ABRUZZO
Abruzzo may be only a few hours east of Rome in central Italy, but it’s a whole ‘nother green world. The region squeezes three national parks, 38 nature reserves, and a whopping 75% of the flora and fauna on the continent into the space between the Apennine Mountains to the west and a long Adriatic coastline to the east. A third of its 4,900 square miles consists of officially protected land, and two thirds are covered by rugged peaks, which provide great (if labor intensive) conditions for viticulture. Thin soils, big diurnal temperature shifts, and cool mountain air currents, moderate the temperatures in the vineyards on the slopes furnish an ideal microclimate for the vines. Closer to the coast, the climate becomes wetter and more temperate, receiving a decent amount of annual rainfall.
So it’s no surprise that Abruzzo goes way back with wine. Officially, the local tradition starts with the Etruscans in the 6th century B.C.E., but there is evidence that vine growing began in the 4th century B.C.E., when a sweet, Moscato-style grape called Apianae was grown. It is also believed that when Hannibal made his epic journey over the Alps, his soldiers were given Abruzzo wine from Teramo (historically known as Pretuzi). Whatever the case, today Abruzzo ranks fifth amongst Italy’s 20 regions in terms of wine production per annum - which is remarkable given its relative size: Tuscany has twice as much land under vine and makes far less. This is due in part to the high permitted yields of Abruzzo's main DOC region (as much as 100 hectoliters) as well as the government mandated use of high-producing tendon vine-training systems installed in the 1970s. This fecundity arguably comes at the expense of diversity though: more than ⅔ of Abruzzo’s juice is made by co-ops and/or sold in bulk to negociants for blending elsewhere - in Tuscany, Piedmont or Veneto. Abruzzo’s two most famous red and white varietals: Montelpuciano D’Abruzzo* and Trebbiano D’Abruzzo, respectively, account for a combined 86% of all plantings.
Our red this month is indeed a classic Montepulciano D’Abruzzo from the excellent Tiberio winery. For the white however, we have a new (to the club - it’s ancient actually) indigenous varietal called Cococciola. Bright, clean and dry, it is great for the belated summer weather we are experiencing right now.
Salute!
Alan Hicks - PlumpJack Noe Wine Buyer
*(Forever fated to be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a famous wine from the Tuscan medieval town Montepulciano that is mainly produced with a local Sangiovese clone known as Prugnolo Gentile. In fact, the grape Montepulciano is not grown in the town of Montepulciano at all, despite being widely planted all over Central Italy – in Marche and Emilia Romagna, for instance - and having more than 50 DOCs dedicated to it.)
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Tiberio Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2023 |
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Region: Abruzzo, Italy |
About the Winery: Inspired by his discovery of a very old plot of Trebbiano Abruzzese vines, in 2000 Ricardo Tiberio purchased 39 hectares of prime vineyard land at 50 meters above sea level, twenty-three miles inland from the coastal city of Pescara, near the lovely medieval hillside town of Cugnoli. Guided by decades of personal experience, Riccardo planted a selection of indigenous varieties matched to the different soil characteristics in the vineyard. Montepulciano, Trebbiano Abruzzese, were planted along with Pecorino from ancient vines in the property. Experiments with small plantings of international varietals were also undertaken. And so it was that when Tiberio released its first vintage in 2004, the wine cognoscenti took notice of Tiberio’s mineral whites and fruit forward reds. In 2008, Riccardo Tiberio handed over the reins of the winery to his highly competent children, daughter Cristiana and son Antonio. The role of viticulturalist goes to Antonio while Cristiana handles the winemaking duties. She is a chemistry graduate with training stints in Champagne and Australia backed by repeated visits to the Mosel and Chablis. In 2011 she took over all the winemaking duties and is now solely responsible for the wines made at the estate. At that time, Antonio and Cristiana also decided to uproot the international varieties and to replace them with more Pecorino and Trebbiano Abruzzese. They chose to use massal selections from their oldest vines because over the years they found that their massal selections gave much deeper, more complex, and altogether better wines than those made from clonal selections. About the Winemaking: Hand harvested in October. Fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks using only indigenous yeasts for 15 daysSpontaneous malolactic fermentation in stainless steel. Aged in tank and bottle 3 months 100% massal selection Montepulciano d’Abruzzo; alcohol: 14.5%; vines averaging 63 and over 20 years old grown in 2 plots at 1150 feet/350 meters altitude; hand harvested; fermented in stainless steel using only indigenous yeasts for 15 days; spontaneous malolactic fermentation in tanks; aged 3 months in stainless steel tanks and bottle. Tasting Notes: Violet tinges in brilliant, deep red-ruby color. Refined and elegant, yet saturated and intense aromas and flavors: sour red cherry hints, blueberry, violet and flint. Mouthfilling with smooth tannins and a fresh long finish. |
