When talking about Trebbiano, you cannot forget Emidio Pepe’s creations. Starting out in the 1960s, at the northern edge of Abruzzo, Pepe established a reputation as a pioneer for extensively ageing his wines in his cellars. He created a unique style that nobody even comes close to replicating; released slowly, and only when ready, the wines have stunning complexity, richness and depth. They are aged in concrete, and it’s here that the Trebbiano gives its greatest performance – released late, the wines are best enjoyed after 15-20 years.

Molise

Tucked in between Abruzzo to the north and Puglia to the south, Molise is the second smallest region in Italy, after only Val d’Aosta in the far northwest. Molise is not the typical Italian tourist spot, even though it is rich in history, with breathtaking mountains and hills and more than 200 castles. The region is one of Italy’s best-kept secrets – it was never promoted as much as other wine regions such as Tuscany or Campania.

When it comes to wine, the best expression is from the Tintilia grape, an indigenous variety with only about 70ha to its name in its Tintilia del Molise DOC stronghold, according to the local consorzio, and small amounts grown elsewhere in the wider region. Tintilia yields are very low.

To qualify as DOC, vines must be grown above 200m, with cool night temperatures providing the freshness required to make balanced wines. The sandy soils and sea influence of the Campomarino area north of the Gargano promontory (the ‘spur’ of Italy’s boot) provide the perfect combination of conditions for Tintilia (as well as Montepulciano).

Tintilia is, for producer Claudio Cipressi, not only a passion but also a true expression of a native grape from Molise. Situated in San Felice del Molise at nearly 600m, Cipressi has some 12ha of Tintilia. He produces several versions, usually aged in oak, but he also has a rosé, Collequinto, and a sparkling cuvée – Tintilia can produce metodo classico sparkling wines, since the grape has high natural acidity and plenty of freshness.

The most famous appellation in Molise is Biferno DOC. The white is a blend of Trebbiano and Bombino Bianco that gives wines with plenty of citrus notes, fresh and zingy, while the red is a blend of Montepulciano and Aglianico, usually medium- to full-bodied with plenty of structure.

One producer of Biferno, Di Majo Norante, is a top producer in the Molise region – its history dates back to 1800, and it now makes wines from a wide range of grapes in a very traditional way, respecting and valuing the terroir of Molise.

Falanghina, the white variety that has established a name for itself in the neighbouring southern region of Campania, is also grown in Molise. Thanks to the soils, rich in limestone and sand, the variety here produces wines with more freshness and higher salinity.

From light, crisp whites to rich, complex reds, Marche, Abruzzo and Molise offer the consumer a wide spectrum of wines and styles to explore and enjoy.

This eastern coastal slice of Italy will surprise you, not only for its memorably rugged and rustic scenery, but for its incredible wines that hitherto have largely flown under the radar.

Briccarello’s pick of Marche, Abruzzo and Molise wines:

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The rosé wine of Abruzzo – the region east of Rome on the Adriatic coast – is made from the red Montepulciano grape, the area’s flagship variety and one of Italy’s most extensively planted. Known as Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, the DOC has only existed since 2010; these wines previously fell under the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC.

Cerasuolo translates as ‘pale cherry red’, and these wines get their distinctive deep hue from a short maceration of 24 hours or less. The high level of anthocyanins in the skin of the Montepulciano grape imbues the must with both colour and tannin in a short timeframe. This is in contrast to the fashionable lighter style of rosé, which is typically made by running the juice off from the skins immediately after pressing.

Often matured in stainless steel for several months before bottling, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo has a fruity profile with zippy acidity from a combination of sun, altitude and cool mountain breezes. The best examples are structured more like red wines, showcasing tannins and intense red fruit flavours yet astonishing freshness at the same time. Unlike many rosés, this makeup makes these wines able to age for a few years.

Carasuolo d’Abruzzo is for wine lovers who are bored of the endless Provence-style rosés, or who enjoy lighter reds such as Beaujolais Villages (or its crus), Schiava, or Etna Rosso. Thanks to its intense, tannic character with good acidity, this rosé is a great companion for food: from lobster bisque to a Serrano ham and pomegranate salad, and even dim sum.

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo: Factbox

Just 970 hectares of vines are devoted to production of Abruzzo’s pink wine, significantly down on both the Montepulciano and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOCs (9,600ha and 5,400ha respectively).

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo must contain a minimum of 85% Montepulciano, with other locally permitted varieties allowed for the remaining 15%. In practice, many are 100% Montepulciano.

The wines are eligible for release on 1 January the year after harvest.

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Superiore demands a higher minimum ABV (12.5% vs 12%) and longer minimum maturation (around four months vs two months)

Cherry-picking Cerasuolo:

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Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is the flagship wine of Abruzzo, accounting for over 80% of the region’s DOC production. The soft, round, full-bodied and juicy red wines are made from the Montepulciano grape which grows and ripens best in Italy’s southern half.

Abruzzo is dominated by around 40 co-operatives making approximately 75% of all wine produced here, but it also has a roster of independent producers making good wines at reasonable prices. A small handful of pioneering producers, including Emidio Pepe and Valentini, make wines that stand head and shoulders above the majority of wines made here, and are held up as benchmarks for quality not just in Abruzzo, but across Italy.

