2021 Cantina Zaccagnini Tralcetto Rosé Terre Di Chieti

Cantina Zaccagnini was established in the early 1970’s in Bolognano, located in the heart of Abruzzo, in Italy, at the base of Gran Sasso – the highest mountain in the Apienne range. Marcello Zaccagnini’s philosophy has always been tied to the land. The estate’s vineyards are organically farmed, but not certified, as they occasionally have to purchase fruit from other growers due to weather conditions or increased demand, and cannot guarantee that those grapes are farmed organically.

Their slogan, “Wine, art of man”, comes from their work with the world renowned naturalist artist, Josef Beuys who is an early proponent of sustainability. The tralcetto (stick) is an actual grapevine cutting from the vineyards that is cut and tied by hand onto each bottle, representing the connection between the wine and the land. Zaccagnini’s mission is to invest in and promote the culture of the people, environment and wine-making processes that represent the values of Abruzzo, as well as making the winery a cultural hub for artists, musicians, scholars and wine enthusiasts.

Abruzzo is bounded on the west by the Apenniness and by the Adriatic Sea on the east. The region is a warm, Mediterranean vine-growing paradise, where the distance from mountains to seaside is relatively short.

Abruzzo’s red grape is the Montepulciano and its white grape is the Trebbiano. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo can come in a quaffable, rustic and fruity style that generally drinks best young. It is also capable of making a more serious style, where oak aging tames its purely wild fruit. The Cantina Zaccagnini Tralcetto Rosé is made with the Montepulciano grape grown in clay soils.

After harvest, the fermenting juice is kept in contact with the grape skins for a couple of days. The wine stays on the lees (the sediment that settles to the bottom during fermentation) for 3-4 months and is then aged in stainless steel tanks before being bottled.

The resulting wine is light pink in color and possesses bright, fresh white blossom aromas. On the palate it is light bodied with delicate mouth-watering red berry flavors.

This is an extremely versatile wine. It is great as an aperitif and pairs beautifully with all seafood, poultry, creamy, soft cheeses, charcuterie and spicy foods.

This is a wine that is designed to be consumed young while the flavors and delicate aromas are still vibrant.