Chomping at the Bit: New Releases from Abruzzo

BY ERIC GUIDO | AUGUST 24, 2023

Abruzzo could be the next emerging region in Italy. Beneath the ocean of forgettable tank wines and vast vineyards that feed the large production cooperatives, there’s a murmur of a high-quality, artisanal revolution. However, the road to achieving such status will be long, and it will take even longer to convince consumers that this is the case.

Looking out across the gentle hills of Cugnoli from Cristiana Tiberio.

First and foremost, I am very happy to report that there have been significant changes in the rules, governing body and overall outlook for the future in Abruzzo. However, these changes have not yet resulted in a surge in quality. Let’s start with a few issues I cited in last year's report.

A significant point that I discussed in the article, Abruzzo: The Great Divide, was that “a reorganization of the main DOCs is required in order to keep the region’s leading producers within the appellations while addressing their needs, even if it is something as simple as the allowance of village or place names, such as Loreto Aprutino, Ofena or Cugnoli, so that these producers have some way to distinguish themselves.”

Moreover, I cited issues with bulk Montepulciano being bottled outside of Abruzzo yet labeled under the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC and then sold at a price that undercuts many regional producers. Lastly, the Consorzio di Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo, the biggest and most active producers’ association, had never had a president that was not the leader of a large cooperative or bulk producer, meaning that smaller and family-run wineries never felt like their own governing entity adequately represented them or that the Consorzio had their best interests in mind. It was “a system that favors mass production and cooperative winemaking.”

It’s incredible how much can change in one year, but there is much work to do for Abruzzo to recognize many of its elite producers properly. The Consorzio has been working to alter the DOCs regulations since 2019, which would help fix many issues cited above. A major change that took place at the end of 2022 was the election of a new president, Alessandro Nicodemi, the first private wine producer to hold the position. The second was unveiling the new plan that the Consorzio had hinted at previously.

Forty-eight-year-old Pergola-trained Trebbiano vines at Chiara Ciavolich.

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