Scroll down for the top 20 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine tasting notes and scores

With the total area under vine reaching 9,325ha (2018), Montepulciano d’Abruzzo covers a vast area. The western part of the region is mountainous, so vines are only grown on the foothills and the plain leading to the Adriatic coastline to the east.

Established in 1968, the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC’s regulations stipulate maximum vineyard elevations of 500 metres above sea level – although sites with a southern exposure can be planted up to 600m, which helps to counteract the strength of the midday sun.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is produced in all four provinces of Abruzzo – L’Aquila, Pescara, Teramo and Chieti – the latter producing the largest total quantity of wine. There are also five smaller, deliniated sub-zones producing high quality wines with stricter regulations: Alto Tirino, Casauria, Teate, Terre dei Peligni, and Terre dei Vestini.

Riserva

A number of producers also bottle a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva. Regulations vary depending on the sub-zone, but minimum alcohol is slightly higher and ageing requirements range from a minimum of 24 months up to a minimum of 36 months, with at least some of the time spent in oak.

During this tasting, it was the Riservas that particularly stood out, combining the softness of the Montepulciano grape and its elegant tannins with concentration, structure and complexity from longer ageing.

DOCG

The Colline Teramane bordering Le Marche in the north of the region has been singled out as a superior site for Montepulciano and has had its own DOC since 1995, which was upgraded to the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane DOCG in 2003.

Regulations for this DOCG differ from the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC in that the wines must be a minimum of 90% Montepulciano and up to 10% Sangiovese from vineyards up to 550 metres above sea level. Minimum alcohol is 12.5% and minimum ageing is 12 months, including two months in bottle.

Colline Teramane wines were not included in this tasting.

View all 40 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo tasting notes from the tasting

The (many) regulations

A maximum of 15% of other local varieties can be added to Montepulciano, and the wines must be aged for a minimum of four months. Minimum abv is 12%. The appellation’s five sub-zones all differ in their regulations. making it a bit of a minefield to work out exactly what you are getting in a bottle.

Alto Tirino Minimum 95% Montepulciano; minimum 12.5% abv; minimum 12 months ageing.

Casauria/ Terre di Casauria 100% Montepulciano; minimum 13% abv; minimum 18 months ageing, including nine months in barrel.

Teate Minimum 90% Montepulciano; minimum 12.5% abv; minimum 21 months ageing, including nine months in barrel.

Terre dei Peligni Minimum 95% Montepulciano; minimum 12.5% abv; minimum 24 months ageing, including nine months in barrel.

Terre dei Vestini Minimum 90% Montepulciano; minimum 12.5% abv; minimum 18 months ageing, including nine months in barrel and three months in bottle.

Montepulciano vintages

2019 A cool, wet spring delayed ripening but the vines caught up throughout a hot summer and mild autumn.

2018 A warm, wet spring threatened vines with downy mildew. A hot summer was followed by rains in late September. Harvest was not completed until early November.

2017 A hot, dry vintage began with frosts which affected yields, followed by extreme drought in parts of the appellation during the summer which forced an early harvest.

2016 Spring frosts were followed by an average summer and a cool, damp autumn.

2015 A relatively average year until a hot September forced some growers to pick early.

Tasting

This tasting comprised 40 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wines, including several Riservas, kindly organised by the Consorzio Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo. The best examples displayed delicious aromas of black cherries, red and black berries, and scents of herbs, potpourri or tobacco on occasion. The wines are typically soft and plump in the mouth, with juicy flavours of plum, black fruits, violet, chocolate and subtle spice.

Generally speaking, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is an accessible wine to be drunk within the first two to three years, especially when matured in stainless steel, although some examples – particularly those matured in oak – can be cellared for longer.

See the top 20 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo tasting notes and scores:

View all 40 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo tasting notes from the tasting

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Abruzzo’s Trebbiano: Breaking the mould

It’s fair to say that Trebbiano is not a glamorous grape. Widely planted throughout most of Italy, its reputation is one of a ‘workhorse’ variety with a largely neutral aroma and flavour profile. So how is it possible that one of Italy’s greatest white wines – Valentini’s Trebbiano d’Abruzzo – is also made from this variety?

The short answer is that it isn’t: to understand the gulf between Trebbiano’s reputation and its potential, we must understand that ‘Trebbiano’ is not one but a group of mostly unrelated grapes, tied together by similar characteristics rather than DNA, including Trebbiano Romagnolo, Trebbiano Giallo, Trebbiano di Soave (genetically identical to Verdicchio) and Trebbiano Toscana.

The principal variety in this group is Trebbiano Toscana. As the name suggests, its heartland is Tuscany, along with the other central Italian regions of Lazio, Umbria, Le Marche, and Abruzzo. Trebbiano Toscana is also grown further afield. It’s known as Ugni Blanc in France, where it is a key component of Cognac as well as a popular blending variety and is found as far away as Australia and California. Its high-yielding nature and good acidity has made it perfect for mass-production blends and value single-varietal wines. In Italy, it is a permitted variety in dozens of DOCs. Unfortunately, its use in these scenarios has not helped its reputation, and it is widely regarded (correctly or not) as a characterless variety.

