“La Torre” was to my knowledge the very first restaurant in the historical center of Pretoro. And what a first it was. Pretoro is a very characteristic mountain town built directly upon the sloping walls of the Maielletta mountain (part of the Maiella range) at approximately 600 meters above sea level. On a clear day you can see the Adriatic over 30 kilometres away. … Continue Reading
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC
It should be made clear from the outset that the term montepulciano refers to the type of vine from which the grapes are harvested, while the name “Montepulciano d’Abruzzo” refers to a red DOC wine conforming to the standardised regulations. It should also be pointed out that there is no connection whatsoever between the montepulciano vines and the town of Montepulciano in the province of Sienna known for its “Nobile” and “Rosso” di Montepulciano which are produced with totally different grapes. … Continue Reading
Agriturismo “La Brocca” (Winner of the “Ospitalità Italiana” ISNART Award) is owned and run by Carla Di Crescenzo and her family: daughter Filomena, husband Maurizio and the “grandparents”. Founded in 1999, it has become quite an institution in the Chieti region and is popular with insiders for its authentic regional cuisine followed by very modest prices: where else can you get a 3 course meal for EUR 16,00 (wine and coffee included) and actually think, “Why aren’t I paying triple for this?”. That’s how good the food is here… and once again, priced very fairly. … Continue Reading
San Martino sulla Marrucina is nestled amongst the rolling hills in the province of Chieti, located approx. 20 kilometres from the Adriatic Sea at the foot of the Maiella range. San Martino is the birthplace of the successful Villa Gemma range and Masciarelli has gone on to cultivate over 220 hectares (approx. 400 acres) of vineyards in all provinces in Abruzzo. Not only does Masciarelli cultivate grapes for winemaking but also produces fine olive oils… but that’s another chapter. … Continue Reading
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”. … 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.