The Charming Taste of Europe

THE CAMPAIGN

There are places in Europe with a timeless charm, birthplace of the highest quality products with unmistakable tastes. Products that evoke such charm and embody the culture, the history, the art and the heritage of their territories. The Charming Taste of Europe is a special project that links the flavors of wine from Italy and France and of fresh kiwis from Greece, and further introduces the United States and Canada to these exquisite items that recall all of European beauty and grace.

The mission of The Charming Taste of Europe campaign, co-funded by the European Union is to improve, thanks to the slogan “Enjoy! It’s from Europe”, the awareness about merits and quality standards of selected European wines and fresh kiwis, and with its promotional activities also aiming to increase their competitiveness in both the United States and Canada. The project is promoted by the Consortium for the Protection of Abruzzo Wines, the Union of Sweet Bordeaux wines and the Association of Imathia’s Agricultural Cooperatives. These European agricultural products, famous around the world for their outstanding properties, will be in the forefront for more three years starting from January 2024 with initiatives and events dedicated to consumers, journalists, and professionals.

Through the superb high quality Italian wines, the juicy kiwis from Greece and the melodious French golden wines, produced with the artistry of agricultural traditions, this campaign will awaken the senses and a new culinary consciousness by connecting food, cultures and territories. A campaign that will undoubtedly offer the occasion to bring the European charm into one’s life.

A number of wine bloggers and influencers were fortunate to be included in an invitation to taste the wines of Abruzzo along with some dishes from the region. The wines on offer included both white and red wine. Admittedly I was more interested in the white varieties for a few reasons; one a white Italian wine is easier drinking alone, without the benefit of a food pairing and it has an undeserved reputation (that I do not subscribe to) of being a lesser wine than an Italian red, also personally, I tend to gravitate towards white wines, particularly at 11:30 a.m.

Barb Philip, Master of Wine provided an overview of the Abruzzo wines and the region along with an introduction to Abruzzo by David Acerra from the Consortium for the Protection of Abruzzo Wines.

Valle Martello

Cococciola

Colline Teatine I.G.T.

BRADO

First example of vinification in purity of the native vine Cococciola. In the choice to vinify Cococciola there is a strong will to valorise our nearby territory, that of Colline Teatine, where Cococciola gives its greatest expression. It is a wine with intense and wide aromas, ranging from floral to tropical fruits. It is a white polyhedric wine characterized by a great acidity, suitable for starters. Perfect pairings are also sushi, fish dishes, main course and cheeses.

Grape Variety Cococciola 100%

Appellation Colline Teatine I.G.T.

Training System Canopy

Production Area Villamagna (CH) – Abruzzo

Harvest Period September

Vinification After destemming and soft pressing, fermentation in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature

Bottling 4 months after harvest

Colour Straw yellow with greenish reflexes

Taste Fresh, sapid and persistent

Bouguet Floral at first, followed by a light hint of citrus and tropical fruits

The wine was fresh and a good choice for the first wine I tasted that day. You could certainly enjoy this white wine without food but that would be a bit of a shame because it also paired very well with both the Parmesan Wheel Risotto with Lemon Asparagus and the Porchetta with salsa verde served with a milk bun,

Famiglia de Cercjio

Pecorino Poggio Salvia

TORRE ZAMBRA

Organic, sustainable and vegan

Designation IGT Terre di Chieti

Varietal 100% Pecorino

Training System Abruzzo pergola

Yield per Hectare 120 quintali

Harvest Period second ten days of September

Vinification cold maceration; soft pressing of the skins

Fermentation 20 days in stainless steel tanks at 13 – 16° C

Aging on fine lees, in steel vats for 2 months and in bottle for 2 months

Aging Potential 2 years

Bottles 750 ml

Tasting Notes

Torre Zambra was among the first realities to believe in the rediscovery of Pecorino grape, finding the best growing area on the hill of Poggio Salaia. Expertly chosen because it is rich in sand, limestone and sandstone, essential elements for the production of mineral and long-lived white wines. The Pecorino “POGGIO SALAIA” originates from this unique soil.

It appears bright straw yellow in colour. On the nose, it is delicate with hints of white flowers and citrus, with a final note of pineapple and a vegetal undertone reminiscent of freshly mown grass. On the palate, it is a crisp and well-balanced wine that reveals flavours of lychee and citrus. The result is a wine with harmonious freshness, minerality, and a long persistence.

