Abruzzo Beyond Montepulciano

Recently, I was one of a team of six from Tanners who jetted off to the Abruzzo region in Central Italy to visit Tenuta del Priore, writes Wine in Time Manager, Rachel Armstrong.

Upon arrival in the Abruzzo region, we were met by Fabrizio Mazzocchetti and his wife Giovanna who together run the estate. We headed straight into the Pescara hills to visit the vineyards. The region has a similar undulating landscape to Tuscany, with a mix of soil types including some quite calcareous (chalky) plots. With 40 ha of vineyards, they focus on growing the indigenous varieties: for the whites, it's Trebbiano and Passerina with Montepulciano for the red, all grown at altitudes over 250 metres.

The following day, Fabrizio took us on an extended tour of the impressive cantina, which has undergone huge changes and investment in recent years, quality shone through at every stage. The estate was founded in 1973 by Fabrizio's father, Giulio, alongside Giulio's brother, Vincenzo, and cousin, Antonio. But it was Fabrizio who refocused the estate onto quality having learnt his trade elsewhere, particularly making wines at the famous Cantina San Michele Appiano in Italy's northerly Alto Adige region.

Over lunch, we tasted the Campotino range. This range highlights the typical grapes of the region and is vinified in the traditional way with the fresh and fruity Trebbiano, the richer, ripe style Pecorino and the fruity Montepulciano. The Col del Mondo is the perfect summer wine made from the local Passerina grape.

On our last day, we were treated to visits along the beautiful Adriatic coastline, stopping at the villages of Pineto, Silvi and Montesilvano culminating in lunch at a seafood restaurant in Pescara. The whites were rolled out to marry up to the dishes, and they were singing! A quick hit of retail therapy before our departure – a whistle-stop and memorable tour of this fabulous region with our generous hosts.