Abruzzo Wine - Red
More Abruzzo wine is made each year than is produced in the entire country of Chile. As Michael Caine would say – Not a lot of people know that.

Abruzzo’s ‘house red’ is Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. You can buy a decent bottle for around €2-3; or something really special, like Pasetti’s Testarossa, for about €16.

Each November, there’s the regional ritual of the release of Abruzzo Vino Novello.

Abruzzo Vino Novello is the region’s own jealously-guarded secret. You probably won't find it where you live as not enough's made to export.

But if you’re here mid- to late-November, you’ll enjoy going to some of the new wine festivals !

The house red in a bar or restaurant will invariably be a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from the previous year’s vintage. If there's a wine list, scan the pricier bottles.

As there are rarely any disastrous and downright bad vintages, the old adage of 'you get what you pay for' applies.

Abruzzo Wine - White
If ‘Abruzzo red’ means Montepulcano D’Abruzzo, then ‘Abruzzo White’ usually means Trebbiano D’Abruzzo.

Trebbiano is about as good a hot-weather wine as you’ll find in Italy. Crisp, fruity, dry and refreshing.

Trebbiano isn’t quaffed in such great quantities as Montepulciano because local tastes stick firmly with red – even to the extent of drinking it chilled in summer. A taste you could acquire !

But that inexhaustible thirst for Montepulciano means you can often find a good Trebbiano at a bargain price. Around €4-5 will buy you an excellent bottle. Drink within a year or two of the vintage.

Watch out too for the rapidly rising star of Abruzzo whites. Pecorino is an ancient Abruzzo heritage grape variety that's being grown in increasing quantities - especially in our area.

The best on the market is 'Unico' from Tenuta Ulisse. It's about €11/bottle. But you can pick-up a really good example for less than half that.

The 2008 won a hatful of awards. Drink it while you can still find it.

Abruzzo Wine - Pink
There's cerasuolo - which is what Americans would refer to as ‘blush’.

It’s made by allowing the skins of the red Montepulciano grape just the briefest contact with the juice during the initial stages of the wine-making process. This results in a fuller-flavoured, fuller-bodied pink wine

There's also rosato - traditionally-made and much lighter. What you'd more usually expect of a rose wine.

Neither is particularly popular, which is strange, because a well-made cerasuolo (especially) is a good wine and goes particularly well with seafood. Or just on its own.

It’s a perfect summer wine for sipping by the pool and a typical bottle will set you back around €3.