Azienda Agricola Zappacosta

Chieti | Abruzzo

Something remarkable is happening in Abruzzo. Just two hours from Rome, where mountain landscapes abruptly give way to the Adriatic coastline, this exhilarating place is home to some of the most exciting, soulful winemaking in all of Italy. Abruzzo boasts more national parkland than any other Italian region, a cuisine that brilliantly bridges the mountains and the sea, and a new generation of farmer-winemakers who are quietly rewriting their story.

Matteo Zappacosta is at the forefront of this exciting movement. Having joined his father Adamo in a farmstead-scale winery that honors Matteo’s great-great-grandfather (also named Adamo and a man who strapped barrels of his homemade wine to the backs of mules and sold them in local osterie more than a century ago), Matteo is the ultimate new-generation farmer-winemaker. He’s young, brimming with energy and ambition, and building on what his father, a firefighter by trade, first turned into a viable estate in 2008.

Working from a small winery beneath the family home in Chieti, they source Trebbiano, Pecorino, and Montepulciano from estate vineyards in Chieti and the nearby village of Bucchianico – not only the place where the Zappacosta family sold wine 150 years ago, but also a subzone Matteo considers one of the region’s most seriously underrated terroirs. These are conscientiously farmed, handmade, expressive wines that deliver outstanding quality and value.

FARMING & WINEMAKING

The family’s Chieti parcel sits over 800 feet in elevation on calcareous clay and sandstone soils, facing north/northwest along the ancient Strada del Tratturo – a route once walked by shepherds during Abruzzo’s famed transumanza, the seasonal migration of grazing flocks from highland to lowland and back again.

The more recently acquired Bucchianico vineyard brings more sand, more altitude, and a southeast-facing aspect; Matteo is convinced this village is an emerging terroir of real significance and is actively seeking more land there. Together, the estate totals around five hectares and is certified organic.

Both sites benefit from a lively interchange of Adriatic and mountain breezes that keep the vineyards well-ventilated. The Chieti parcel even offers a clear view of Gran Sasso d’Italia, the highest peak in the Apennines.

Adamo runs the cellar with winemaking support from consultant Franco Giandomenico and the family produces two distinct lineups: the ‘Bio’ range – juicy, fresh and well-priced Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – and the more structured and complex ‘SudEst’ wines, drawn mostly from Bucchianico and featuring a vibrant Pecorino white and an enchanting Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo.

WHITE WINES

Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 'Bio'

A high-altitude, juicy and utterly satisfying Trebbiano, delivering all the textural heft and mineral drive that this white grape gives when grown in Abruzzo. Straw-gold in the glass; warm apple and green pear, crushed stones. Picture yourself at a trattoria on the Adriatic coast with a fresh sea breeze and a generous fish soup kissed with a touch of saffron at your table — pure pleasure from the first to last drop.

Terre di Chieti Pecorino 'SudEst'

Pecorino is one of Abruzzo’s special white grapes, a golden beauty that combines a citrus energy with a creamy richness in both aroma and flavor. As per Italian wine writer Ian D’Agata, the grape Pecorino (“pecora” means sheep) was so named in reference to the shepherds “who ate the grapes while accompanying their flocks up and down the valleys in search of food.” A necessary companion with grilled river fish dressed simply with a squeeze of lemon and fresh herbs.

ROSATO WINES

Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo 'SudEst'

A rosato wine that’s a serious step above, 100% Montepulciano from the family’s two prized, high-altitude vineyards with depth and structure and staying power! Black cherry skin, dried rose petal, juicy black plums and a whisper of violet. A wonderfully complex and enticing rosato that can and should be enjoyed all year ’round, for its body and flexibility at the table. A must-have with garlicky tomato pasta or a simple plate of salami and pecorino cheese.

RED WINES

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 'Bio'

Plush and suave, with caressing tannins and a delightful mouthful of black cherry fruit, this pure Montepulciano has pleasure written all over it. All tank made to preserve every bit of juicy fruit and energy. Abruzzo’s signature red grape is famously high in anthocyanins and known for its satisfying, deep color; winemaker Matteo Zappacosta says that older growers in his region assert that a “proper” Montepulciano wine should “stain your teeth.” Meet your new summer red!

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 'SudEst'

This wine seriously impressed us with its grip and suave structure, a Montepulciano that shows the potential and poise of this delightfully black-fruited, Abruzzo grape. Aged in a mix of older tonneaux and barrique for two years, then another year in bottle, before release; aromas are bold with black cherry and warm toast and smoke, while grippy, fine-grained tannins introduce a savory, soulful mouthful of dark fruit and spice. This is your wine with the summer’s first grill session, great with a rib-eye and garlicky greens.