Wines of Abruzzo – Regional Information

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

Take me home, country roads ….. to a place, where I belong.

Take me home, country roads… to a place, where I belong. However, not West Virginia, but a small hilltop town in the Teramo region of Abruzzo, Italy.

For Mary Smith of Sheperdstown, West Virginia, USA, a collection of old crinkled sepia photographs, a few letters and a copy of her grandfather’s passport were the only remnants of a past largely unknown to her and her extensive American-Italian family. … Continue Reading

Antonio ed Elio Monti – Winery

The fact that some of the finest wines produced in Abruzzo come from the Controguerra region (in this case Contrada Pignotto) isn’t a secret but the wine’s being produced by Azienda Agricola Antonio ed Elio Monti, now run by cousins Emilia and Bruna Monti, still seem to be. The wines coming out of this family run winery are truly exceptional and by all means very serious in regards to their winemaking capabilities… the fact that Riccardo Cotarella has been at work here is very obvious. He’s been rated by Robert Parker as one of Italy’s top winemakers along with Angelo Gaja. … Continue Reading

The Taste of Abruzzo – Quality Wines

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

Abruzzo Grape Varieties

Approximately 90% of the grape-vines grown in Abruzzo consists of two main vines which are an important part of the local heritage: the Montepulciano and the Trebbiano. In addition to these are a variety of other well-know Italian and international vines such as Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon. … Continue Reading