Exploring the Wines of Abruzzo

In addition to being President's Day in the United States, February 18 also marks National Drink Wine Day - and I'm using the occasion to introduce you to some of my favorite wines from Abruzzo, as well as the people who make them. It wasn't until I began traveling to the Abruzzo region of Italy a few years ago while forming Italian Sensory Experience, that I learned about its' magnificent wines.

I must point out that I learned everything I know from my tour partners Antonio Iuliano and Francesco Giovanelli who are both Italian food and wine experts. Antonio is the founder of Italian Sensory Experience, while Francesco owns Feudo delle Ginestre which among other things, makes gourmet jams, vinegars, and condiments out to the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wine.

 Wine is at the heart of each of our tours. Staying at the DeLuca winery enables our guests to experience unparalleled hospitality as well as world class food and wine. We are proud to partner with the De Luca Agriturismo during our stay in Abruzzo. Thanks to Dr. Luciano De Luca and his family and staff,  our guests are made to feel like long lost relatives whose arrival has been greatly anticipated as they explore the genuine, mouthwatering flavors and wines that the beautiful Abruzzo region is known for, right alongside the winemakers themselves.

Over the years the De Luca's have made me feel so at home, that I often forget that I am a guest. When I first visited the winery, Luciano, as he prefers to be called, unveiled some cheese that he had been aging in grape skins from the previous harvest. We opened the package on Facebook Live so that we could experience it with everyone. When I returned, I was struck by his nostalgic gesture of rewrapping the cheese and putting it up to age once again until my return. Unveiling the cheese once again, which remained untouched since my previous visit, might seem like a simple gesture to some, but to me it means the world. 

That nostalgic attention to detail is what I reserve for my loved ones, and it makes me feel welcome and as if I belong in a way that no words ever could.

It is said that all of Italy is a vast vineyard.  World wine connoisseurs consistently point to Italy for the quality of its wines, the multitude of varieties, and for its originality. Italian wine shops offer thousands of wines differing in varieties, terroir, production techniques, and evolution. 

The cultivation of vines was documented before 2000 BCE in Greece and in the Greek colonies of Sicily, and later was diffused throughout Magna Grecia in modern day Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, and Puglia. To learn more about the wines of Magna Grecia, click here. My Calabrian roots can be traced back to the enotri - an ancient people called "the wine cultivators" by the Ancient Greeks. It is said that our gaglioppo wine, for example, was brought back to Greece and awarded to olympic champions in antiquity. In 77 CE, Pliny the Elder cited in Naturalis Historia more more than 80 types of famous wines known in the world and produced in the Italian peninsula.The vine became a social and economic symbol and today wine is considered the national drink par excellence with elevated notes of quality. The vast variety of wines produced in the different Italian regions enable it to be perfectly paired with regional Italian cuisine.

The regions of Abruzzo and Molise, in Central Italy, make up an area defined as “The Greenest Region in Europe,” with their national parks and reserves. Defined by mountains and seas, they are regions highly used for wine cultivation and the production of internationally recognized award-winning wines. While all of our tours are centered around the vineyard, our Grape and Truffle Harvest Tour actually takes place during harvest season, so that guests can pick the grapes themselves and witness them being pressed, bottled, and aged.

The Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo is the undisputed protagonist of Abruzzese wine culture; a wine with a strong structure and a purplish red color – it’s aromas are of spices, licorice, red fruits and mixed berries. 

 In the De Luca cantina you can experience the Conte Genuino which is named after the count who once ruled the land and lived in the castle up the street. 

It is a 100% Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Riserva DOC and is a fantastic reference point for what Montepulciano D'Abruzzo should be.It is an intense ruby red in color which offers the aroma of melting chocolate and prunes. It maintains its' complexity in the palette because of its tannin structure. It has a soft, velvety mouthfeel which help it to pair well with sauces, red meat, game, truffles, and aged cheeses. There are some not-so-great Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wines available in the US that are giving a bad rap to the region's viticulture. If you taste the Conte Genuino, DiRe or any other De Luca wine, you will know what this territory is capable of.

Another De Luca classic is the DiRe 

which is also a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC and has an intense red color, with aromas of marasca cherries, prune preserves, and melting chocolate. It maintains its freshness in aroma and while tasting due to its tannins. 