Trebbiano d’Abruzzo

In Abruzzo, another Trebbiano can be found: Trebbiano Abruzzese. Here, on the Adriatic coast, this floral and fruity variety produces wines which differ stylistically from the largely neutral Toscana variety, capable of reflecting terroir and responding positively to various winemaking techniques.

Abruzzo has approximately 9,000 hectares of Trebbiano vines planted (compared to approximately 17,000ha for Montepulciano), with only 12ha declared as Bombino Bianco (see below).

The Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC was established in 1972, four years after the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC. Wines labelled as such must contain a minimum of 85% Trebbiano Abruzzese and/or Trebbiano Toscana, or alternatively Bombino Bianco, which some growers believe is the same variety as Trebbiano Abruzzesse. Other varieties permitted include Cococciola, Passerina and Malvasia. In reality, many wines in the DOC are made with Abruzzese as a very high proportion of the blend, if not 100%.

Winemaking

Like most wine regions, winemaking methods vary from producer to producer, but Trebbiano d’Abruzzo – whether fermented in stainless steel, amphora or oak – almost always spends time on its lees and undergoes partial or full malolactic fermentation.

The resulting wines, especially those made from low-yielding vines, can be textured and complex, with delightfully bright acidity and delicious flavours including green apples, stone fruits and tangy citrus – a combination that ensures the best examples will age well for a number of years.

The wines below are some top picks from the Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC, and we encourage you to track the top examples down as they not only offer fantastic value for money but will improve with age and are great with food.

Tasting Trebbiano d’Abruzzo:

Valentini’s wines are some of the most famous and sought after wines in the whole of Italy, yet the company is shrouded in mystery. It is not easy to arrange a visit, and the prices its wines command put them out of reach of most of us.

Valentini’s reputation stems from the great wines made by the late Edoardo Valentini, and since 2007 his son Francesco has maintained the high standards of his father.

Scroll down for Susan’s tasting notes & scores

The 250-hectare estate in the Colline Teramane DOCG zone in Abruzzo is planted with 40ha of Montepulciano and 30ha of Trebbiano. The number of bottles produced varies from year to year but, says Francesco, ‘we never produce more than 50,000 bottles, even in a generous year’.

What makes the estate so special is that it is working with Trebbiano, considered one of Italy’s more ‘ordinary’ varieties. But this is not just any Trebbiano – this is Trebbiano Abruzzese and Valentini is the magician who transforms it into something extraordinary. Even the ubiquitous black grape of the Abruzzo, Montepulciano, is elevated into something very special by its touch.

What marks these wines out is their incredible capacity for ageing, despite their delicacy and seeming fragility. I tasted the 1978 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo in the summer of 2019 and despite its relatively light 12.5% alcohol and no oak, it was intense, youthful and alive. The same was true for the 1979 Cerasuolo Rosé. A 1979 rosé! I could hardly believe the labels I was reading on the bottles. I am privileged to be able to taste a lot of older wines but in truth few mature into something more beautiful.

One of the big influences on the wines is the diurnal difference – the temperature difference between day and night. ‘Our vineyards are 10km from the sea and 10km from the mountains,’ says Francesco, explaining that ‘here, the mountains and the sea make the difference.’ The fact that it is so much cooler at night helps to slow down ripening, allowing flavours and aromas to accumulate in the grapes and helping to maintain acidity. It’s also notable that most of Valentini’s vineyards face north, escaping the direct midday heat of the Italian sun.

In the cellar, natural yeasts are used to ferment the fruit without temperature control. Very little SO2 is added, and the wines are unfiltered – consequently they can go through malolactic fermentation in bottle. Maturation takes place over 9-12 months in large old oak botti, which impart no oak character to the wines yet allow a small ingress of oxygen to add a textural ease.

The wines are released three to five years after the vintage, provided there is one – the quality demanded at Valentini is so high that not every year is deemed vintage-worthy. Indeed, since 1997 it has only made six vintages of Montepulciano.

Yes, you can get some bottle variation, but the wines made here are unique and have a strong identity. Valentini’s Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is considered by many to be Italy’s greatest white wine, and it is certainly one of my most memorable tasting experiences.

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Hard to pinpoint on a map it may be, but this central Italian region has long been a default choice for restaurant-goers thanks to its soft, easy-drinking reds, with its light whites a popular choice too.

The Abruzzo landscape is breathtaking, with its dramatic, snow-capped mountains on the western horizon dropping down to the sun-drenched beaches and shimmering sea of the Adriatic coast.

Sandwiched in between are hilltop villages and a harlequin pattern of tumbling green and yellow hillsides of wheat and vines.

Scroll down for Susan Hulme MW’s pick of the best Abruzzo wines

The mountains and the sea are never far away, providing constant breezes to moderate the summer heat and cool the vines at night.

The drying winds help to prevent the diseases that thrive in dampness, thus making organic viticulture practical.

