Like stone, even the earth can tell the identity of a place. The vineyards and wines of Abruzzo , which are its children, can therefore well represent a compass out of the ordinary for anyone who wants to get lost in the folds of a millenary history. A narrative that starts from that Peligna Valley indicated by historians as the fertile cradle from which, over time, the cultivation of grapes developed to reach the soft hills located close to the Adriatic coast, thanks also to the extraordinary pedoclimatic characteristics that this region is able to offer with casual generosity.
Mainly spread through the system but of Abruzzo pergola cultivation (over 80%), today the Abruzzo vineyard can count on an extension of almost 36,000 hectares, about 75% of which are included in the territory of the province of Chieti alone; the rest are shared by Pescara and Teramo with about 10% and finally the mountainous province of L’Aquila with less than 4% (source Consortium for the Protection of Abruzzo Wines ).
The undisputed king and standard-bearer of regional vines is the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo , cultivated on more than half of the vineyard area, followed well apart by Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, which occupies just under a third, and by a fair variety of native white berried plants deservedly valued by far-sighted producers for some time year now, starting with Pecorino and without forgetting Cococciola , Passerina and Montonico . Small percentages of other national and international grape varieties complete the panorama of the regional ampelographic heritage, including Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot grigio.
From such wealth every year an average of just under four million hectoliters of wine is obtained, of which about a quarter are framed in a capillary and perhaps too complex system of quality certifications – two DOCGs and seven DOCs, of which five are sub-zones, plus another eight IGTs -, testifying to the important efforts made over the years by regional enology, thanks also to a tenacious work between the vineyard and the cellar, increasingly tending to the creation of products that are witnesses and interpreters of a territory of incomparable beauty.
In detail, established in 2003, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane was the first Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin to be present in the region; Terre Tollesi or Tullum , a micro DOC whose territory coincides entirely with that of the municipality of Tollo, in the province of Chieti. The longest-running certification palm goes to the historic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, recognized DOC since 1968, a few years before Trebbiano d’Abruzzo , which instead was awarded in 1972.
The denomination completes the DOC framework Controguerra , recognized in 1996, and the various sub-areas of Montepulciano (Terre dei Vestini , Casauria or Terre di Casauria , Alto Tirino , Terre dei Peligni , Teate ), all certified in 2010 together with the Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo andAbruzzo DOC ; to finish with the DOC Ortona and Villamagna , the latest arrivals in 2011. Finally, the wines with Typical Geographical Indication can be traced back to the areas Colli Aprutini, Colli del Sangro, Colline Frentane, Colline Pescaresi, Colline Teatine, Del Vastese (or Histonium), Terre di Chieti – all approved in 1995 – and Terre Aquilane (or Terre de L’Aquila), ratified in 2008.
According to Gaudenzio D’Angelo, regional president of AIS Abruzzo and Molise, «we no longer have to say that we are growing; instead we say that we are already grown up. On a numerical level, Abruzzo wines are giving great results, as evidenced by their growth trend. The consumer begins to ask specifically and directly for Abruzzo wines because, in addition to a great product such as Montepulciano, we can also offer a wide range of other excellent bottles – such as our native whites – which are giving us great satisfaction, enjoying success and consideration in the main wine competitions ».
Opinion also confirmed by Maurizio Gily – agronomist and Master of Food teacher at the University of Gastronomic Sciences that Slow Food organized in Pollenzo, Piedmont – on the occasion of a wine tour organized some time ago by regional protection consortia as part of a promotional campaign that seen in the winning combination oenology and culture the keystone to open Abruzzo to the rest of the world.
«In addition to Trebbiano, the subject of a major revaluation in recent years, Abruzzo is proving its ability to make great whites of absolute international level. Very good wines when young, but also with a pot
wine of refinement and improvement over time, perhaps also thanks to the climatic influence of the mountain which in some respects gives them characteristics more similar to Nordic wines than to those of the South ».
Native vines are increasingly used to make excellent sparkling wines, both Classic Method and Charmant, as shown by some productions already reported in the main sector guides.
In short, that they are immersed in shades of a beautiful ruby red with violet reflections, marked by a more or less intense straw yellow with greenish hints or veiled by a soft cherry pink; which are imbued with the intense aromas of black cherries, berries, blackberries, apples or the delicate aroma of flowers, spices and citrus fruits; whether they have a full, robust, velvety and rightly tannic flavor in the mouth or dry, harmonious and pleasantly almondy, the wines of Abruzzo represent the soul of a region that, like few, knows how to combine tradition and modernity, remaining with its feet firmly planted in the mother Earth.
