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Nestled along the Adriatic coast, Abruzzo features what are arguably the most spectacular landscapes of central Italy outside of Tuscany. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the North, Lazio to the West/South-West, Molise to the South-East, and the Adriatic sea to the East. Abruzzo has been described as “the greenest region in Europe” dedicating almost half of its territory to national parks and nature reserves.

Abruzzo is made up of 65% mountainous terrain; its rugged geography is a part of the regions rich history. Historically, these mountains were there to help isolate the winemaking influence of the ancient Romans and Etruscans in Tuscany, dating back to six century BC. It’s rumored that when Hannibal made his journey over the Alps, he gave his soldiers Abruzzo wine from Teramo.

TERROIR OF ABRUZZO

Abruzzo is made up of 4 provinces. Chieti, L’Aquila, Pescara, and Teramo. The vast coastline winding along the Adriatic sea flowing into Abruzzo’s mountainous interior provides numerous microclimates and terroirs. The terroir ranges from marly-clay, sand-rich flysch, limestone soils, and alluvium deposits.

Montepulciano, the fifth most planted grape varietal in all of Italy, benefits greatly from the humidity and rainfall coming from the Apennine mountains, making the low hills and clay-rich soil a perfect place for the grapes to grow.

The cool mountain air currents combined with the high altitudes helps to control the diurnal temperature variations of the vineyards on the slopes. Along the coastline, the sea absorbs the heat during the day and releases it at night which strongly influences Abruzzo’s viticulture.

Abruzzo has around 36,000 hectares (89,000 acres) of land producing more than 350 million liters of wine annually. The majority of the vineyards are located in the hills of the Chieti province, with the rest in Pescara, Teramo, and L’Aquila. The most prominent grape varieties are the native red Montepulciano and the white Trebbiano.

THE WHITE WINES OF ABRUZZO

Trebbiano d’Abruzzo – Harvesting this native grape in September makes it taste like warm summer sunshine and blooming flowers. The wine has a straw-yellow color, has a delicate aroma of white flowers, is well-bodied, and has a strong mineral presence on the palate. The minerality is likely due to the clay-alkaline terroir.

On Primal Wine we offer the following white natural wines from Abruzzo:

• Cantina Indigeno Bianco Folk 2018
• Cantina Indigeno Bianco Malva 2018
• Cantina Indigeno Vino Bianco 2018
• Cantina Indigeno Bianco Calanchi 2018
• Agricola Cirelli Wines of Anarchy Trebbiano Pet Nat
• Agricola Cirelli Pecorino Colline Pescaresi 2017
• Luca Bevilacqua White Lab 2017
  
  

THE RED WINES OF ABRUZZO

Montepulciano – This grape makes up the vast majority of wine in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It’s easily paired with practically any type of food, is wonderfully tannic, and low in acid. This grape varietal touches all four areas of Abruzzo’s provinces. Montepulciano can be grown in limestone and its clay terroir gives it a wonderfully rustic taste. Tasting notes in this wine are oregano, plum, sour cherries, and sometimes notes of tobacco.

Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo: Is a Rosé wine which is darker in color than most. The distinctive cherry color gives Cerasuolo its name, literally meaning cherry in Italian. On the palate, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo has a persistent amount of mineral acidity due to the limestone and clay terroir. Other tasting notes include dried roses and red berries.

THE FOOD OF ABRUZZO

The Abruzzese cuisine is deeply influenced by the region's location. Simple ingredients with cultural traditions drawn from the rocky inland areas as well as from coastal areas make up the wonderfully soulful cuisine of Abruzzo.

Pizza scima, which actually translates to “stupid pizza” is anything but stupid. This simple thin focaccia-like pizza is made up of flour, water, extra-virgin olive oil, and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. This bread is usually used to accompany meals and pays homage to the Abruzzese pride of the Trebbiano grape varietal.

Ravioli dolci is a variation of classic ravioli made with sugar. The Abruzzese make them larger than traditional ones and stuff them with ricotta, egg yolk, sugar, lemon, and cinnamon.

Arrosticini is a must have when travelling to Abruzzo. They are wooden skewers of sheep cooked on a fornacellas, a special grill indigenous to Abruzzo. Arrosticini is traditionally eaten by hand with fresh bread and olive oil.

Author: Melissa Norton ©