This varied landscape allows for different elevations, aspects and microclimates – it really seems meant for viticulture.

Yet, on re-reading Luigi Veronelli’s The Wines of Italy, published in 1960, there is hardly a mention of the Abruzzo.

It gets no introduction and is skipped over in about 200 words, mentioning just two grape varieties, Trebbiano and Montepulciano, along with a few of the key towns and suggested pairings with local dishes.

In those days, many of the average wines were easily forgettable. As Cristiana Tiberio of Cantina Tiberio says: ‘Trebbiano d’Abruzzo often oxidised after a few months in bottle, and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo was tannic and fruitless, when not downright flawed.’

One thing most wines from the Abruzzo lacked was a clear identity – a sense of place and personality.

In an attempt to redress this, the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC was established in 1968, formalising regulations designed to ensure quality:

• maximum vineyard elevation within specific sites;
• maximum yield and minimum alcohol;
• minimum percentage of Montepulciano – 85% in some areas, rising to 100% in others.

Four years later, in 1972, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC was established.

In 2003, in another big step towards quality, the Colline Teramane subzone was granted a DOCG, further defining and delimiting some of the best quality vineyards in the north of the region.

The latest area to achieve DOCG status, in 2019, was Terre Tollesi (also known as Tullum). Production is low but the wines are considered distinctive enough to stand on their own, while still flying the flag for Montepulciano.

Abruzzo at a glance

Total area under vine: 36,000ha

Total production: 3.8m hl

Producers: More than 200, from 40 cooperatives

Main grapes: Montepulciano, Trebbiano, Pecorino, Passerina, Cococciola, Montonico

The grapes

One of the Abruzzo’s natural strengths is its native grape varieties.

Montepulciano, which comprises 70% of the Abruzzo’s output, produces friendly, fruity and accessible red wines. The deeply coloured, dark-berry, fruity wines, not overly tannic, are easy to enjoy.

Producers have responded to market tastes and moved away from heavily oaked styles. There has been an increase in the use of stainless steel and a return to the use of cement vats; coupled with a reduction in both the use of small oak barrels and in the time spent in oak. The result is a fresher, more approachable style of red that is in keeping with modern taste.

Abruzzo has characterful indigenous white grape varieties such as Pecorino, Cococciola and Passerina, as well as Trebbiano Abruzzese.

Pecorino especially, with its apple and citrus notes and its high acidity giving a juicy brightness, has increased dramatically in popularity and plantings. The grape gets its name from the Italian for sheep, pecora, the story being that sheep ate the grapes as they moved up and down the hillsides grazing.

Typically part of Trebbiano blends, Cococciola has also started to feature as a varietal wine. It often produces lightly floral, softly textured, herbal wines that are gentle and approachable.

Passerina is steely and minerally in style with a salty, savoury finish. Better examples can be quite Chablis-like.

Traditionally, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo wine can be made from Trebbiano Abruzzese and/or Trebbiano Toscano grapes. Although the result can be quite dull if made from the latter, a handful of stunning wines are made from the intriguing Trebbiano Abruzzese.

In fact, Trebbiano Abruzzese is capable of producing some of Italy’s most exciting white wines. It does not accumulate sugars easily, instead considerately keeping alcohol levels fairly low at about 12%-13%. It is delicate and bright in its aromas and flavours of flowers and citrus, yet for all its fragility it is intense, persistent and incredibly long lived.

In July 2019, I tasted the wonderful Valentini Trebbiano 1978. It was a revelation, showing how good Trebbiano Abruzzese can be in the right hands. It shone bright, almost Riesling-like, not in its aromas – though pretty, floral, honey notes are true to both varieties – but in its rapier-like qualities of acidity and intensity, combined with delicacy, finesse and its incredible ability to age.

Making a mark

In recent years, Abruzzo whites have been making their presence felt on UK shelves, often in the form of supermarket own-brand wines.

Lisa de Leonardis at Elledue, a public relations and export company based in the Abruzzo, comments: ‘In the last 10 years, something has changed… People have started to look for white wines. This fact has determined the success of Passerina and Pecorino both in Italy and in the global market. According to our experience in export, these are becoming the most requested regional labels.’

But, according to Valentino Di Campli, president of Consorzio Vini d’Abruzzo, ‘Abruzzo sparkling wine is the news’, a development that is due to ‘the natural predisposition of the native Abruzzo grapes to the sparkling process, from Trebbiano to Pecorino, from Cococciola to Montonico and Passerina’.

The consorzio also notes an upturn in the sales of Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, a traditional, serious-style dry rosé which is more deeply coloured than current fashion dictates, but has delightful, sappy, savoury red/green flavours such as rosehip and cranberry.

The wine received its own DOC in 2010, which allowed this distinctive and characterful rosé to stand out from the crowd. It is popular in Italy, where it rivals the traditional pairing of beer with the traditional Sunday night pizza.

Whether red, white or rosé, sparkling or still, recent figures show that, in the five years from 2013 to 2018, exports of Abruzzo wines increased by 50%, placing them in the top three exporting regions in Italy.

