ABRUZZO
We will now go to the beautiful region of Abruzzo.
Abruzzo is in the middle of Italy on the eastern side along the Adriatic Sea. It’s directly east from Rome. The Apennine Mountain range is the natural border between Abruzzo and Lazio, the region where Rome resides.
Speaking of mountains, 65% of Abruzzo is considered mountainous terrain. One might think that with all that mountainous terrain, their wine production would be considerably less, but it’s not.
In fact, Abruzzo is ranked 5th in wine production (volume). Last year they produced 34.8 million cases of wine of which 58% was red wine, Montepulciano.
There are 3 main grapes produced in the area, Montepulciano (red grape), and Trebbiano & Pecorino (white grapes).
Most of the wine production is done by large cooperatives, which gives more clarity to the large volume of wine produced in this region.
Cooperatives are a way for small growers to make money growing grapes without having to deal with the winemaking, or marketing and the other aspects of producing wine for consumption.
Growing good grapes doesn’t make you winemaker.
You’re not going to get exceptional wines from most of the cooperatives.
The goal is quantitiy, not amazing quality.
They are not necessarily wines for the future, they are wines for now!
The wines are good. They achieve their goal of being great every day drinking wines for the masses. The quality is great for the price you pay.
The cooperatives offer consistent value for the price of the wine, good availability, and you don’t have to sit on them for minimum of 5 years to let the wine develop.
Montepulciano is a grape that could certainly be aged in oak and be an overachiever, but it’s quite delicious fresh out of the bottle after seeing no oak. Again, the grape for the now, not necessarily the future.
There will be more producers who will go against the conventional wisdom of the region and will cut back production and experiment with oak. This extra care will create exceptional wines.
A good example of what I am saying is found in the governing wine laws currently in place in Abruzzo.
There are only 2 DOCG appellations, 7 DOC, and 8 IGP areas in the 5th largest wine producing region in the country. Sicily has 22 DOC’s.
It’s probably just as well there are so few regulations. It’s confusing now with the ones they have already.
The main DOC is d’ Abruzzo. There is Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, etc. Kind of an all-encompassing DOC like Sicily DOC.
I feel it’s time to reinforce the point that producing wine under the DOC or DOCG label is not necessarily an indication of quality.
Obviously, taste is an individual experience, that is unique to every person.
These laws guarantee the origin of the wine and compliance to the rules of production within that geographical area.
Being in the DOCG and having other requirements than a DOC doesn’t mean it is a “better” wine than a DOC wine.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC-
Montepulciano is the main red grape of Abruzzo.
Montepulciano, the grape is often confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the place in Tuscany.
The grape has a similar flavor profile to Sangiovese. There are cherry, strawberry fruit flavors, soft earthiness, dried herbs, and an easy smooth finish. Tannins are mild, the fruit is prominent and there is still plenty of character in the wine even though generally, there is no oak aging in most of Abruzzo.
There are a few sub-zones within the DOC that are concentrating on lower yields, & aging longer in oak barrels.
Some are using the “Riserva” or “Superior” designations to separate themselves from the cooperatives. This extra time in aging and the extra cost of barrels equates to extra cost for the wine to the consumer.
Depending on the area, aging requirements can go up to 2 years before release.
I feel Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC is one of the best wine values in Italy.
Here is a wine with medium-body, good red fruit flavors, some soft spice and earthiness, yet fresh and inviting to the taste buds. All this balance and flavor for a fair price (starting at $10)
This is a wine that should be on every Italian restaurant wine list. Great price, broad appeal and very food friendly. Nice easy drinking wine with or without food.
Maybe the name is too long and could be easily mispronounced. Here is a little help in the pronunciation, (mont-tee-pul-chaw-no).
Please don’t let your fear of mispronouncing the name keep you from ordering it and enjoying its tastiness.
Food Pairing:
There is plenty of leeway on pairing food with this wine.
First thing that comes to mind is tomato anything. The acids of the tomato with the acids of the wine make for a great pairing.
