Controvento means "against the wind," a fitting name for Vincenzo Di Meo, who farms an organic estate above the Adriatic in Abruzzo and makes wine the way his grandfather did, in the purest possible form.
Backstory
Controvento is the project of Vincenzo "Enzo" Di Meo, a second-generation grower. His father founded the family company in 1978, and Vincenzo took over more than a decade ago, becoming sole proprietor and winemaker. He has said he wants to make wines exactly as his grandfather once did.
The Region
The estate lies in the municipality of Rocca San Giovanni, in the province of Chieti in southern Abruzzo, only a few kilometers from the Adriatic Sea. The vines sit within the Fosso delle Farfalle, a protected nature area, and benefit from a cooling, salty sea breeze.
Vineyards and Farming
The estate covers just over 5 hectares on calcareous soil, with most vines 23 to 25 years old and a newer parcel of about one hectare. Farming is certified organic, with no chemicals ever used; the vines are fed with a winter green-manure cover crop. The plantings are led by Montepulciano and Trebbiano Abruzzese, with Fiano, Passerina, Malvasia, and a little Cabernet Sauvignon.
Winemaking
In the cellar there is no manipulation of any kind. Wines ferment spontaneously with native yeast and are never fined, never filtered, and never given any SO2.
The Wines
The range carries evocative, sea-inspired names, including the Primatraccia bianco and rosso, Onda Anomala, Moby Dick, Luna Calmante, and the everyday Controvento Rosso and Beverone.