Germany remains the top destination market for Abruzzo wines in terms of volume (19%), yet, in the period analysed, the UK recorded the largest percentage growth, with a staggering 259% upturn.

The region’s cooperatives have played a particularly significant role in this success, not just in meeting the increased market demand but also in providing a route to market for their members’ grapes. In fact, 40 cooperatives are responsible for as much as three-quarters of production in the region.

The innovators

In the past, the Abruzzo has been fortunate to have a few pioneering, artisanal wine producers who have shown what can be achieved with Abruzzo wines.

In Italy, Valentini wines have an almost mythical status, and the producer is rightly regarded as one of the country’s best. Its Trebbiano d’Abruzzo commands prices that most white wine producers could only dream of – and the wines have an extraordinary ageing potential.

Valentini’s Cerasuolo and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo are equally complex, ageworthy wines with their own identity. Two other producers are important in the history of Abruzzo wines.

Emidio Pepe founded his eponymous winery in 1964, and was very much ahead of the curve in making ‘natural’ wines, a long time before they became super-trendy. He also believed strongly in the ageing potential of the two traditional varieties grown in the region, Montepulciano and Trebbiano.

Pepe’s naturally made, foottrodden and handcrafted wines have achieved cult status among the cognoscenti.

Gianni Masciarelli is another of the region’s pioneering producers. His ideas about using the Guyot training system instead of traditional pergolas played their part in putting Abruzzo wines on the map.

These producers make world-class wines with the local varieties from which so much ordinary wine was once – and in some cases, still is – made.

In the past, they were swimming against the tide, but they were proving it could be done.

Now, every year there are more producers who desire to excel and to express the uniqueness of their grape varieties and terroir. The swell is growing.

Abruzzo DOCs

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC: 9,325ha; 834,470hl (2018)

Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC: 2,121ha; 107,500hl (2018)

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC: 851ha; 62,290hl

Abruzzo DOC: 224ha; 13,430hl

Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOCG: 134ha; 3,320hl

Controguerra DOC: 36ha; 2,360hl

Terre Tollesi (Tullum) DOCG: 19ha; 687hl

Villamagna DOC: 16ha; 190hl

Ortona DOC: 8ha; yield not reported

Generational shift

Cristiana Tiberio owes her involvement in wine to her father’s discovery of a special vineyard of Trebbiano Abruzzese in 1999.

Since 2004, she and her father have been producing some excellent examples of Abruzzo wine. Highlighting the dramatic upturn in quality, Cristiana has noticed how importers are now happy to take more than one Abruzzo wine – proof that the personalities of the wines are becoming more differentiated, whether through style, mesoclimate or terroir.

‘Today,’ she says, ‘thanks to a new generation of winemakers taking over at the helm of their family estate – individuals who have trained in viticulture and oenology, and have travelled the world learning from the best – there is a good number of high-quality wines being made in the region.

That wasn’t really the case 30 to 40 years ago, when there was essentially only one estate making worldclass wine – Valentini.’

Indeed, in the last 20 years, there has been a natural evolution as the next generation of winemakers continue the work of their parents and grandparents, for example Francesco Valentini at Valentini and Sofia Pepe at Emidio Pepe.

There is also an increase in the number of independent producers, many of them from the Abruzzo itself. They have either inherited old family properties or land that they want to renovate, or they have decided to liberate themselves from the role of grape-grower and produce their own wines instead.

Perhaps most importantly, in their travels outside the region and outside Italy, they have tasted great wine.

With this experience in mind, they have reassessed vineyard locations, and many of the quality-minded producers are now looking for cooler, higherelevation sites.

There is also a much greater respect for the environment and an awareness of the need to protect it, so organic and environmentally sustainable concerns inform what is done in the vineyard.

For wine is, more than anything else, about the people who make it. Their passion, their dedication and their commitment to what they do is transmitted through their wines to us, the wine drinkers.

I suspect that if Luigi Veronelli, that much-loved Italian wine critic, were still alive today, he would have a lot more than 200 words to say about the Abruzzo.

See Susan Hulme MW’s pick of the best Abruzzo wines

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The workhorse reputation of the Montepulciano grape and the confusion of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo with its boring Tuscan cousin have done this region no favours, says Stephen Brook. But seek out the best producers of these and other indigenous varieties and you’ll be pleasantly surprised...

Factbox:

Area under vine 32,725ha

Principal varieties Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Trebbiano Toscano

Annual production 3,225,499 hectolitres

DOC production 80% is red wine

DOCG production The sole wine is Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane with about 120ha

The rugged Adriatic region of Abruzzo has become synonymous with Montepulciano, a splendid and long-underrated grape variety that delivers rich and often complex red wines.

If Abruzzo still struggles to acquire a reputation as one of Italy’s serious wine regions, that is not because of any intrinsic defects in its indigenous varieties, nor because of any lack of high-quality producers: it’s because Montepulciano has a mysterious habit of leaving Abruzzo in large tankers and ending up in bottles of chianti or other italian reds on the shelves of the less illustrious northern european supermarkets. Its reputation as a workhorse variety does it no favours.