Burgers, ribs, pork, pizza, chicken, pasta, mushrooms and medium cheeses.
Even fish with some non-citrus sauces would be fine. Not the best match, but not a big conflict.
As you can see, there are many foods to enjoy with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC.
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC
I have to mention a DOC entirely devoted to dry rose’. Why?
Because I am a huge fan of dry Rose'!
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC is made from the Montepulciano grape.
The rose’ color is a result of the contact of the grape skins and juice for a short period of time.
Wine is colored by the length of time the skins are in the juice.
Weeks of contact, make dark colored wine.
Only hours of contact, Rose’!
Cerasuolo is a derivative of the local word “cirasce” which means cherry. They did that for a reason. The rose’ has a strong cherry flavor.
This dry rose’ is delicious. Plenty of body weight in the wine to stand up to most meats, and a citrus undertone to play friendly with most fish.
This would be a great match to tomato anything.
Great wine to enjoy for those summer BBQ’s or sitting out on the porch or deck. It is refreshing and delicious.
Pecorino-
This is a white grape wine I am seeing more of here in the West. It is mostly grown in Abruzzo and in Marche.
Not to be confused with the cheese, this wine is medium bodied, higher alcohol with some nice apple & pear flavors.
Pecorino has a similar flavor profile to Trebbiano yet I think it has more depth of character without getting too flashy.
It’s balanced with the acid & fruit. It’s not one dimensional or really bitter either. There’s nothing here not to like.
The neutrality of the wine makes it a good white wine for a group or party. I call that being a crowd pleaser.
It's kind of like being a drummer in a jazz band. You aren't the star or the lead, but you round out the sound and keep it all together harmoniously.
I haven’t tasted any Pecorino with oak influences, so no opinion there. I’m sure they make a great tasting oak-aged wine.
I hope you can find some Pecorino and see for yourself what a delicious wine it is.
Food Pairings-
Pecorino is a medium-bodied wine with some minerality and mild floral aromas.
Pair with pork, chicken, grilled vegetables, seafood and most appetizers.
Medium strength cheeses like Monterey Jack and blends.
Strong flavored foods will overpower the wine and dull the subtleties of flavor.
Trebbiano-
Trebbiano has been discussed in previous regions such as Tuscany. It is an easy growing grape in many regions in Italy.
It is the 2nd most grown varietal in Abruzzo.
I am seeing more Trebbiano & Chardonnay blends coming out of Italy lately and so to in Abruzzo.
It makes sense to me to have that blend be successful.
The body and strength of Chardonnay balanced with the acids and sharpness from the Trebbiano. With some oak aging, this could be an amazing wine. I’m sure we will see more of that in the coming years.
My recent taste of Trebbiano d’Abruzzo was lovely. There were milder acids, mellow citrus, hint of bitterness, touch of honey, not sweet but low in alcohol.
It had a soft floral nose, maybe honeysuckle. It was smooth and easy to drink, light bodied, and a good starter wine.
I did have the amazing opportunity to taste an incredible oak aged Trebbiano from Abruzzo many years ago.
Valentini- Trebbiano d’Abruzzo was a very limited and expensive wine I represented many years ago when I was a wine rep.
I had a great customer that was aware of its greatness, so I asked for a bottle to sample him. One bottle was about $100 or so retail back around the early 90’s. I wondered why this wine was 10 times the price as others as I was selling other Trebbiano’s for $10 retail.
We tasted the wine and It was magnificent!
I wondered how a 10 yr. old Trebbiano could taste so amazing.
It was complex, rich, full-flavored with a finish that lasted forever.
I was new to the wine business, and it just blew my little mind!
It was for many years, the most memorable Italian white wine I have had the pleasure to taste.
If you have the opportunity (and the $400+) to buy a Valentini, I think you will be amazed.
I hope you will discover the wonderfulness of the wines from Abruzzo. Reds or Whites or Roses’ are really great “bang for the buck” wines.
Seek some out and find out for yourself.
John
