OUR REGIONS ABRUZZO

FAST FACTS

TOTAL AREA: 4,156 square miles

GRAPE VARIETIES: Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Pecorino, Trebbiano

TOTAL WINE PRODUCTION: 3,110 hl

APPELLATIONS: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo

DOC, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo DOC, Colline Pescaresi IGT

PRODUCERS BINOMIO, LA VALENTINA, DALLA TERRA

OVERVIEW

Abruzzo is a region with one foot in central Italy and the other in the south. Its position on the Italian peninsula says central, while its dialect, cuisine, and history are tied more closely to the southern regions. Abruzzo is less about ruins and touristic sites than it is about natural beauty. It's a bucolic place with lots of open space and public lands in three large national parks and other protected areas. Viticulture is an important part of the economy, as Abruzzo is fifth among the regions in wine production.

History: In the post–Roman Empire period, the area of modern-day Abruzzo came under the control of first the Lombards and then the Franks. In the 11th century, the Normans expanded their Kingdom of Sicily northward, and Abruzzo became the northernmost frontier of a united southern Italy. This essentially remained the situation—through a couple of name changes—until southern Italy fell to Giuseppe Garibaldi and the forces of Italian unification in 1860. The region was originally called Abruzzi e Molise, but in 1963 Molise was split off as a separate region and the remainder (which at the time comprised different provinces with Abruzzo in their names) became just Abruzzo, singular.

Geography: Abruzzo is on the east coast of Italy, halfway down the peninsula between Marche and Molise. It lies across the Apennine Mountains from Lazio. The Apennines dominate two thirds of the region. Abruzzo contains some of the tallest mountains south of the Alps, including the 9,550-foot (2,912 m) Corno Grande of Gran Sasso, the highest peak in the Apennines. Most of the land suitable for vineyards lies in the band from the beaches on the Adriatic coast to the Apennine foothills 15–20 miles (24–32 km) inland. Pescara, on the coast, is the largest city, while the capital L'Aquila is set among the mountains in the west. Climate: The coastal zone of Abruzzo has a typical Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The interior of the region has a more continental climate, with more precipitation year-round and cold winters; interior temperatures are more extreme and vary based on elevation.

Primary grape varieties: Abruzzo is deeply invested in just a couple of grape varieties. The real heavy hitter is Montepulciano, which accounts for more than 55% of the vineyard land in the region—25 times as much as the next red variety, Sangiovese. Another 27% is planted with two varieties of white Trebbiano (a name used by several unrelated varieties). Most of the white grapes are Trebbiano Toscano, a rather neutral variety, but a significant number of them are Trebbiano Abruzzese, a version native to the area that is considered one of the most flavorful Trebbianos. Though much smaller in quantity, the white variety Pecorino is getting a lot of attention as having considerable potential for Abruzzo as well.

Key wine regions: Abruzzo's wine regions are almost as straightforward as its menu of grape varieties. The three primary denominations cover most of the lower-elevation terrain of Abruzzo, each for a single style of wine: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC for red wine, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo DOC for white wine, and Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo DOC for rosato wine; the red and rosato are both made from Montepulciano. The other denomination of note in the region is a former subzone of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC that was recognized for the quality of its wines by being elevated to DOCG status as Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOCG. It takes in the northernmost section of the coastal zone adjacent to Marche.

Cuisine: The recipes of Abruzzo are deceptively simple, yet delicious. Famous chefs often visit Abruzzo to learn the art of making Italian comfort foods from the experts.

For the first course, egg pasta is typical. The most traditional shape is maccheroni alla chitarra, long noodles that are cut on a device that is conceptually like pushing the dough through the strings of a guitar (chitarra); another is ceppe, which are shorter and fatter with a tiny hole down the length of them. The sauce is generally a spicy combination of olive oil, tomatoes, and chili peppers, with or without meat. Another typical first course is scripelle, which are crepes that may be stuffed with meat or cheese or served in a light broth.

Second courses tend to feature pork, sheep, or goat more often than beef. Arrosticini are grilled skewers of lamb. For a special occasion, a dish may feature saffron or truffles, both of which grow in the Abruzzese mountains. Closer to the coast, of course, fish and shellfish become standard, often livened up with some hot peppers.