“Sometimes life deals you a hand you can’t refuse”…I have a friend who is a regular customer here in the store who says this constantly, and it’s true. When opportunities come your way, you have to grab them and hang on tight!

I returned very early Friday morning from the Marche and Abruzzo regions of Italy. I was invited to participate in the Collisioni Progetto Vino in the Marche and a (somewhat) private tour of Abruzzo after that. Located on the east side of the boot on the Adriatic sea, I had the privilege to taste many expressions of Verdicchio in the Marche, along with Rosso Conero, Lacrima di Morro d’Alba and other autochthonous varieties. That was followed up with a visit of 9 wineries in the Abruzzo region tasting Pecorino, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. What an amazing experience! I have a plethora of information and I hope to get much of it down “on paper” as I possibly can.

While Marche is full of quality wines and producers, Abruzzo is much more sporadic. Lots of bulk wine and mass producers of Montepulciano. There are however, hidden gems in Abruzzo, and I was able to visit some of these as organized by Italian grape guru, Ian D’Agata. What an awesome experience, which I shared with 8 others. Over the next few weeks, I hope to give you a glimpse into both the Marche and Abruzzo. Not just the wine, but the landscape also, and introduce you to some of the producers as well!  Stay tuned and Cin Cin!

The crew with the Valentini family, Loreto Aprutino, Abruzzo