Abruzzo

Anyone ever been?

After trying and really liking Montepulciano D'Abruzzo, I was doing a little reading up on the region and came across this:

http://www.italyfarmstay.com/

So I'm going in August.

Having never visited any of Italy's wine regions (I've been to Rome and Florence, but just for a few days), I suppose this is an odd choice for a supposed wine lover to choose (why fly all that way and not visit Tuscany or Piedmont??) but the scenery just looks so spectacular, the villages so rustic, the food sounds simple but hearty, and I understand that it's quite untouched by tourism compared to some of the other regions.

Sounds like a great idea.

I occasionally post on a travel forum and to some it seems like there are only three cities to see in Italy: Florence, Venice & Rome. Occasionally a 4th city crops up (Tuscany! ).

There's plenty of interest across the whole of Italy and I'm really pleased to see you following your instincts rather than following the pack.

Farmstay (aka Agriturismo) often offers great value in rural Italy, typically with a very warm and genuine welcome.

regards

Ian

I occasionally post on a travel forum and to some it seems like there are only three cities to see in Italy: Florence, Venice & Rome.
Ian

Ian - the travel forum wouldn't happen to be Lonely Planet Thorn Tree, would it?

I occasionally post on a travel forum and to some it seems like there are only three cities to see in Italy: Florence, Venice & Rome.
Ian

Ian - the travel forum wouldn't happen to be Lonely Planet Thorn Tree, would it?

No, but why am I not surprised to see the same theme emerging!

It's the Frommers site - as an aside: awful forum software they have there. The community is useful though with some very good regulars.

regards

Ian

K--
Sounds wonderful! (But then, I'd say that about any Italian intinerary.) If you haven't already, I'd suggest you take a look at the Bastianich / Lynch book, "Vino Italiano." It has chapters on all the regions of Italy--Abruzzo included--and includes brief tips for wine-related in each. Little early still, but buon viaggio!

Amazing, K!

I'll be in Umbria, which is not far from Abruzzo, between July 23 through August 10th. I have a choral and cultural program that I lead with a colleague of mine. Click on the "Umbrian Serenades" link below and visit our gallery to see beautiful pictures of the area! When will you be in Italy? If you pass through Umbria when I am there you must visit!

I too would love to visit the Abruzzo region and its vineyards. I visited the Marche region to its North along the Adriatic coast for the first time last October and long to return.

The Farmstay location to which you give a link looks lovely and I will bear it in mind for a future visit to Italy. However, if visiting the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo vineyards is the prime purpose of your stay, it is not ideally located.

Stora is not even in the Abruzzo region, I think, and it is about 150km from Pescara, the centre of the wine-growing and is the wrong side of the central chain of the Appenine mountains. There is, however, a spectacularly engineered autostrada from Avezzanao, about 40km from Stora, to Pescara.

I personally can recommend the wines of Masciarelli at San Martino sulla Marrucina in Chieti province and La Valentina at Spoltore in Pescara province. I have also heard a lot of good about Valentini at Loreto Aprutino in Pescara province.

Hi all, sorry - I never checked back on this thread after Ian's reply so I missed all the info.

Paulo, I wish I was going to be there at the same time - definitely would have made a point of meeting you - but we'll just be there for the last week in August. Boy, but those pictures are gorgeous. Really makes me wish I had more time this trip!

Tim, thanks for the recommendations on the vineyards. At this point the nature of the trip is primarily R&R, outdoor activities, beautiful scenery, lots of hearty food and hopefully some decent enough homemade wine! However, I'll bring your suggestions along...you never know how things might evolve.

Clinton - I'll keep my eye out for that book!