Abruzzo

Montepulciano is the principal red grape, and its name is used in Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The same grape can also make Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, a rosé with a noticeably deeper colour than many pale modern examples. Trebbiano, Pecorino, Passerina and Cococciola broaden the region’s white-wine range.

Do not confuse the grape Montepulciano with the Tuscan town of the same name. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano comes from Tuscany and is based on Sangiovese. In Abruzzo, a useful first tasting is a Montepulciano red beside a Cerasuolo, which shows how winemaking can change the expression of the same fruit.