Abruzzo and Molise: More Than Meets the Eye

BY ERIC GUIDO | APRIL 06, 2021

Looking east towards the Adriatic Sea, you breathe its warming breezes and think of the amazing coastal cuisine, perhaps matched by a juicy, citrusy and sage-tinged Pecorino. Some of the most famous pastas in Italy are made on these gentle sloping foothills, using the region's natural spring water and then slowly drying in that same salty sea air. Gazing out to the west, a gorgeous panorama of snow-capped peaks features Gran Sasso and Maiella, part of the spine of the Apennines. Their cooling influences, along with spicy mountain cuisine, burly, dark Montepulciano and some serious Trebbiano Abruzzese have long defined the territory. This is one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth.

I have been following the wines of Abruzzo and, to a lesser extent, Molise for a long time, but it easily goes back to the very beginning, when an inspiration for Italy’s regional cuisines spurred a love affair with the wines that pair well with them. The expression “what grows with it, goes with it” guided me on so many journeys, but none were so easy to both love and afford than the happy simplicities found in Montepulciano d’Abruzzo with Arrosticini (skewered and spiced sheep or lamb) or a crisp Trebbiano or Pecorino d’Abruzzo with a seaside town’s signature Brodetto di pesce. 

With this journey also came a good amount of head-scratching confusion over why more of the wines couldn’t be better. I recall wondering why a $15 bottle would almost always deliver more depth and pleasure than a $50 bottle. And then there was the ocean of unpalatable wines in between. This inevitably led to looking elsewhere for whites and reds that would deliver the higher-level experience that I sought. Through it all, I never fully turned my back on Abruzzo and Molise, as I continued to taste regularly both in Italy and here in the United States. In the meantime, something began to take place right before my eyes. It was a slow and steady progression, in most cases created by a new generation of producers who were starting to look not just forward but also back. Driven by an interest in higher elevations, more complex soils, old forgotten vineyards and vines, respect for traditional practices, and a desire for purity, these growers have made Abruzzo and Molise some of Italy’s best regions for wines of outstanding quality and value. Although these producers remain in the minority, I have noticed that more widespread change is coming.  

Peering out toward the Adriatic Sea from Terraviva.

A Bit of Housekeeping

Abruzzo and Molise are two separate regions. Prior to 1963, Molise was part of Abruzzo; yet still to this day, you will almost always find them lumped together whether it’s talking about wine, food or topography. Simply look at a map to understand why. Follow the Apennines down the western border and the Adriatic Sea down the east, and you’ll notice a natural connection between Abruzzo and Molise. To the north, the mountains are closest to the sea; these are Abruzzo’s top growing areas, at higher elevations and made up of gentle sloping valleys running west to east, lined with vineyards that receive sun from dawn till dusk. Here you’ll find Controguerra, Teramane, Pescara and Loreto Aprutino, which are home to many of the region's best producers. The further south you go, entering Chieti, the warmer and more fertile the land becomes. This is where you’ll find many of the large-scale cooperatives. The higher elevations move further inland, yet you’d be hard pressed to notice a change as you find yourself in the alluvial plains of Molise. It is here where the best Molise wines are made, closer to the mountains and to the border of Campania.

There are some stark differences from a wine perspective. Abruzzo produces significantly more wine than Molise (more than ten times as much), and varieties change as well. In Abruzzo, it’s Montepulciano that dominates the red wine category, while in Molise it’s Tintilia, a fragrant and zesty variety that makes incredibly fresh yet gently tannic wines, along with a smattering of other international and Italian red varieties. For whites, Trebbiano Toscano, Trebbiano Abruzzese, Pecorino, Passerina and Cococciola are found in Abruzzo (in that order by quantity), while in Molise, you find Cococciola, and international varieties such as Riesling and Sauvignon.