Zaccagnini offers a piece of Abruzzo with every bottle
Abruzzo producer Zaccagnini prides itself on offering the region’s specialities, but in its recent efforts it is connecting tradition to modern market trends.
There is much to appreciate in Abruzzo: Roman ruins, local dishes and a landscape stretching from the Apennines’ highest point to 129 kilometres of Adriatic coastline. The region has so much of what might be considered as quintessential Italy. One could also turn to its wine. Seeing Abruzzo on a bottle is synonymous with delicious, distinctly Italian expressions and long meals in trattorias.
For Zaccagnini, history and nature come together in its wines, creating a range that is unapologetically wedded to its Abruzzo terroir. In the decades since its founding in 1978, and boosted by its joining the prestigious Argea group in 2023, it has made a name as a leading producer of authentic Abruzzo wine.
Situated in a valley among the hills of Pescara, Zaccagnini’s more than 250 hectares of vineyards enjoy a constant influence of mountain and sea. This ensures freshness in the finished product, while the wines also benefit from complex soils of medium-textured clay, with notable limestone deposits.
In such characteristic Abruzzo vineyards, it therefore makes sense that Zaccagnini prioritises local grapes and styles. Across the winery’s several ranges, there are nods to perennially popular Pinot Grigio, but the selection is predominantly composed of local specialities, with Montepulciano and Trebbiano leading the way. However, there is also space for less well-known local varieties, such as Pecorino and Passerina.
Nowhere is the commitment to Abruzzo’s winemaking tradition more apparent than in the Tralcetto range. Seen as the winery’s ambassadors to the world, the wines offer a traditional taste of the region. Montepulciano, for instance, features as a young wine, a riserva and in Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, the flavourful, cherry-red rosé of the region.
For the whites, the selection is led by the Trebbiano and Pecorino varieties, both native to central Italy. Such is the connection to the vineyards that each bottle of Tralcetto arrives with a piece of them: a lignified vine shoot, manually tied around the neck of the bottle through artisanal care and attention .
Moving with the times
Certainly, in the nearly 50 years since it was founded, Zaccagnini has traded successfully on Abruzzo’s traditions. Yet it has not ignored the new preferences that now determine market success. Indeed, it has frequently been ahead of the curve.
Take sustainability, for instance. Thanks to those breezes running through its valley vineyards, Zaccagnini has always avoided the humid and waterlogged conditions that can require chemical pesticides. However, it is now accelerating its progress, finding alternatives to chemical treatments, planting trees to counteract emissions and adding cover crops that rejuvenate the vineyard soils.
Likewise, Zaccagnini was an early adopter in terms of making its winery a creative hub. In 1984, the winery hosted German artist Joseph Beuys, who performed his work ‘In Defense of Nature’ in the winery’s cellars. Since then, it has consistently programmed arts events, and the winery now displays works by international artists such as painter/sculptor Mimmo Paladino and sculptor Pietro Cascella.
Most recently, Zaccagnini has responded to new trends with the launch of non-alcoholic wines. Last year, the winery released de-alcoholised white and red wines in its Tralcetto range, and this year a de-alcoholised sparkling wine has joined them. Made using low-temperature vacuum de-alcoholisation, the wines offer a more delicate, refreshing expression of Abruzzo, but still convey the landscapes and traditions behind the company. Preferences and technologies may change, but Zaccagnini will always be rooted in the land of Abruzzo.
Patrick Schmitt MW gives his tasting notes for three of Tralcetto’s wines below.
Tralcetto Pecorino 2024
- Grape variety: 100% Pecorino d’Abruzzo
- ABV: 13%
- Approx. retail price: £10
A lovely, ripe, but refreshing white, mixing peach and pear fruit with apple and quince, and then a touch of dried mint and bitter almond on the bright finish.
Tralcetto Cerasuolo 2024
- Grape variety: 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
- ABV: 12.5%
- Approx. retail price: £10
A pretty, translucent cherry-pink, this powerfully flavoured rosé has plenty of ripe red berry fruit flavours – even a hint of strawberry jam – mixed with a touch of dried herbs and fresh red apple on its persistent and bright finish.
Tralcetto Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva 2020
- Grape variety: 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
- ABV: 14%
- Approx. retail price:
£11 A delicious Montepulciano with plenty of ripe morello cherry and juicy raspberry fruit, mixed with notes of milk chocolate and a touch of toffee too, followed by mouth-coating tannins, which ensure the finish is dry and cleansing.
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