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The wild and mountainous region of Abruzzo, with its eastern Adriatic shoreline is, as the crow flies, not so far from cosmopolitan Rome. In fact, it is just across the peninsula to the east, but the rugged north-south Apennine mountains, who reach their highest elevations in Abruzzo, has isolated Abruzzo historically, so it feels light-years away from Rome and its urban comforts. It is, however, beautiful wine country. Abundant sunshine, elevated vineyard sites with the full compass of aspects (north-, south-, east-, and west-facing slopes), along with the ameliorating ocean breezes of the Adriatic coast, make this region ideal for nurturing vineyards and making wine. Unfortunately, Abruzzo is best known for its skillfully branded bulk wine production. These wines are pleasant to drink, good wines, but they are not exceptional wines. At least, not the majority of them. The Valle Reale wines (we are featuring two in the newsletter) are truly exceptional. Italian wine scholar, writer, and critic Ian D’Agata lists Valle Reale, along with a very small number of other estates, as producing the benchmark wines for the region. This is high praise, but deserved, since we were immediately struck by the quality of these wines when we first tasted them. Concentrated and elegant, Valle Reale's Trebbiano d'Abruzzo combines bright fruit with delicate aromas of white flowers and flint (an aroma encouraged by the old-fashioned pied-de-cuve technique). Pair this wine with grilled vegetables and rustic pasta courses like Spaghetti alla Carbonara, as well as roasted poultry, sharp cheeses, and cured meats.
