From: Abruzzo, Italy
Varietal: Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
Taste: Fresh and breezy, this beautifully balanced Trebbiano d’Abruzzo shows off notes of lemon, a hint of grapefruit, freshly picked yellow apples, pears, white flowers, and a touch of almond. Its lively acidity on its palate keeps those fruit flavors rounded, persistent, and bright to its finish.
Pairing: This coastal white wine pairs very well with Italian aged cheeses, making it an excellent match for Pecorino pasta dishes such as Cacio e Pepe. The acidity will balance out the creaminess of a cheesy pasta very well. Some other pairings that perform marvelously include seafood pasta and risotto, white pizza, vegetable and legume soups, roasted chicken, orzo with seafood or pesto (see recipe below), and croquettes.
Shrimp Scampi With Orzo
By Ali Slagle
About. Poderi Marchesi Migliorati is situated in the commune of Loreto Aprutino, in the northern part of the province of Pescara, one of Abruzzo’s four main growing areas. The estate’s vineyards grow on a plateau at 350m above sea level, facing southeast towards the sea, a valley that was carved out by glaciers millions of years ago. The winery’s proximity to the Adriatic gives a more moderate climate than further inland resulting in a long, consistent growing season. The soils are predominantly clay, with glacial deposits and small pebbles, a terroir that is ideal for the cultivation of montepulciano, trebbiano d’Abruzzese and pecorino. In the hands of Valle Reale winemaker Enrico Antonioli, the estate produces pure, exuberant, mineral-driven wines that accentuate the fruit character of the varieties and highlight the seaside terroir.
Marchesi Migliorati works exclusively with the indigenous varietals of Abruzzo (Montepulciano, Trebbiano and Pecorino), with low-invasive techniques that safeguards biodiversity in the environment. The estate looks to reclaim lost and forgotten vineyards in the heart of the reagion, revitalzing them with organic and biodynamic viticultural practices. Their entire production process is supported with clean energy produced by solar panels.
About the varietal and region. Trebbiano d'Abruzzo DOC is grown in a rather large area in Abruzzo's four provinces l'Aquila, Chieti, Pescara og Teramo. The vineyards are hilly, and wine from the slopes that are facing the sea is especially valued.
Trebbiano d'Abruzzo DOC is a white wine cultivated using the grape Trebbiano d'Abruzzo (local Bombino Bianco) and/or Trebbiano Toscano (85-100%) together with other local, green varieties.
The wine is produced in very large quantities, but most of these straw yellow white wines are stereotypes and lack a big personality. A significant reason for this is the large harvest, which makes it almost impossible to add any character to the wine. Nonetheless, if you drink it young and cold, it goes down fine with the region's many exciting fish dishes.
Most of the Trebbiano d'Abruzzo DOC available fits the aforementioned description, however, in recent years, serious producers have headed towards far more: color, rich aromas, body, lengths of flavor, concentration and capacity to age. In those cases, the Trebbiano grapes show a whole new side of themselves, and the resulting wines can be compared with the best white wines from Burgundy.
Trebbiano d'Abruzzo DOC is a good example of the adage: there are exceptions to every rule. And the increasing amount of decent white wines made from this grape prove that, in the right hands, it can yield an elegant, interesting wine.