The POGGIO SALAIA pairs perfectly with pasta dishes featuring shellfish or white meat-based dishes.

The wine also paired beautifully with both main luncheon dishes and the appetizers served. This was a delightfully dry white wine with nice acidity. Although it would be nice alone it did pair exceptionally well with the traditional dishes. I liked this as a pairing wine due to its medium body and rich fruit flavours that lingered on the palate.

Mazza Rosa

Abruzzo Pecorino DOC

Production site: Roseto degli Abruzzi – Teramo

Vine variety: Pecorino

Sun exposure: North-East

Soil position: hills of 100 metres a.s.l.

Growing system: Spurred cordon

Soil type: Clayey of medium texture (red clay), well-exposed

Period of harvest: second and third weeks of September

Bottling: January of the year after the harvest, fining in bottle for four-six months

Color: Gold yellow with golden hues

Aroma: intense and characteristic, fruity with notes of tropical fruit, hawthorn flower and delicate spices

Taste: rich and harmonious flavor, sapid and with a long persistency

Food matching: delicate appetizers, first courses with white sauces (either meat or fish, without tomato)

Alcohol volume: 14,50%

The wine was light and fresh. A common thread throughout the tasting of all the white wines. With an opportunity to taste each one on its own and again with a food pairing opened the possibilities to imagine which dishes would best compliment this one that is slightly higher in alcohol.

Pesolillo Tenuta Agricola

ABRUZZO DOC PECORINO SUPERIORE – 100 % Pecorino

This grape tells the rural history of the people of Abruzzo, like our family that generation after generation is dedicated to the cultivation of the land and is devoted to the custody of this historic variety cultivated on the hills overlooking the Adriatic coast. The grapes benefit from the sun and sea breezes that favour the perfect aromatic maturation while preserving freshness and natural acidity thanks to a strong thermal excursion.

Vinification

The grapes are harvested and selected by hand between the last week of August and the first week of September. After de-stemming, the freshly mix of grape and juice stops in the press for a few hours (6 to 8) (this is our system of skin maceration) to gently extract the aromas. Followed by soft pressing, static decanting of the must for 48 hours at 10ºC and then alcoholic fermentation at 16ºC for 10-12 days. Only after further ageing on the lees for another 4 months, the wine is ready to be bottled.

Organoleptic characteristic:

Straw yellow colour with delicate silvery reflections. This wine expresses elegant aromatic notes of white flowers (acacia, jasmine and chamomile), white fruit (peach, melon) surrounded by flowers and Mediterranean spices (sage, thyme, and broom). On the palate, it expresses the salinity of the sea breeze, the freshness and the minerality of the territory.

The wine distinguished itself with interesting aromas that carried to the mouth. Some light spice and green grass alongside a medium body.

Valori

Type: Organic White Wine

Vineyard: Valori

Varietal: Pecorino

Year: 2022

Country: Italian Wine

Region: Abruzzo Wine

The company’s best seller, this Pecorino is highly appreciated for its organoleptic qualities, characterized on the nose by the fine notes of Mediterranean scrub, on the palate by the extreme freshness and crunchiness. Perfect for aperitifs and fresh summer menus, it is the ideal all-round companion for fish-based dishes from the Adriatic. notes: Organic Wine Exchange

Format: Bordeaux bottle 0,75

The wine was lightly scented with a touch of citrus. Fresh and crisp it paired best with the appetizers. A slightly lighter body than the other wines but pleasantly dry.

Turning to the red wine of Abruzzo.

Cerulli Spinozzi

Torre Migliori Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOCG

Product sheet

Wine type: Red wine
Format: (Liters) 0.75
Sulphites: Contains sulphites

Vineyards of origin: Torre Migliori vineyard in the municipality of Canzano average altitude 300 meters above sea level.

Soils: calcareous clayey rich in skeleton, pebbly; age of plantation: 40 years.

Harvest period The first three weeks of October.

Average yield per hectare 90 quintals of grapes, 5850 liters of wine

Harvest: Manual in small carts, in the same vineyards where some bunches per plant were collected for the production of Montepulciano doc, the best bunches that have in the meantime reached complete ripeness are collected.

Vinification: Immediate destemming of the grapes without pressing and cold maceration. Subsequent heating and triggering of fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature. Mechanical punching down. Maceration lasts 14-16 days after fermentation for a complete extraction of color and tannins. After racking, spontaneous malolactic fermentation takes place and, after 2 rackings, the wine is sent for a period of refinement in used tonneaux and round barrels, for a period that varies from 12 to 15 months. At the end of the refinement, after a suitable rest in steel, the wine is bottled: the wine is generally ready for consumption after 12 months of refinement in the bottle.

