Abruzzo in the blind bubble, not even Franciacorta and Trentodoc are putting Abruzzo sparkling wines in crisis? – Daily Virtues

L’AQUILA – Abruzzo is the region of missed opportunities in sparkling wine production. With this leitmotif, yesterday at the Magione Papale relais, Abruzzo in Bolla alla Cieca, the tasting of seven classic method sparkling wines opened, a stage leading up to the second edition of Abruzzo in Bolla, the event organized by Daily Virtues with the patronage of the Consortium for the protection of Abruzzo wines, which will take place in L’Aquila on September 13th, once again to give a stage to the world of Abruzzo bubbles.

That statement repeated at the beginning almost with bitterness by the speakers, Leonardo Seghetti, Antonio Paolini And Andrea De Palmawho yesterday led the tasting with covered bottles, served by the Ais L’Aquila sommeliers, was in fact undermined by the glasses served with quality products, the result of careful work, aware of producers who, on the contrary, are not satisfied with bubbles leaving an opportunity to attract a market increasingly eager for effervescence to slip away.

The history of bubbles in Abruzzo is anything but recent and “has deep roots”. This was said by Professor Leonardo Seghetti, one of the experts who conducted the masterclass. As always supported by papers and documents, the professor highlighted how the first testimonies date back to 1857, “when a lawyer from L’Aquila spoke about the valorisation of wines through bubbles”. The thesis is further supported by the diplomas won in competitions for sparkling wines produced between Tortoreto and Alba Adriatica. It’s true that we then had to wait more than a century to find the first true sparkling wine, with Faraone, in 1983. But from there the story grew.

The blind tasting, in front of an audience of journalists, producers, oenologists and enthusiasts, consisted of seven wines. All classic method. Five are from Abruzzo: the first, Martina Biagi, by Biagi Vini, the youngest sparkling wine of all, a blend of 45% pecorino, 40% passerina and 15% chardonnay. The second was the Metodo Classico Brut 2020 by Eredi Legonziano, based on mutton, passerina and pecorino. It was one of the Abruzzo sparkling wines on the panel which, with its marked persistence, convinced the audience the most. The fourth was Citra’s Fenaroli, extra Brut, with its large bubble. The sixth, Anna di Centorame, the zero dosage bubble that conquered the audience. One hundred percent pecorino, on the yeasts for 50 months. Finally Faraone, 100 percent pussy.

Two from outside the region are on the list out of the bag. The third was the Berlucchi 61, an extra brut Franciacorta, 85 percent chardonnay and 15 percent pinot noir. And the fifth a Trento doc: Maso Martis Blanc de Blancs Brut, one hundred percent Chardonnay.

“Alongside the five Abruzzo bubbles there were two valuable intruders”, said the food and wine journalist Antonio Paolini, “from Franciacorta and Trentino, chosen for analogy and some assonance, but also for distance and diversity in the placement on the national markets and international. The match was played by the Abruzzo team with a result that did not put the home team in crisis, who on the contrary made a fantastic impression.”

“Abruzzo in Bolla has stirred the waters for the region’s possibilities in sparkling wine”, analyzed the food and wine journalist De Palma. “The potential of the producers has emerged, but above all of the territory and the vines, and an Abruzzo has emerged that has nothing to envy of anyone”. And it is true that with the two out of the bag, produced in two of the areas historically suited to sparkling wine production in Italy, none of the Abruzzo ones disfigured themselves. From the visual aspect, to the smell, to the taste, all were convincing, with character, consistent with the regional territory and suitable to meet the diversified tastes of the market.

The approach with which the producers present in the room approached the tasting was also commendable. Without competition, with a playful spirit (the president of Eredi Legonziano is nice Carlo Di Campli Finorewho gave his wine a score of 33 with 11 for taste, smell and sight, on the scale from zero to 10), but also of constructive comparison, although differences in thought emerged, especially between those who produce only the classic method and those who have also chosen to focus on the Italian method, embracing the collective Trabocco brand.

“It was an event of absolute value”, commented the president of the Consorzio Tutela Vini d’Abruzzo, Alessandro Nicodemi, “which proves that Abruzzo sparkling wine is not only present, but has all the characteristics to have a great future. An Abruzzo in Bubble that speaks to us of the classic method, but also Italian, to give a broader offer of our regional enology”.

And after the tasting “between the serious and the facetious”, as highlighted by the director of Daily Virtues, Marco Signori, “which was an opportunity to get closer to the world of sparkling wine, the appointment is for 13 September with the second edition of Abruzzo in Bolla, which will replicate with richer contents, masterclasses, tastings and talks also for a comparison with the main areas suited to sparkling wine production in Italy”.