If you happen to be vacationing in and around the hillside region near Chieti and believe you have to drive all the way to the coast in order to eat good fish… think again! (Personally, I’ve had more disappointments on the coast than I care to count.) In the old city centre of beautiful Guardiagrele you will find “La Sfoglia”: a noodle store by day (on the left) and restaurant by night (on the right). … Continue Reading
If you happen to visit Guardiagrele just south of Chieti, renown for its blacksmiths and copper crafts, Ristorante Santa Chiara offers many possibilities for a wonderful dining experience or “bite to eat” if you happen to be in a hurry. But don’t even begin to think you will find any type of fast-food here… because it’s absolutely the opposite. Santa Chiara is a supporter of the Slow Food movement and an avid host of the Chieti section events. … Continue Reading
I could begin by describing the fine wines tasted before dinner but it’s actually the deco which interested me even more upon my first visit. An old olive mill and stone takes up quite a bit of space in the adjacent room and a well lit antique olive press used today strictly for decoration purposes will keep your eyes wandering for hours. And its not every day you find a grand piano in the middle of a room which, well let’s put it this way, is not all that large, but non intrusive at the same time since the custom bottle racks lining the stone walls catch your eye right away. … Continue Reading
This wonderful establishment is not only known for the cave at the back of the dining room, from which its name is derived (grotta) harbouring a few tables and hundreds of bottles of fine national and regional wines but also for its fine menu and professional service.
Anna Maria and Franco Spadaccini take pride in offering a special dining experience and their attention to detail shows in every aspect of the dining experience: the fine table linens, cutlery and dishes, wine glasses, professional waiters, the long wine and distillates list and not to mention, the very fine food. … Continue Reading
Fattoria Licia was principally founded through wine production, under the name Azienda Agricola Colle Ruzzo. In the late 1920′s, when the great-grandfather Peppino De Luca, upon his return from the war, began giving a regularity to the sales of wine he produced by starting a business.
The Fattoria is now run by the Peppino’s grandson Enzo De Luca, his wife Silvia and two daughters Erika and Alessia. Their main focus of business is still wine but the key word is ENOTURISMO: wine tourism (similar to AGRI –agricultural- tourism). … Continue Reading
Almond’22 is a small micro brewery in Spoltore located on the lush green countryside in the province of Pescara. The Almond’22 building is from the late 19th century. In 1922 a group of elderly women worked here pealing almonds to produce the world wide famous confetti of Sulmona. This gave the proprietor the idea of [...]
Italian Wine Tourism is popular as never before as announced on February 19 at the BIT (Borsa Internazionale del Turismo) in Milan. 2009 saw a 20% rise compared to 2008, which translates to € 3 Billion spent in this sector! Stats go on to show that it’s imperative that wineries and wine regions build a [...]
The charm of Abruzzo lies very much on the geographical variety the region offers and not to mention, the fact that it is still basically “untouched”. A place where Italy is still… well, I will go as far as saying, “still Italy”.
In the Fall of 2009, Abruzzo was the shooting backdrop for the film “The American” starring George Clooney, directed by Anton Corbijn. The film is set to be released in September 2010.
The Gambero Rosso “Tre Bicchieri” (3 Glasses) is probably one of Italy’s leading wine guides and influences the consumer market immensly.