Abruzzo Wine 101: Your Guide to Montepulciano & More

Abruzzo wine is popular the world over. The Montepulciano red wines and Trebbiano & Pecorino white wines of the region are easy-drinking and very food friendly. Discover the wines of Abruzzo with me, Jacky Blisson, Master of Wine. We will explore Abruzzo’s climate, soils, grape varieties, wine styles and more in this educational Italian wine regions video!
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GREAT LOCAL RECIPES
Lentils with “pane fritto”, Scrippelle ‘mbusse, Tagliatelle with abruzzese ragu: https://www.destination-abruzzo.com/post/three-abruzzese-dishes-to-enjoy-during-fall

Pasta alla Chitarra & Pallottine: https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/italian-food/italian-dishes/from-abruzzo-with-love-angela-rapinos-pasta-alla-chitarra-and-pallottine

Cagionetti cookies & more: https://www.destination-abruzzo.com/post/three-traditional-abruzzese-desserts-you-absolutely-have-to-make-for-the-christmas-holidays
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SPONSOR
This educational video is sponsored by The Charming Taste of Europe (co-funded by the European Union). This special project links the flavors of wine from Italy and France and of fresh fruit from Greece, and further introduces the United States and Canada to these exquisite items that recall all of European beauty and grace.
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CREDITS
Pictures: Consorzio di Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo
Music: Rex Banner, Greengrass
Recipes: Angela and Pietro Rapino, Destination Abruzzo
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FOLLOW ME:
Instagram: @jackyblisson
Facebook: @jackyblisson
BLOG: https://jackyblisson.com/

Italy is truly the land of vines producing  an astonishing quantity of native grape   varieties. One of the most popular reds is  of course Montepulciano, which thrives in   the mountainous region of Abruzzo, alongside other  indigenous varieties like Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and  

Pecorino. Today, we’re going to learn all about  what makes Abruzzo wine so interesting and foodies   are going to want to stick around to the end to  hear about the region’s incredible gastronomy. Thanks for joining me. My name is Jacky Blisson.  I am a Master of Wine and I love teaching people  

About cool wine regions all around the world.  Abruzzo is located in central Italy due east   of Rome. The region stretches between the Appenine  mountains and the Adriatic Coast. The region has a   fascinating history but for me the real excitement  is happening now. Over the past 30 years quality  

Has really skyrocketed with lots of smaller  independent terroir driven producers cropping up,   the larger cooperatives really upping their  game, and a real focus on sustainable wine   making. Abruzzo has the seventh largest vineyard  acreage in Italy, with just under 35,000 hectares  

Of vines. Over half of this is red and rosé wines,  about 40% of production is of dry white wine and   small amounts of sparkling and dessert wine are  also produced here. The vineyards grow in quite   a diverse and dramatic landscape. Two-thirds of  Abruzzo’s territory is mountainous. Abbruzo’s  

Grand Sasso Massif includes the area’s highest  peak, the Corno Grande. As you approach the   Adriatic Sea, the landscape gradually flattens to  gentle rolling hills. Wine is produced in all four   of Abruzzo’s provinces. Chieti, in the southeast  is by far the largest. The vineyard terrain here  

Is quite flat, the soils are really rich in clay  and fertile, and the wines tend to be more round   and supple. Heading northward up the coast the  vineyards of Pescara and Teramo tend to be planted   on the hillsides on clay limestone soils.  The wines are often firmer, more structured,  

And more age-worthy. Finally, L’Aquila is  Abruzzo’s mountainous interior province. This   is really the historic area for wine making but is  quite small today. The wines are higher in acid,   firmer, and more mineral. A regional specialty is  a dry rosato called Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo. Abruzzo’s  

Climate is quite mild, especially in the coastal  areas. During the growing season, the days are   very hot very sunny but the evenings are cooler  due to coastal breezes and cold air coming down   from the mountains. This is important because  it slows down ripening and allows for great acid  

Retention in the wines. As of 2023, Abruzzo  has just one catchall regional designation,   the IGT Terre d’Abruzzo. It also has seven DOCs  and two top tier DOCGs. The most significant   of the DOCs is Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, an  appellation that is almost entirely dedicated  

To the Montepulciano grape. This grape must make  up at least 85% of the blend. On a side note,   the grape has nothing to do with the Tuscan  appellation of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.   Montepulciano is a late ripening thick skin grape  it tends to give wines with bright red and black  

Fruit notes, sometimes earthy, savoury undertones  and a hint of tar. If you’re looking for a finer   expression from a DOC wine you can look for terms  like Superiore or Riserva the grapes for these   wines must come from four top subzones. There are  higher requirements in terms of grape ripeness and  

Longer aging periods are required. The longest  aging period is for the Riserva tier wines.   The Montepulciano grape is also used for a rosé  dedicated appellation called Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo.   These dry rosato wines are incredibly vibrant  with interesting notes of cinnamon, citrus peel,  

Red fruit, They tend to have a bitter hint and  they’re very refreshing and food friendly. For me,   the very best drink almost more like a very light  red wine than a rosé. Trebbiano is the main white   wine DOC and just like its red counterpoint  at least 85% of the wine must be Trebbiano  

D’Abruzzo or Trebbiano Toscana. So, as you may  have guessed Trebbiano is not a single grape   variety but actually a group of grape varieties  that share similar characteristics and according   to many experts Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is the best  of the bunch! Trebbiano d’Abruzzo wines can  

Range from very simple, unoaked, crisp quaffing  wines to richer, more textural wines often with   extended lees aging. They tend to have notes of  apple, pear, bitter almond and a really lively,   rounded palate. Another DOC that spans the  Abruzzo territory is simply called Abruzzo.  

It is most commonly used for Abruzzo’s other  white indigenous grape varieties like Pecorino,   Passerina, Cococciola, and Montonico. Pecorino  is experiencing a real renaissance at the moment.   This is quite an ancient grape variety for  the region that was really rediscovered in  

The 1980s. Pecorino wines can be quite citrusy  and tropical but they tend to have a herbal,   mineral undertone on the palate .They  can be quite firm and the best, for me,   have a lingering salinity which is  amazing. To wrap up our tour of Abruzzo  

Appellations there are three smaller ones  in Chieti, there’s Ortona and Villamagna,   and in Teramo there’s Controguerra. These are  really site specific, quite small appellations   that are really gaining a niche following. Abbruzo  produces fantastic wines but also food. The region  

Has protected origins for its olive oil, is famed  for its lentils, its truffles, its artichokes,   it’s cherries, it’s artisanal pasta made from  fresh mountain water, it’s array of cheeses,   it’s lamb and of course as a coastal area, it’s  abundance of fish and seafood. The food scene  

Is incredible and a perfect match for the  local wines. For some great recipes to try   with the different wine styles check the links  in the description. Until next time, salute!