Quick Facts—Abruzzo Written by Julie Grady
If you don’t know what you’re talking about, at least sound like you do with this crash course in all things Abruzzo. Pronunciation: a-bruttso Location: The region is less than 50 miles east of Rome, bordering the Apennine Mountains to the west and the Adriatic Sea to the east. Wine history: In 1735, the region was under the French Bourbons, who began draining Lake Fucino and thereby creating 140 square kilometers of top notch farm land. The region produces only one DOCG and four DOC wines that have been misjudged as generic. Quickly, the region is earning a new reputation for distinguished boutique wines, however some critics are still guided by the old paradigm. The DOC wines are Contro Guerra, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane and the DOCG wine is Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane.
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As we mentioned, La Botte is a Riserva wine, which means it is barrel-aged for a little over a year in large oak casks, which give La Botte a nice, spicy fragrance and softer tannic profile.
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If a more expensive wine is what you’re after, try Zaccagnini’s flagship red, San Clemente. Concezio offers San Clemente in a Burgundy-style bottle, versus the typical Bordeaux glass, which accurately reflects the wine’s French Rhone style – more spice, brighter fruit, longer finish, crisper acidity, and more food-friendly than many other big reds. To its credit, San Clemente Riserva is a fabulous, jammy, focused and balanced Italian red that rivals the likes of Piedmont’s Barolo and Tuscany’s Brunello di Montalcino. In fact, if you like richness and complexity with ample fruit at the ready, San Clemente is for you. And, at around $30 retail, it can be for many of you!
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Produce: Abruzzo offers traditional products such as saffron; however, the region specializes in highquality local foodstuffs such as lamb, wine, olives and cheese.
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Regional highlights: L’Aquila is the region’s capital and offers the charm of a bustling Italian city, but without the massive crowds of Rome. The historic town of Sulmona was home to the famous poet Ovid and lies at the foot of the Majella massif, whose gentle slopes offer stunning panoramas. The Corno Grande is not only breathtaking, but Italy’s highest peak. A rare Eucharistic miracle is documented to have taken place in the town of Lanciano. Human flesh and blood were reported to have formed from the Eucharist during a Catholic mass around 700AD. An Abruzzo experience: Planning a trip abroad? Forego the four-star hotel and try Agriturismo, a concept adopted by local farmers who have converted their estates into rustic B&Bs. In addition to a room and some cucina genuina (authentic Italian cooking with local ingredients, something Abruzzo is renowned for), you also get a taste of the agricultural lifestyle.
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