Abruzzi

The Italian region (Abruzzi in Italian) with the capital L'Aquila is located east of Rome with a 130 kilometre long Adriatic coast. It is divided into the provinces of Chieti, L'Aquila, Teramo and Pescara. Viticulture was introduced here by the Etruscans as early as the 7th century BC. The Greek historian Polybios (210-120 B.C.) mentions in his History of the Roman Empire, in the part about the Carthaginian general Hannibal (247-183 B.C.), that the wines from here were especially suitable for strengthening the soldiers. The Roman authors Pliny the Elder (23-79) and Andrea Bacci (1524-1600) also praise the wines.

The region is dominated by the Apennines, which reach their highest peaks here with the Corno Grande (2,912 m) in the Gran Sasso massif and Monte Amaro (2,795 m). About two thirds are mountainous and one third hilly. Viniculture is also partly carried out at high altitudes up to 600 metres above sea level at the foot of the massif. The climate is characterised by extreme temperature differences between day and night or summer and winter. The vineyards cover about 33,000 hectares of vineyards on lime, clay, sand and gravel soils.

Important red wine varieties are Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ciliegiolo, Merlot, Montepulciano, Pinot Nero(Pinot Noir) and Sangiovese. Important white wine varieties are Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay, Cococciola, Falanghina, Malvasia Bianca di Candia, Montonico Bianco, Moscato(Muscat Blanc), Passerina, Pecorino, Riesling, Sauvignon(Sauvignon Blanc), Traminer, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, Trebbiano Toscano and Verdicchio(Verdicchio Bianco). The nine IGT wines (or IGP - the land wines) are Colli Aprutini, Colli del Sangro, Colli Frentane, Colline Pescaresi, Colline Teatini, Del Vastese or Histonium, Terre Aquilane, Terre di Chieti and Valle Peligna. The nine DOCG/DOC zones, which will be heavily modified in 2011, account for about half of the wine production:

• Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo
• Controguerra
• Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
• Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane (DOCG)
• Ortona
• Terre Tollesi or Tullum (DOCG)
• Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
• Villamagna