Last week I had the opportunity to join a group of writers, sommeliers, importers, and educators at The Gattopardo in New York City for a delightful tasting on wines from Abruzzo organized by the Consorzio Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo and under the aegis of the Charming Taste of Europe campaign.

Alison Napjus, Senior Editor and Tasting Director, New York of the Wine Spectator led the tasting of wines which ranged from Trebbiano d’Abruzzo to Pecorino, Cerasuolo, and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo in Superiore and Riserva styles. A number of super famous producers including Emidio Pepe and Azienda Agricola Valentini sent wonderful wines. The 2010 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo from Valentini was my favorite and was ethereal with incredible mineral, fruit, and herbal notes and a wonderful lanolin mouthfeel. We tasted great Cerasuola d’Abruzzo made from Montepulciano as well and it was the perfect pairing with many of the dishes Chef Vito served that day as part of the buffet lunch.

I love going to the Gattopardo always but it’s also now sad because its owner Gianfranco Sorrentino passed away earlier this year. The consummate host and a lovely person, I always expect him to be at the door welcoming everyone and running the show.

I have hosted many masterclasses on Abruzzo, dinners, and online webinars for trade, consumers, and wine schools. My most recent was at the Slow Wine event in New York in March. I have written extensively about Trebbiano d’Abruzzo here and about Abruzzo wines here, here, here, and here, among other articles. It’s a region that I find fascinating and which is delivering so many gems. In the Masterclass last Monday we also spoke about the subregions that can be listed on wine bottles, if desired: Colline Pescara, Colline Teramane, Terre di Chieti, and Terre Aquilane. The idea for including these subregions is to show the link and specificity of the terroir of the four provinces: Pescara, Teramo, Chieti, and l’Aquila. These subregions are another example of how active and forward looking the region is. I can’t wait to see what else they do in the coming months.