Fresh Abruzzo wines to pair with fall produce (#ItalianFWT)

What makes a wine taste fresh?

I began to ponder this question while quaffing three fresh-tasting Abruzzo wines – one white and two reds – for this month’s #ItalianFWT Twitter chat on Oct. 5.

The white is a Pecorino, a grape native to both the Marche and Abruzzo regions of Italy. The two reds are 100% Sangiovese. I was surprised to find Sangiovese in my Abruzzo wine package. In Tuscany, Sangiovese is the main grape used in Chianti, and it’s the sole variety in the prized Brunello di Montalcino.  

Back to freshness: What is it? Bright but not overripe fruit. Tangy acidity as long as the wine is balanced.

These wines have all that and something more – a scent of the outdoors. In the Ferzo Pecorino, it’s a hint of hay on the palate, like a freshly cut field. In the Citra Sangiovese, it’s spruce, cedar or fir – a conifer redolent of deep woods and mountains.

For the pairing, I originally intended a classic Italian dish fitting for Abruzzo, which, as a mountainous region, has had little influence from outside invaders. Its cuisine is perhaps more authentically Italian than elsewhere in the country.

I was thinking of a mild Italian Brigante cheese on mini-toasts as an appetizer for the Pecorino, and a cheesy, meaty lasagna for the reds. I went so far as to shop for the ingredients – the cheeses and lasagna noodles. I bought lean ground turkey to add to my homemade tomato sauce.

I was set. Then my plans changed.

The region

There’s a reason (multiple reasons, actually) our group of bloggers focuses on Italy once a month: the rugged beauty of the country, the Mediterranean Sea and climate, the food, the wine. So much to tempt the traveler. Of the many potential Italian destinations, one near the top of my bucket list is wild and wonderful Abruzzo.

Located on the Adriatic coast of central Italy, Abruzzo is just a short drive east of Rome and more affordable than Tuscany. High peaks in the Apennine Mountains, the spine of Italy, gradually slope down to a range of hills before reaching the sea. Three national parks are set up as protected areas for golden eagles, wolves, lynx and the Marsican brown bear. The region is dotted with small villages, monasteries and castles.

David of Cooking Chat lists “9 Things to Know About Abruzzo Wine” in the invitation post for this month’s Twitter chat. As he notes, there are three primary wine-producing areas within Abruzzo. Chieti, the largest wine-producing area, is located in the southern part of the region. Teramo is a hilly area in the north, with a long history of wine production and famous for its high-quality Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Between Chieti and Teramo on the coast is Pescara, the largest city in Abruzzo as well as the name of the province surrounding the city.

I’m grateful to Gwendolyn from Wine Predator and Donna White of Donna White Communications for arranging the samples of Abruzzo wine I received for this post. Please note that while the wine for this post was provided, opinions are my own.

The wines

2017 Ferzo Pecorino Terre di Chieti IGP – Ferzo is the Italian word for a patch of fabric that, when stitched together with others, creates a sail. The Ferzo winery is owned by Codice Citra, a cooperative that farms more than 15,000 acres in the province of Chieti. The estate was founded in 1973 when 3,000 small family growers decided to unite under the Citra “sail.” These family-owned properties, some as small as 2 ½ acres, stretch north to south along the Adriatic coast and east to west from the sea to Majella Mountain.

Pecorino is native to the region and named for the pecora or “sheep” that, according to legend, developed a taste for these tasty wild grapes. Some 40 acres of calcareous and stony land is devoted to Pecorino on the Citra estate. When gently pressed and fermented cool in stainless steel thanks, the cultivated Pecorino grapes produce a wine that has become one of my favorite whites. Check out my previous post on Pecorino.

Tasting notes: Pale yellow/gold in color. Plenty of fresh pear on the nose, followed by a buttery, flowery, springtime palate hinting of freshly mowed hay. Light to medium body. Medium acidity. Alcohol: 13.3%. Average price on wine-searcher.com: $21.