On my last visit to the region, almost six years ago, Montepulciano was ubiquitous, and the only other variety of any importance was Trebbiano. This variety carries a hereditary flaw, in that most consumers associate Trebbiano with the vapid Tuscan white wine. But Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is not the same thing as its Tuscan cousin, and its wines can be of real interest, capable of ageing surprisingly well. The high priest of the variety was Edoardo Valentini, and since his death the property has been run along traditional lines by his son Francesco. Edoardo always made Trebbiano with real texture, personality and ageing potential, and today more producers are modelling their wines on his methods. Even so, most Trebbiano d’Abruzzo remains a simple wine, untouched by oak, for early drinking.

Other varieties on the rise include Pecorino, a high-acid grape also found to the north in the Marche that thrives at higher elevations when shaded from direct sunlight. Cristiana Tiberio, who has gained a reputation for Pecorino, likes the way it seems to gain glycerol and texture during fermentation, and its aromas suggest to her sage, thyme and peach. With its freshness and attack, Pecorino is becoming increasingly popular.

Other whites are making an appearance too. Passerina and Montonico are indigenous grapes previously used mainly to make sparkling wine, but today they are vinified as dry table wines. Passerina gives abundant crops, so needs to be reduced in yield to deliver floral wines of personality and freshness. One of the most notable Montonico dry wines is from Villa Medoro.

Old faithful

Although the rediscovery of ancient varieties is always welcome, the focus in Abruzzo remains firmly on Montepulciano. It’s a versatile grape, in the sense that it can give pleasure in numerous guises. It can be vinified and aged in stainless steel to give a simple, attractive wine with freshness and transparency of fruit. If cropped low, it can be aged in casks or barriques – even new barriques – to create wines of altogether greater depth, concentration and complexity.

The oaked Montepulcianos are not really wines for everyday drinking, being too dense and powerful, but are superb winter warmers. Some can develop gamey aromas with age; others remain on a plateau, displaying primary fruit for years. Montepulciano does evolve with age, but it’s not a variety that demands bottle age to show complexity.

Another manifestation of Montepulciano is Cerasuolo, a rosé wine that is usually made by giving the juice a maceration of eight to 18 hours on the skins before fermentation. The result is a light red rather than a rosé, a wine with body and succulence. It’s very popular in the region, but exports have been growing. Even in a good pizzeria in the regional capital of Pescara, you don’t necessarily want to drink a rich red. Cerasuolo, with its vinosity and weight – ideally drunk lightly chilled – is just the ticket. Most producers agree that you mustn’t think of Cerasuolo as a way to use up your least interesting grapes; it should be made from grapes of high quality, and treated seriously.

Being a very large and dispersed region, with vineyards separated by 100km from north to south, Abruzzo is divided into many sub-regions, and there are also DOCs such as Controguerra that permit the use of non-Italian varieties such as Chardonnay or Merlot. Only someone steeped in the detail of Abruzzo terroir would be able to identify the many sub-zones for Montepulciano in the glass. Only one is of real importance: Colline Teramane, Abruzzo’s only DOCG. Located around the town of Teramo on clay and limestone soils in the region’s north, the wines from here have noticeable concentration and depth – but so can regular Montepulciano made elsewhere from low-yielding vines.

Vine training is an issue here. The traditional trellising, known as tendone, is similar to the pergola system found in many other parts of Italy. Designed to shade the bunches and make harvest less arduous, it can produce very good wines, as long as yields are kept low. Because new plantings have moved to French-style rows, the remaining tendone vineyards are old, which can also contribute to quality. Both systems of training have their advocates and merits.

Co-op country

Abruzzo is dominated by cooperatives. It’s thought that about 80% of all wine from Abruzzo is made by coops, most of which are located in hotter areas like Chieti. The best, such as Tollo and Citra, make very good wine at the top of the range – Tollo even dabbles in organic wines. But most of their products fall into the cheap and cheerful category.

So in Abruzzo, as elsewhere, it’s important to identify the best producers. The big beasts are Masciarelli, still on fine form despite the untimely death of its dynamic founder Gianni Masciarelli, and the patchier if more zany Zaccagnini. As well as the estates below, look out for the rich, polished reds from Nicodemi; the whites from Il Feuduccio; a good range of sensibly priced wines from Talamonti; the top wines (especially Montepulciano ‘Bellovedere’) of La Valentina, an estate advised by the renowned Luca D’Attoma; and the remarkable but very expensive Trebbiano from Valentini.

Written by Stephen Brook

Next page

The workhorse reputation of the Montepulciano grape and the confusion of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo with its boring Tuscan cousin have done this region no favours, says Stephen Brook. But seek out the best producers of these and other indigenous varieties and you’ll be pleasantly surprised...

Abruzzo: Six producers to watch

Illuminati

This long-established estate in the northern district of Controguerra is today run by Stefano Illuminati. It produces more than one million bottles, of which the best known is the Riparosso Montepulciano, given moderate ageing in large casks and designed to be drunk fairly young. From old vines, and only produced in top years, is Zanna, a Colline Teramane DOCG aged for two years in casks. It’s creamy, concentrated and spicy, and inevitably tannic too. More unusual is Daniele, a gently oxidative blend of Trebbiano, Passerina and Chardonnay, also aged in casks and only made in top years; it’s marked by apricot and quince flavours. Overall, well made, ambitious wines of high consistency.

