Ciao Tutti!
This week at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste a white wine, the Trebbiano D’Abruzzo DOC ($19.50, 12% ABV) from the Valle Reale Winery in Popoli, near Pescara on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Abruzzo’s geography of mountains and deep valleys lies just under the “calf” of Italy’s boot.
Valle Reale’s vineyard is surrounded by protected and unspoilt nature of rolling hills, majestic mountains and snow -covered glaciers in the greenest region of Italy. The winery is located in the middle of three national parks; Grans Sasso, Majella and Monti della Laga, part of the 36% of Abruzzo’s land that is covered by three national parks, a regional park and more than thirty nature preserves.
The winery takes its name from its valley location that has a long history of being a wine district, some of the rows of this vineyard were planted in front of the ruins of a grotto-cellar built in the 1300’s. Benedictine monks would travel down from a nearby convent in the tiny village of San Benedetto and store their wine in a grotto-cellar whose front façade inspired the Valle Reale label’s design.
The Pizzoli family founded Valle Reale in 1998 and practices biodynamic- organic viticulture over its 46 hectares of vines spread between Popoli and another village. Only one acre is dedicated to the Trebbiano D’Abruzzo grape. All of the grapes thrive in their terroir of a south-facing plain that is 150-350 meters above sea level with clay and sandy soils covered by a blanket of limestone, nestled in the valley surrounded by mountains. These characteristics result in unique wines of fully mature fruits, complex aromatics and elegant, fresh perfume.
This Trebbiano D’Abruzzo is medium bodied with delicate aromas of white flowers and bright fruit that pairs well with rustic pasta courses like my fave, Spaghetti alla Carbonara or roasted poultry, grilled veggies, Piazza’s sharp cheeses and cured meats. This wine has been in Piazza’s collection for a while but if you have not yet tasted it, come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45.
Cin Cin,
Jenn
Piazza Italian Market is located in the Talbot Town Shopping Center, 218 N. Washington St., suite 23, in Easton, MD.
Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.
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