Join us to explore Abruzzo and Le Marche (#ItalianFWT)

Of the many potential Italian destinations, one near the top of my bucket list is wild and wonderful Abruzzo.

Located on the Adriatic (east) coast of mountainous 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.

Sounds wonderful, right? I’m ready to start packing!

Ah, not so fast. For now, I’m exploring this wine region and adjacent Le Marche virtually with the Italian Food, Wine and Travel (#ItalianFWT) bloggers when we “visit” on May 5-6. Stay tuned for more information on our chat. If you’d like to post to your blog and be a part of this virtual event, please see the instructions below.

Abruzzo

In Abruzzo, vineyards benefit from proximity to both the mountains and the sea. The coastal area is warm and dry, while inland, it is more continental (hot in summer and cold in winter). High altitudes and mountain breezes result in dramatic daily temperature shifts in the vineyards located on the slopes.

Abruzzo is divided into four regions. Chieti, located in the southern part of Abruzzo, is the largest producer with 75% of the vineyards. Teramo, a hilly region in the north, has a long history of wine production and its own Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG),  Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOCG. Between Chieti and Teramo is Pescara, the largest city in Abruzzo and also the name of the province surrounding the city. L’Aquila, with its medieval hill and university town of the same name, is framed by the high mountain ranges of the Gran Sasso and the Monti della Laga.

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo accounts for some 80% of DOC production in Abruzzo. This medium-bodied, high-tannic red ranges from food-friendly, entry-level to some reserves that have aging potential. Don’t confuse it with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a wine from Tuscany made with Sangiovese.

Cerasualo d’Abruzzo is a full-bodied, deep-pink rosé made from Montepulciano grapes.

Although best known for Montepulciano, Abruzzo grows a number of Italian white grapes, including Pecorino, Cocciola and Passerina. Trebbiano, a common white varietal throughout Italy, is also grown here and particularly well suited to the Abruzzo terroir.

Le Marche

Lesser-known and largely unspoiled, Le Marche (pronounced “lay markay”) is located on the Adriatic coast north of Abruzzo.

Le Marche is known for aromatic, indigenous white wines. Verdicchio is the most common, but Pecorino also grows here as it does in Abruzzo. Lacrima is a red grape used to produce fruity wines that remind some of Syrah.

The region consists of 15 DOC wine regions – Bianchello del Metauro, Colli Maceratesi, Colli Pesaresi, Esino, Falerio, Lacrima di Morro or Lacrima di Morro d’Alba, Pergola, Rosso Conero, Rosso Piceno, San Ginesio, Serrapetrona, Terre di Offida, Terreni di San Severino, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, and Verdicchio di Matelica – and five DOCG regions, including Conero, Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva, Offida, Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva, and Vernaccia di Serrapetrona.

Various microclimates, ranging from continental in the northern part of the region to Mediterranean near the sea, allow for cultivation of a range of grape varieties.

Easy-peasy instructions

To be included in the preview post, please provide your title, blog name and blog url by Tuesday, May 2. Either leave a comment with this info via My Full Wine Glass or drop it in the designated post event thread in the #ItalianFWT Coordinating Group. We’ll be posting updates to this event, including chat questions and links to other blogs on this event page. Need to join the group? Great! Let me know and I’ll connect you with the site administrator.

If you can do a food and wine pairing, so much the better. But all we ask is that you post on May 5 or 6.

Looking forward to a variety of posts from these two wine regions!