The wine

The only place to start whenever discussing the wine of this region is, of course, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC. It might be a surprise to some that it isn’t a DOCG wine, but there’s a simple reason for this: the size and variety of the production area! Remember, a DOCG doesn’t necessarily mean a wine area is better – what it means is that there is an historic, recognised style of wine associated with an area that requires an extra level of regulation to maintain its identity. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo however can be made in the majority of the region, with quite huge climatic and topographical variation that will affect greatly what kind of wine gets made, and therefore necessitates a bit more flexibility to enable each producer to do what they can to create the best wines with what they’ve got.

Still, there are of course some rules, which vary from the general rules to the subzones to the two DOCG designations within the area. Generally, the montepulciano grape should comprise 85% of the wine, with the remaining 15% made up of other red varieties (usually featuring sangiovese prominently); in the Teate and Terre Vistrini zones, the percentage is upped to 90%, while in Alto Tirino and Terre dej Peligni the percentage is 95% and in Casauria it’s a full 100%. Regular wines must have minimum 12% alcohol (usually this is considerably higher), while the Riserva needs 12.5% (again, normally much higher). The Riserva also stipulates a minimum of 2 years ageing, at least 9 months of which must be in wood barrels, though it leaves the wood type and barrel dimension up for grabs.

The two DOCGs in Abruzzo are both Montepulcianos. Tullum, or Terre Tolesi is the newest, based around the town of Tollo in the province of Chieti (in the east of the region). Their Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wines are noted for their brooding fruits, spice kick and higher tannins than is usual for the style. Tullum is also the only DOCG-grade whites in Abruzzo, making fresh, vibrant wines from the passerina and pecorino grapes.

The other DOCG is the best-known in the region, perhaps the brightest star in the Abruzzo firmament – Colline Teramane, from around the town of Teramo in the province of the same name. This is the northernmost province of Abruzzo, containing the nearly 3,000m-tall mountain Gran Sasso (‘big stone’), the tallest in the Apennines. The foothills, between the town and the Apennines, are of an ideal altitude for growing montepulciano, with large day-night temperature variation ensuring both ripening (acids convert to sugars in the warmth) and retention of acidity (conversion dramatically stops in low temperatures). The soils are mainly clay and limestone, the former helping with water retention, the latter with disease resistance, as well as the mysterious alchemy that makes it responsible for so many of the world’s great wines. Colline Teramane must be at least 90% montepulciano, and maximum 10% sangiovese. The regular must be aged for at least a year in oak barrels; the riserva, for two. The result is a true iron fist in a velvet glove, a wine both forceful and elegant, a full-blooded wine with immense finesse at the same time.

White wines might not be as famous a product of Abruzzo as the montepulciano outside of Italy, but within the bel paese they are ubiquitous, highly valued as both reliable everyday food-pairers and for more elevated degustatory occasions. The most common is the Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC, making light, citrussy white wines all over the region, while the IGT of Terre di Chieti is also especially prolific and known for consistent quality as well. But probably the most celebrated wines are made from the aforementioned passerina and pecorino grapes, particularly those from the Tullum DOCG.

But there is one final style to be gleaned from Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, for Abruzzo is one of the producers of Cerasuolo. Cerasuolo, a rosé wine style iterated variously across regions in Lazio, Sicily, and in the Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC which is principally montepulciano and especially prominent in the mountainous province of L’Aquila.

Abruzzo is a coming region in Italian terms, with traditional DOC styles joined by innovative IGTs, but it remains best known for its classic, iconic red.