At the invitation of the Association of Grape Growers and Winemakers of the Abruzzo Region - Abruzzo Wines Consortium (Italy), in coordination with the World Federation of Wine and Cuisine Writers and Journalists (Fijev), I left for Italy on the afternoon of June 5, 2022 with about 100 writers, journalists and Wine and Cuisine Tour organizers around the world.
The Qatar Airways flight from Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi) to Rome Fiumicino Airport, transiting in Doha, took about 16 hours. Arrived in Rome at 9:20 am on June 6th. After waiting for luggage, when I got to the gate, the Abruzzo Wines Consortium bus was already waiting. The Asian journalist group consisted of 3 Taiwanese journalists, 5 Japanese journalists, and I was the only Vietnamese. There were also about 12 Japanese people on the bus who paid their own money to join the Japanese journalist group to learn about wine. The journey from Rome Fiumicino to the Supporter-Fossacesia Marina Hotel where the group stayed was 250 km long and took 3 hours.
Journalists prepare to taste and evaluate fine wines
The vineyards are favored by Mother Nature.
The Abruzzo region is located in the center of the Italian peninsula, east of the two major cities of Lazio and Rome, bordered to the west by the Apennines, and to the east by 150 km of coastline of the Adriatico Sea. It is one of the wildest and most mountainous regions of Italy, accounting for more than 65% of the country's mountainous area. Gran Sasso, at 2,914 meters, is the highest peak of the Apennines, and Majella, at 2,793 meters, dominates the landscape of the entire Abruzzo region.
The region has a relatively large number of rivers, and although many of them are seasonal, there are some that flow all year round, even in the hot summer. The three major rivers that flow into the Adriatic Sea are the Pescara (152km) in the center, the Sangro (122km) in the south and the Tronto (115km) in the north. Abruzzo has 500km2 of national biosphere reserve, which is home to many rare Mediterranean flora and fauna species. Abruzzo has four provinces: Pescara, Teramo, Chieti and Aquila.
Hanging grapevines are a feature of this land.
The average annual rainfall in the Abruzzo region is about 700 mm, and the average annual temperature is 15 degrees Celsius. The monk Serafino Razzi spoke of the Abruzzo region with the following glowing words: “It is a fertile land with a lot of wheat, good wine, olive oil, and many delicious fruits… The landscape is majestic with mountains, valleys and sea”.
The Abruzzo region has about 33,000 hectares of vineyards, with an average annual production of 3.2 million hl (1 hl = 100 l). The Chieti province has the largest area under vineyards, accounting for 83%, followed by the Pescara province, 10%, the Teramo province, 6%, and the Aquila province, less than 1%.
The region has 6,000 small growers, 35 large cooperatives and 250 large vineyards. The red Montepulciano d'Abruzzo occupies 17,000 hectares, followed by the white Trebbiano d'Abruzzo occupying more than 10,000 hectares. Other white grapes in the region are Pecorino, Passerina, Cococciola and Montonico. The five highest-ranked wines in the Italian wine classification (DOP-DOC) are: DOC Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, DOC Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, DOC Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo (rosé), DOC Villamagna, DOC Abruzzo.
This place has some of the top wines in wine culture.
The grape varieties that made the Abruzzo region famous
The Abruzzo region has three world-famous grape varieties for making excellent wines. First is the red grape Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, which is the second most widely planted grape variety in Italy after Sangiovese. This grape variety is suitable for temperate climates. Wines made from Montepulciano d'Abruzzo grapes have a deep red color, moderate acidity and softer tannins than many other Italian grape varieties. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wines should not be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano from Tuscany, a wine made from Sangiovese grapes.
The red grape variety Montepulciano d'Abruzzo creates the famous flavor of Italian wine.
The second is the white grape variety Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, although this grape variety does not have a good reputation with many wine lovers around the world, this is a grape variety that can produce white wines with delicate aromas and high freshness if grown at high altitudes and in cool climates. This is also the grape variety called Ugni Blanc in France, grown a lot in the Cognac and Armagnac wine regions. In Italy, Trebbiano grapes are used in winemaking in the Veneneto region under the name Trebbiano di Soave (or Trebbiano di Lugana), in Tuscany under the name Trebbiano di Tuscany, in Emilia-Rogmana and Umbria under the names Trebbiano Modenese, Trebbiano Romagnolo and Trebbiano Spoletino.
Finally, there is the white grape Pecorino. This is currently a very popular white grape variety in Italy. As an early ripening grape variety, with high sugar and acidity, wines made from Pecorino grapes are full-bodied, fruity and have a higher alcohol content than wines made from Trebbiano d'Abruzzo grapes.
White grapes offer a rich, intense flavor.
The main cultivation method of the Abruzzo region is pergola, which accounts for 80% of the vine area, followed by vertical row cultivation (filare). The largest export markets of Abruzzo wine are Germany (23%), the United States (20%) and Canada (10%). In general, the white, rosé, sparkling and red wines of the Abruzzo region all pair very well with the diverse cuisine of the Abruzzo region in particular and Italy in general. For Vietnamese dishes, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo red wine, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo white wine and Pecorino also prove to be reliable companions.
*Article by contributor To Viet, Wine expert, member of the World Federation of Writers and Journalists writing about Wine and Cuisine.
June's heavy bunch of grapes brings happiness to farmers
