Abruzzo and Molise: Another Brick in the Wall

BY IAN D'AGATA | SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

Abruzzo and Molise are among the greenest and most beautiful regions of Italy. They are located in the eastern half of the Italian peninsula, sandwiched between the Adriatic Sea to the east and, to the west, the Apennine mountain range, which runs right down Italy’s middle, neatly separating the country in two halves. It follows that Abruzzo and Molise’s viticulture can be divided into mountain regions (roughly 65% of the total) and coastal districts. The climate is temperate in areas that face the Adriatic Sea, and continental (and hence much cooler) on the side toward the Apennines. And this part of Italy really is “green”: the two regions boast close to 20 national or regional parks and reserves. One, the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise, is shared by both regions and is undoubtedly one of the country’s two or three most beautiful. To put things in perspective, this is the one part of Italy that brown bears and wolves still call home (along with Alto Adige and, to a lesser extent, Friuli Venezia Giulia).

A typical Abruzzo seaside sight with vineyards gently sloping down towards the deep baby blue Adriatic Sea

While Abruzzo and Molise are usually discussed together, Abruzzo is, wine-wise, by far the larger and more important of the two. But each region has its own story to tell, and boasts a unique group of local grape varieties that give wines unlike those made anywhere else. Of white varieties, Abruzzo can count on Trebbiano Abruzzese, Pecorino, Passerina, a local biotype of Moscato Bianco, and Cococciola; Molise is the only other Italian region that also grows Cococciola. By contrast, the red grape scene in Abruzzo is totally dominated by one variety, Montepulciano (of which there are 17,000 hectares in Abruzzo alone; it is one of Italy’s five most planted wine grapes), while Molise is mainly associated with Tintilia, a well as a little Aglianico. Well-made wines from these local varieties could, given their unique sets of aromas and flavors, pique the interest of wine lovers everywhere. Unfortunately, not all is as it could and should be. There is good and bad news about the wines of Abruzzo and Molise, which is a real shame, for they both boast exceptional potential.

Coastal vineyards in Abruzzo