The wines of Abruzzo are best known for their montepulciano d’abruzzo,
but there is so much more. Today I’m highlighting some wines I
recently received to try and others I had at some tastings earlier this
summer from Abruzzo that I’ve been waiting to share with you. Our
Italian Food, Wine and Travel group this month takes you all through the
wines of Abruzzo with some suggested pairings along the way.
The Land ~ Abruzzo
Abruzzo
is located in central Italy located on the east coast along the
Adriatic. Bordering Le Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and
Molise to the south. It’s about 2/3 covered in mountains and is one of
the most if not the most mountainous region in central and southern
Italy. The Apennine mountain range runs through it plus the Gran Sasso in northern Abruzzo with Monti della Lago and Massif of Mariella as well.
The Wineries
The first three wines I share below come from Codice Citra. Codice Citra is a winery founded in 1973. Three of the wines today including the Citra, Caldora and Ferzo are all part of this overarching brand. Codice
Citra is made up of a bunch of small families combining a variety of
terroirs and climates in the province of Chieti. The winemaking is
overlooked by the famous Italian enologist, Riccardo Cotarella,
whom I’ve talked about in previous posts assisting other wineries
throughout Italy. The grapes grown in this area benefits from the “brezza
di terra” as their website mentions which creates the perfect climate
with cold air traveling from the mountains with the warm air from the
sea.
The Grapes
No
matter how many wines you try I feel there is always something to
learn, especially when it comes to Italian wine. This month I tried a
wine from a grape I actually hadn’t even heard of, cococciola. Cococciola
is a grape native to southern Abruzzo almost all hailing from the
province of Chieti. It is a grape that has been typically blended with trebbiano, but in the wine I present today it stands alone.
White wines only make up about 40% of Abruzzo’s wines with reds dominating the pack. Trebbiano is the leading white grape, but there are others like cococciola and pecorino. Montepulciano leads the charge of red grapes with dominating over half of the production.
The Wine

2017 Citra Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOP
– A brand many are familiar with and I actually remember an Italian
restaurant that I worked for when I was young using this wine in their
cooking. Citra produces 24 million bottles so to say they are quite
large is an understatement. This wine is deep ruby in color. Full
bodied and fruit forward, rich in dark berries. A great every day, easy
drinking wine. It’s hard not to beat when it’s only about $8 a
bottle. ABV 13%
Pairing: I paired this wine with a classic chicken parmesan dish with a side of eggplant parmesan. To be honest I feel that either this or the Caldora Sangiovese would've worked out just as well.
Pairing: I paired this wine with a classic chicken parmesan dish with a side of eggplant parmesan. To be honest I feel that either this or the Caldora Sangiovese would've worked out just as well.

My personal selections from tastings earlier this summer are:


- Steven from Wine and Food Pairings discusses Cioppino – Red or White Wine? #Italian FWT"
- Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shared about The Food and Wines of Abruzzo"
- Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla will brings us Scrippelle 'mbusse + Ferzo Passerina"
- Deanna from Asian Test Kitchen reveals 5 Iconic Abruzzo Wines to Try from Torre Zambra"
- Gwendolyn from Wine Predator shares "Beautiful Abruzzo: 3 Montepulciano and 1 Trebbiano with simple Italian cuisine"
- Cindy from Grape Experiences suggests that you "Immerse Yourself in Wines from Abruzzo for a Genuine Taste of Italy"
- Pinny from Chinese Food and Wine Pairing is “Celebrating Abruzzo Wines with the Ferzo Passerina, Citra Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Caldora Chardonnay”.
- Linda from My Full Wine Glass suggests Fresh Abruzzo wines to pair with fall produce (#ItalianFWT)”
- Jeff of Food Wine Click 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 & Pot Roast with Tomatoes and Chickpeas"
- David from Cooking Chat shared "Baked Haddock with Pasta and White Wine from Abruzzo".
- Susannah from Avvinare takes "A Fresh Look at the Wines of Abruzzo"
- Rupal from Syrah Queen shares "Exploring The Wine & Gastronomy of Abruzzo"
- Katarina from Grapevine Adventures wrote about San Lorenzo Winery - Montepulciano d'Abruzzo between Sea and Mountain
*All wines were provided as samples, but opinions are strictly my own.
Curious about that Sangiovese from Abruzzo!
ReplyDeleteI've never hear of Cococciola either and now I'm so curious!
ReplyDeleteI had it last year for the first time last year. Loved it but can’t find it in the USE
DeleteHow fun that you got a sangiovese from Caldoro. I was pleased with the Montepulciano and would love to try the chianti.
ReplyDelete