Mario’s – Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
| Category: | Red Wine |
| Type: | Italian Montepulciano d’Abruzzo |
| Region: | Abruzzo |
| Grapes: | 100% Montepulciano |
| Color: | Ruby-red color with light purple nuances, tending to orange with aging. |
| Bouquet: | Powerful fruit and sweet spices on the nose, with hints of cherry, boysenberry, and plum. |
| Palate: | Dry and medium-bodied with high acidity and tannin levels, offering toasted oak notes, carrying it through a long finish of leathery baking spice and cocoa powder. |
| Pairing: | This wine is perfect for beef briskets, roasted meats, baked vegetables, and pasta bolognese. |
| Serving Temp: | 18° – 19°C. |
About the Abruzzo Region:
Location: Central Italy, Southeast
Notable Reds: Montepulciano and Sangiovese
Notable Whites: Trebbiano
Winemaking traditions in Abruzzo date back to the sixth century BC thanks to the Etruscans, who played a major role in introducing viniculture to the area. At that time Abruzzo’s vineyards were generally focused around the Peligna valley in the province of L’Aquila.
However, there is evidence that vine growing goes back as far as the fourth century BC, when a sweet, Moscato-style grape called Apianae was grown. It is also believed that when Hannibal made his epic journey over the Alps, his soldiers were given Abruzzo wine from Teramo (historically known as Pretuzi).
The region is one of Italy’s most mountainous with more than 65% of all Abruzzo being considered mountainous terrain, reaching up to 9,000 ft above sea level. The hillside vineyards, particularly in the northern areas, are planted on calcareous clay and benefit from warm and significant sun exposure, ventilated by dry breezes from the Adriatic Sea.