2017 Citra Sangiovese Terre di Chieti IGP – About 700 acres of iron-rich and pebbly soils are planted to Sangiovese on the vast Citra estate. Hand-harvested grapes undergo a long maceration on their skins in stainless steel tanks. The grape must is pumped over frequently for 8-15 days, and the wine is then finished in stainless steel – it sees no oak.

Tasting notes: Ruby red in color. The fruity nose is full of ripe red cherry and currant with a fresh-smelling scent of conifer forest. On the palate, I get the sour cherry and tea leaves characteristic of Sangiovese. Medium body and acidity. Medium tannins. Medium+ finish. Alcohol: 12.8%. Average price: $11.

2016 Caldora Sangiovese Terre di Chieti IGT – This easy-drinking Sangiovese is a product of Farnese Vini, an Italian wine group and one of the leading export companies in southern Italy. Vineyards are located in Ortona, San Salvo and elsewhere in Chieti. Grapes are soft-crushed and de-stemmed before they are macerated and fermented on their skins for 10 days. No oak. Like the Citra, it is meant for drinking young.

Tasting notes: Garnet in color with a purplish rim. Fruity nose of black cherry gives way to intense sour-cherry candy on the palate. Medium body and acidity. Stronger tannins than the Citra Sangiovese. Medium+ finish. Alcohol: 12.5%. Average price: $9

The pairings

The Ferzo Pecorino was delivered just in time for dinner with Becky and Jeff on the large screened porch of their farm. I brought along the Brigante cheese and toasts to share with the Pecorino. The match was OK, but the Pecorino shined just fine on its own.

Then our hosts presented a simple yet elegant and delicious dinner of grilled salmon, broccoli spears, and their own homegrown tomatoes and potatoes. Now the Pecorino put on a show! The wine blended with the food as if it were waiting for this moment to arrive.

A couple of days later, the time had arrived to sample the reds side by side. First, though, the spouse and I attended a fall festival at the Horn Farm Center, a teaching facility dedicated to regenerative agriculture. I couldn’t resist the fresh and organic veggies for sale – beets, swiss chard, peppers and spaghetti squash.

With these young and potentially fruity wines – and with the warm temperatures we’ve had recently – I couldn’t bring myself to bake a heavy pasta lasagna. Instead, I found this recipe for a spaghetti squash lasagna that would use my cheeses and meat sauce.

The result? A complementary pairing for each of these slightly different Sangiovese wines. Next time, though, I’ll skip the extra steps and prepare the squash as I’ve done before:

1. Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise.
2. Bake cut side down at 375 degrees F for 35-40 minutes.
3. Remove from oven, flip over and fork the strands.
4. Top with meat sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
5. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes.
6. Broil for a final 4-5 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

Check out the other bloggers exploring Abruzzo wines and join us Oct. 5 for the Twitter chat, beginning at 11 am ET. Simply follow the hashtag, #ItalianFWT. Buon appetito!

• Steven from Wine and Food Pairings discusses “Cioppino – Red or White Wine? #Italian FWT”
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “The Food and Wines of Abruzzo”
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla brings us “Scrippelle ‘mbusse + Ferzo Passerina”
• Deanna from Asian Test Kitchen reveals “5 Iconic Abruzzo Wines to Try from Torre Zambra”
• Jen from Vino Travels shares “The Variety of Abruzzo Wines”
• Gwendolyn from Wine Predator  tastes and shares “3 Montepulciano and 1 Trebbiano from d’Abruzzo #ItalianFWT”
• Pinny from Chinese Food and Wine Pairing is “Celebrating Abruzzo Wines with the Ferzo Passerina, Citra Montepulciano d’Anruzzo and Caldora Chardonnay”
• Jeff from foodwineclick brings us “Pairing Magic with Ferzo Pecorino and Squash Risotto”
• Nicole from Somm’s Table shares “Cooking to the Wine: Lammidia Anfora Rosso from Abruzzo & Post Roast with Tomatoes and Chickpeas”
• David on Cooking Chat  shares “Baked Haddock with Pasta and White Wine from Abruzzo”