Tiberio

A visit to the Mosel so impressed young Cristiana Tiberio that she resolved to create an estate focusing on mountain vineyards with the intention of making wines – especially whites – of pronounced minerality. She founded the estate in 2004 and is now at the top of her game, producing outstanding Trebbiano and Pecorino, as well as fragrant yet lightly tannic Cerasuolo and silky Montepulciano. Her top wine is usually the citric Trebbiano Fonte Canale, made from old vines and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Look out too for her herbal, saline Pecorino, with its long, bracing finish.

Torre dei Beati

Fausto Albanesi tends and vinifies the vines near Loreto Apruntino that were inherited by his wife Adriana, although he has also purchased additional vines that bring the estate to its present 18ha. The barrel-fermented Pecorino and Trebbiano, both called Bianchi Grilli, are very good, but the star turns are his top Montepulcianos. These are Cocciapazza and Mazzamurello, parcel selections that are aged in barriques, with Mazzamurello spending 20 months in new oak. These are rich, spicy wines, with good depth of flavour and fine ageing potential. But even his basic Montepulciano is both charming and delicious. If only the names were less of a mouthful, the wines would surely enjoy greater international renown.

Cataldi Madonna

Tucked away in the inland village of Ofena in the L’Aquila region is the 27ha estate of Luigi Cataldi Madonna, who also teaches philosophy at the local university. The vineyards lie at high elevations and give wines that are quite high in acidity. A pioneer of Pecorino, in his hands it is a splendid if very assertive wine. The cranberry-scented Cerasuolo is always outstanding, and so are his red wines. Malandrino is fresh, sleek and elegant, while Toni is a parcel selection, aged mostly in new barriques. All these wines are characterised by a noticeable polish and balance.

Agriverde

Founded in 1989 in Ortona, this is one of the few organic properties in Abruzzo. The winery too is constructed entirely of natural materials. With 65ha under vine, it produces a wide range. The Solèrea Trebbiano, aged in puncheons, is concentrated and spicy, but the Montepulciano reds are the stars. Winemaker Riccardo Brighigna is very proud of Plateo, though I find it rather too oaky and extracted, with hints of overripeness. I prefer the more vibrant Riseis, which is aged in older barriques. Even the basic, unoaked Piane di Maggio is spicy and lively, with lean cherry fruit.

Villa Medoro

Former lawyer Federica Morricone was encouraged by Gianni Masciarelli to produce her own wines, basing her estate on vines inherited from her grandfather. Her first vintage was 2000 and since then she has a built a large, modern winery and has expanded the vineyards to over 100ha. She makes mineral, refreshing white wines from Montonico, Passerina and Trebbiano, but her finest white is Chimera, a parcel selection of Trebbiano. The Montepulcianos are modern in style, plummy and oaky in aroma and flavour. Her top reds are Rosso del Duca and the slightly less oaky Adrano, a barrique-aged Colline Teramane.

Next page Previous page

The workhorse reputation of the Montepulciano grape and the confusion of Trebbiano d'Abruzzo with its boring Tuscan cousin have done this region no favours, says Stephen Brook. But seek out the best producers of these and other indigenous varieties and you’ll be pleasantly surprised...

Brook’s top Abruzzo wines

Masciarelli, Villa Gemma, Montepulciano 2006

18.5/20pts (95/100pts)

Muted oaky nose, black cherries and chocolate. Very concentrated with spicy cherry fruit, good acidity, and balsamic and chocolatey nuances. Powerful balanced and very long.

Price: £49.99 AG Wines

Drink 2014–2022

Alc 14.5%

Torre dei Beati, Mazzamurello, Montepulciano 2007

18.5/20pts (95/100pts)

Slightly gamey black fruit nose. Compact, spicy and very concentrated, with black cherry, suave texture and good length.

Price: £28.95 Handford

Drink 2014–2020

Alc 14%

Villa Medoro, Rosso del Duca, Montepulciano 2010

18.5/20pts (95/100pts)

Very ripe plum and menthol nose. Rich fruit but cut by fine acidity that gives tension and finesse. Well-integrated oak and a long, invigorating finish.

Price: £14 Genesis

Drink 2014–2020

Alc 14%

Illuminati, Zanna, Montepulciano Colline Teramane Riserva 2008

18/20pts (93/100pts)

Rich sour cherry and damson nose. Creamy, full bodied, with depth of flavour and lots of spice. Slightly dry finish but not too tannic.

Price: £15.79 (2007) London Wine Deliveries

Drink 2014–2022

Alc 14.5%

Agriverde, Solàrea, Montepulciano 2009

17.5/20pts (91/100pts)

Rich, plummy nose. Dense and quite tannic on the palate, but this wine has lovely, lively acidity and is still taut and youthful. Peppery and long.