While enjoying dinner with the De Luca family, Luciano explained to us that this wine is named after his grandparents, (Di)na and (Re)mo, who began planting the first seeds in the vineyard at the end of the late 1960's. Interestingly, last year Montepulciano d'Abruzzo celebrated its' 50th anniversary!

DiRe pairs best with hearty local specialties such as "caco e uovo" - Abruzzese egg and cheese "meatballs," savory soups, baked pastas, fresh pasta with meat spaces, stews, roasts, and even stewed cod. It is also perfectly paired with aged cheeses and cured meets. 

At the De Luca Agriturismo, Luciano's wife and sister in law, and sometimes even his mother, prepare their family favorites for us for each wine pairing. For those of used to a few cold bites and sips of wine during pairing - the De Luca experience is a complete game changer.

Also from the Montepulciano grapes, the Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo is produced. This young and highly appreciated rose wine is known for its scents of wild strawberries and cherries from which the wine gets its name. Fresh to the palate and full of sapidity, this wine quickly became a go-to favorite for pairing with meals, even when we were eating outside of the cantina with our guests. It pairs well with tomato-based dishes, white meats, and full-bodied fish dishes.

Abruzzo is also known for its white wine produced from indigenous grapes such as the Pecorino and the Passerina (which takes it's name from a the sparrows which love to eat this white grape) and  pairs well with noted seafood dishes from the Adriatic Sea. 

The Passerina in particular has a brilliant straw yellow color with green reflections. Its' aroma is intensely floral. It is fresh to the palate and its sapidity and fullness give it a pleasant finish. In addition to fish, it pairs well with first (white) courses, white meats, poultry, and crustaceans.

 I always chuckle to myself when I see the word "pecorino" on wine bottles, because prior to spending time in Abruzzo, my only experience with that word was with the pecorino (sheep's milk) cheese. One time, during our guided tastings with guests, I was translating for Luciano, and he told me, in Italian, "Amy, pass me the pecorino." And so I handed him the grated cheese that was on the table. I forgot about the wine, which of course, was what he was referring to. He burst out laughing and said "ti voglio bene" which means "I love you" but can also sometimes have a consoling tone, used when you feel sorry for someone. 

The Pecorino wine has a yellow hay colored tint with slight green reflections and has strong peach, white peach, tropical fruit aroma. It's full sapidity and mineral tones are what it is known for. It is often paired with seafood, the local fish brodetto, white meat, and herb based sauces.  

I am especially proud of Luciano and his family for bringing the Pecorino and Passerina wines, which are indigenous to the region, back into production. A few decades ago these wines were at risk of being forgotten. The local industry was earning much more by selling their grapes to other regions or by promoting the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. The De Luca's, however, invested a great deal of time, energy, and money into making sure that these two varietals remained in existence. Nowadays, they even make a sparkling wine, the Pecorino Extra-Dry Spumante. This festive wine pairs well with shellfish and first-courses based out of fish. It's hay-yellow color and crystalline pelage give it a persistent finish. It has a fruity, aromatic flavor with notes of fish, white fruit, and white-petalled flowers. I can always detect notes of honey-suckle which makes Luciano happy. 

Last year, during the vendemmia, or "wine harvest," I created a Sweet Grape Focaccia using the Montepulciano grapes that we picked along with our guests  in front of the agriturismo as well as stuffed grape leaves using the fresh leaves. We even braised fish in  the amazingly aromatic trebbiano grapes - and we toasted with the Armenia Pecorino Spumante. For a complete list of the De Luca wines, click here.

I am incredibly grateful to my tour partners and the De Luca family for the enchanting world that they have introduced me to. I am pleased to note that just as Luciano has strived to keep grape varietals alive, many of his fellow countrymen in Abruzzo are making similar efforts to preserve ancient grains and olive cultivars as well, despite economical and practical reasons to do otherwise. There is a quiet, yet extraordinary eno-gastronomic renaissance that is taking place in the region. There, the locals know the secrets of biodiversity and the importance of maintaining indigenous crops - in terms of both tradition and nutrition. To me, that type of commitment, more than anything, deserves a toast. Alla salute!