Other curiosities
Ruby red in color with hints of purple and violet. On the nose it is powerful and continuous, particularly complex: the picture is made up of large brush strokes of fruit and touches of small red flowers, in a frame of very elegant sweet spices, while in the finish the return of licorice root takes us back to the land of birth. On the palate it confirms its character: it is powerful, complex, enriched by good fresh and soft sensations combined with an abundant and silky tannin, harmonious and balanced.

The wine was both rich and smooth. An interesting mix of red fruits and spice, with hints of leather and some tobacco. This notes followed to the mouth where the velvety texture assured an excellent expression of the grape. Although I didn’t taste the red wines with food they would undoubtedly make excellent pairing wines with rich foods such as a simple lasagna or spaghetti with tomato sauce.

Mammut

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC

MAIN FEATURES

Region: Bucchianico (CH)

Soil type: clay

Grape varietal: Montepulciano 100%

Yield: about 10 tonnes

Training system: pergola abruzzese

Winemaking: 15/20 days maceration with skins in stainless steel at controlled temperature

Aging: 18 months in stainless steel tanks

Serving temperature: 18/20 °C

Alcohol content: 14,5 % vol

Color: Red

Container: Steel

Category: Hand numbered bottle

Why Mammut

From the archaeological discovery of a Mammoth tusk in the second half of the 1960s at the point where the current company “La Cascina del Colle” was built. Hence the idea of a wine that was representative, powerful and majestic.

Why indeed? A beautiful wine that dances on the nose. Deep and rich aromas asail as you sniff deedly to enjoy the melodious scents. Some barnyard indicitive of old world. To call this wine a typical Italian is a disservice as it is much more than expected. Rich and powerful in the mouth. A wine to savour.

ABRUZZO

The hidden gem region of Abruzzo, in Italy, takes you by surprise with the variety of its landscapes.

When it comes to wine, the region is marked by the soaring Apennines mountain range to the north, which buffers against storms and provides the perfect vineyard condition and the Adriatic Sea influence to the east that yields a mild Mediterranean climate, which produces the most exquisite grapes.

Abruzzo is also one of the oldest wine-growing regions in the world, known for its dominant varieties, the red Montepulciano grape which also includes the Cerasuolo rosé type and the white Trebbiano d’Abruzzo grape. It is also known for nurturing varieties like Passerina, Pecorino and Cococciola as well as Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

CONSORTIUM FOR THE PROTECTION
OF WINES OF ABRUZZO

The Consortium for the Protection of Wines of Abruzzo is a nonprofit association established in 2002, made up of all the subjects included in the control system, which aims to protect, enhance and take care of the interests related to the Controlled Designation of Origin (DOC wines) of the region.

It has 190 associates, including viticulturists, winemakers and authorized bottlers.

The Consortium carries out the activity of supervision, protection and safeguarding of wines with a Controlled Designation of Origin and Typical Geographical Indication.

COUNTRY: ITALY
SECTOR: VITICULTURE

PRODUCTS:
ABRUZZO DOC
CERASUOLO D’ABRUZZO DOC
MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO DOC
TREBBIANO D’ABRUZZO DOC
VILLAMAGNA DOC

WINES OF ABRUZZO
The wines of Abruzzo reflect in their nuances and sincere character the salient traits of the inhabitants of this land, a place where the enological experience is renewed day after day in the wake of tradition, with an attentive eye on experimentation and consumer tastes. The Consortium protects wines with Controlled Designation of Origin such as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Doc, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Doc, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Doc, Abruzzo Doc, Villamagna Doc and, in addition, it also protects wines with a Typical Geographical Indication.

BARBARA PHILIP MW

Barbara Philip MW became the first Canadian woman to achieve the Master of Wine designation in 2007. Based in Vancouver, she is a Category Manager for BC Liquor Stores, responsible for buying all sparkling, fortified and European wines. With her husband Iain, Barb runs Barbariain Wine Consulting and works as an international presenter, journalist, radio columnist and judge. (source: WineBC.com)

Wine notes (except as noted) and bottle shots courtesy of the wineries. My notes and comments (in italics) Thank you Town Hall Brands for the invitation to attend The Charming Taste of Europe. Wine tasting and lunch at the Vancouver Club was complimentary.