Price: £18.50 Vinissimo

Drink 2014–2020

Alc 14%

Cataldi Madonna, Malandrino, Montepulciano 2010

17.5/20pts (91/100pts)

Ripe cherry and menthol nose. Quite full bodied yet no heavyweight, this is fresh, intense and stylish, with good acidity and length.

Price: £19.99 AG Wines

Drink 2014–2018

Alc 13%

Nicodemi, Notari, Montepulciano 2010

17.5/20pts (91/100pts)

Ripe but elegant plummy nose, with a touch of vanilla. Concentrated and full-bodied, with a svelte texture and moderate tannins. Long, with fine acidity on the finish.

Price: £14.99 (2008) Cadman

Drink 2014–2018

Alc 14%

Tiberio, Fonte Canale, Trebbiano 2012

17.5/20pts (91/100pts)

Ripe apricot nose. Rich, textured and concentrated but has fresh acidity, and a bitter lemon twist on the long, citric finish.

Price: N/A UK tiberiowine.com

Drink 2014–2018

Alc 12.5%

Valentini, Trebbiano 2004

17.5/20pts (91/100pts)

Spicy, leesy, apricot nose. Full bodied and weightier than the nose suggests, with good extract and moderate acidity. Quite long.

Price: £67.20 Fine & Rare

Drink 2014–2016

Alc 12%

Cantina Tollo, Terre di Chieti, Pecorino 2012

16.5/20pts (88/100pts)

Vintners apricot and melon nose. Fine attack, fresh, citrus and passion fruit flavours; long, with a tangy finish.

Price: £20 Yorkshire Vintners

Drink 2014–2015

Alc 13%

Talamonti, Tre Saggi, Montepulciano 2010

16.5/20pts (88/100pts)

Spicy cherry and blueberry nose. Suave and fleshy, but an easygoing style with light tannins and fresh acidity. Modern style, balanced and long.

Price: £12.70–£12.99 Penistone, Wined Up Here

Drink 2014–2018

Alc 13.5%

Previous page

A heavy storm has destroyed thousands of hectares of vines in Italy's Abruzzo wine region, including those belonging to celebrated producer Valentini.

Photo credit: Consorzio Tutela Vini D’Abruzzo

Rain, snow and strong winds swept through Abruzzo last weekend, causing 2,000ha of the region’s 32,000ha of vines to be lost.

Most of the damage occurred in the provinces of Pescara and Chieti.

The storm began with a bout of heavy rain that saturated the ground and was followed by 50 centimetres of snowfall.

The region’s vines – many of which are planted to the traditional ‘pergola’ system, which sees the vine trained fairly high with cordons in four directions – were still in leaf after a mild autumn.

Snow piled up on the canopies and pulled their wooden trellises down. After the snowfall,160-km winds arrived, in many areas uprooting vines or shearing them at ground level.

Francesco Valentini, whose Trebbianos are regularly rated among Italy’s top white wines, was quoted in a rare interview with Italian media as saying he lost up to half of his vines, many of them irreplaceable old vines.

‘Beyond his personal loss, he is angry that the regional authorities took so long to react to this disaster,’ said Alessandro Bocchetti, an Abruzzese wine critic. ‘But, he is determined to keep producing wine and to replant in the traditional way that characterises his regions’ wines.’

Written by Carla Capalbo

Summergate Fine Wines has announced a 'major expansion' of its range from Italy, amid China's growing taste for top Italian wine.

Francesco Ricasoli: in China exclusively with Summergate

Summergate, which has offices throughout China, said the decision follows ‘tremendous growth momentum’ for Italian wine in the country.

The importer has signed deals to be the exclusive distributor for Chianti Classico producer Barone Ricasoli and Brunello di Montalcino producer San Polo – owned by Allegrini – as well as Tuscany’s Poggio al Tesoro, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo’s Emidio Pepe and Barolo producers Beni di Batasiolo and Luciano Sandrone.

Exports of bottled Italian wine to China have almost quadrupled since 2008, reaching 25m bottles in 2011, according to figures from China’s customs body.

‘We see interest in higher value wine from Italy on the rise, hot on the heels of Burgundy, up from a relatively low base in terms of value to date,’ Summergate managing partner Ian Ford told Decanter.com. ‘Chianti Classico has all the hallmarks of becoming one of the next big trends.’

Barone Ricasoli’s marketing director Stefano Capurso said the deal with Summergate is a good opportunity after years of ‘struggling’ in China. ‘Our goal in the medium-term is to reach 5,000 to 6,000 cases in Greater China,’ he said.

To be successful at the top end of the market, Italian winemakers must hope to loosen Chinese consumers’ attachment to prestigious French chateaux.

‘I think it’s fair to say Italian wine doesn’t have the awareness levels of France in general, and Bordeaux in particular, but the buzz in the trade over the past six months has been more positive,’ Richard Halstead, chief operating officer of Wine Intelligence, told Decanter.com.

Prior to its new deals, Summergate’s Italian wine range in China also included Livio Felluga (Friuli), Allegrini, Corte Giara (Venice) and Sicily’s Tasca d’Almerita.

Written by Chris Mercer