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Winemaker: Cristiana Tiberio |
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Price per bottle / varietal $35.99 100% Montepulciano D’Abruzzo |
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Suggested Food Pairing: Bucatini alla Amatriciana, pappardelle with wild boar ragù, arrosticini, barbecue, shepherd's pie, stuffed baked potato, aged cheddar, roasted mushrooms. |
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Ciavolich Cococciola Colline Pescaresi IGP 2025 |
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Region: Abruzzo, Italy |
About the Winery: : The Ciavolich family traces their roots back to Bulgaria in the 1500s. A family of wool merchants by trade, they eventually left their homeland to escape the Saracen invasion. They settled in Miglianico in the province of Chieti around the year 1560. In 1853, they built their first wine cellar which still stands today as one of the ancient winemaking landmarks of the Abruzzo region. The cellar was built underground beneath Via Sud and connects to the barrel rooms under the palace. A wide cave on the Eastern wall of the winery was expanded during the Nazi occupation and reached under the convent of Suore di Sant'Anna. This tunnel was used during WWII as a bomb shelter until the family was finally forced from the estate in December 1943. At the end of the war, the family returned to Miglianico. Life and winemaking eventually began again. In the 1960s the family inherited from Donna Ernestina the Loreto Aprutino estate in the province of Pescara. Since 2004, the estate has been run by Chiara Ciavolich and her husband Gianluca. They have brought a modern approach with traditional philosophy to the viticulture and winemaking. Sustainable methods are employed both in the vineyards and throughout the entire winemaking process. About the Winemaking: This Coccocioal comes from one hectare of pergola abruzzese planted in 1985 in Loreto Aprutino’s estate. Its thick, green coloured bunches are hand harvested and immediately taken to the winery to be destemmed and softly pressed. The must is fermented in inox vats under controlled temperature with the help of selected yeast. Finally the wine is aged for at least four months before being bottled. Tasting Notes: Characterized by a soft straw yellow colour with green notes, citric and green fruit aroma. A well balanced acidity followed by a good persistency marks it on the palate |
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Winemaker: Chiara and Gianluca Ciavolich |
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Price per bottle/varietal $26.99 100% Cococciola |
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Suggested Food Pairing: Battered courgette flower stuffed with burrata (see recipe), potato gateau, crispy vegetables. |
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Zucchini Flowers Stuffed with Burrata Cheese and Dried Tomatoes (serves 4 as appetizer)
INGREDIENTS
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8 Zucchini Flowers
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4 Dried Tomatoes
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2.5 oz Burrata
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Salt to taste
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Sunflower Oil
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½ cup Ice Sparkling Water
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4 Ice Cubes
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1 Yolk
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A Pinch of Salt
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3.5 oz White Flour
Instructions
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Wash the zucchini flowers by soaking them in cold water.
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Let drain on a cloth.
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Using your hands eliminates the pistil being careful not to break the flower.
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Drain the sun-dried tomatoes to eliminate oil and cut them in half.
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Slice the Burrata Cheese.
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When the flowers are dry, fill them opening them very carefully.
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To close the flowers make a twist with your fingers, then set aside your stuffed zucchini flowers.
How to prepare a crispy batter
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In a bowl mix yolk and flour.
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Add ice water and ice cubes.
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With a whip mix the ingredients to obtain a liquid batter without lumps. A tip: before using the batter you have to see some bubbles on the top.
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In a pig pan heat the oil to 350° F.
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In a bowl put some flour: put the flowers in the flour before soaking them in the batter.
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Drain the excess batter, andfry your flowers until they turn golden brown and crispy.
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Salt and serve hot.
