Valentini Wine Tasting and the Food of Abruzzo
Earlier this May, I had the pleasure of organising a private tasting experience for a group of guests passionate about rare and meaningful wines. As with every personalised service we offer, I first spoke with them to understand their preferences and interests. They expressed a clear desire: to experience the wines of Valentini paired with traditional Abruzzese food in a genuine setting.
We made it happen. Thanks to trusted local connections and longstanding relationships, I arranged a lunch at a trattoria in the Abruzzo countryside that allowed us to bring our own bottles. Normally this isn’t always possible, but when you live here, deeply rooted in the community, these things can be done.
The group was staying at Emidio Pepe, another iconic name in the region. I picked them up there in the morning, and we drove together through the green hills toward a table that would soon be filled with stories, flavours, and wines that rarely leave this land.
Beginning with a Pecorino d’Abruzzo
To open the experience, we started with a Pecorino from a small local producer. Valentini doesn’t make Pecorino, and choosing one for this moment wasn’t simple. Many excellent producers make their own expressive versions of this native grape, and several of them are close to me personally. In the end, I selected a wine I trusted to speak for itself. And it did. Fresh, textured, and pure, the bottle disappeared quickly, and the group was immediately drawn into the depth of this rich white that Abruzzo can offer.
A Cerasuolo Without a Label
Next, we poured something that only a handful of people ever taste: a Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo from Valentini, not the bottled version but their “vino sfuso,” a loose wine sold to a short list of individuals. It’s delivered in traditional 54-litre glass demijohns, and those lucky enough to receive it bottle it themselves. The wine showed lightness in colour but not in flavour. Structured, earthy, and unlike anything you might expect from a rosé, it opened the way for what was to follow.
A Rarity: The Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2011
Then came the Trebbiano. A 2011 from Valentini, aged for 14 years, pulled from my personal cellar. This wasn’t a quiet or reserved wine. It was intense and alive. From the first pour, it released aromas of lightly roasted coffee beans, eucalyptus, Mediterranean herbs, and minerals. On the palate it was layered, gripping, and explosive in flavour, the kind of complexity that leaves everyone at the table searching for new descriptors and surprised by what comes next.
Valentini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2015
Following that, we opened the Valentini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2015. A wine that showed surprising simplicity and great balance. Tannins were light, and the structure was elegant but not deep. Compared to older vintages such as the 1997, which I recently tasted and found more rustic and layered, the 2015 struck me as cleaner and more polished.
Perhaps it is the result of a very warm vintage. Perhaps there has been a change in vinification. After all, Valentini has been vocal about climate change and how it is influencing traditional winemaking. Was this just a reflection of the season, or is something more evolving in their cellar? I would love to ask. To be honest, it wasn’t the most memorable Montepulciano I’ve tasted from Valentini, but as Francesco Paolo reminds us, this is artisanal wine. It lives, changes, and always deserves our respect.
The Tradition of Vino Cotto
After the red, we moved to the sweet part of the journey: Vino Cotto, a tradition that here in Abruzzo goes back to the early ages. We began with a bottle from a small local winemaker. Warm, rich, and comforting, it was the perfect way to ease toward the end of the meal.
Vino Cotto from 1958
Then we opened a treasure: a Vino Cotto from 1958, produced privately from my friend Domenico and aged in the family cellar for decades. Like a great balsamic vinegar, Vino Cotto becomes denser, more complex, and more expressive the longer it rests. This bottle was no exception. It poured thick, dark, and rich, and every sip felt like a bridge to the past. Tasting something this old, this preserved, and still so alive was a moment of shared reverence at the table.
The Flavours of Abruzzo
Alongside these wines, we shared a deeply traditional meal featuring dishes from across the region. Among the antipasti, there was “gallina,” a reinvention of the classic boiled chicken from broth, served innovatively with a savoury crisp of “pizzella.” We also enjoyed “pallotte cacio e ove,” cheese and egg balls, a staple of the peasant kitchen that still brings comfort and flavour to any Abruzzese table.
We had “Le Virtù,” a rich, symbolic minestra prepared only on May 1st in Teramo, celebrating the abundance of the land. The “chitarra alla teramana” came with tiny handmade meatballs, full of tradition and care. Then “capra alla neretese,” a bold and aromatic goat dish from the town of Nereto in the province of Teramo.
To close, we shared “pizza dolce,” the layered cake served during weddings and special occasions, soft with custards and brightened with liqueurs.
The Real Story Behind Our Wine Experiences in Abruzzo
People often wonder what drives me to organise experiences like this. It’s not for show, and it’s certainly not because these wines are fashionable. I do this because it’s simply who I am. I’m drawn to the soul of places, the quiet detail behind each wine, and the people whose lives are tied to these landscapes.
Years ago, I chose to bring back to life an abandoned vineyard. It was a personal decision, a challenge to make a few great bottles of wine for friends and family, not a business move. And like anyone who’s ever farmed vines knows, it’s not just hard work, it’s a constant exercise in patience, humility, and resilience. That experience gave me a whole new level of respect for winemakers. It’s one thing to taste a wine. It’s another to understand everything that went into the bottle.
What Makes Our Wine Tours in Abruzzo Different
This is what Experience BellaVita is built on. Not big numbers or generic packages, but connections. I spend most of my time here in Abruzzo, in the vineyards, in the kitchens, on the roads. My passion takes me beyond the vineyard too. I visit dozens of winemakers throughout the year, attend tastings, join events, and open bottles with friends, mentors, and colleagues. I listen. I learn. I absorb everything I can, so that I can pass that insight and feeling onto our guests.
Each tour we offer is created from scratch. We focus on the details that make a moment memorable, the right bottle at the right table, shared in the right way. We work with producers who still do things the slow way. We take our time, and we make sure the experience is something truly worth remembering.
This isn’t about luxury in the traditional sense. It’s about richness, of story, of flavour, of meaning. And for me, there’s no greater reward than seeing someone connect to Abruzzo for the first time, as deeply as I do every day.
Exclusive Wine Experiences in the Heart of Abruzzo
Tastings like this don’t happen every day. They require roots in the community, relationships built over years, and a cellar with bottles that aren’t found on the market. They come from knowing who to call, where to go, and how to bring the right people together around the right table.
All of our tastings are private and made-to-measure. We begin with a conversation, understand your passions, and shape something that reflects the real Abruzzo. Whether it’s Valentini, small unknown winemakers, or historic wines from private collections, the aim is always the same: authenticity.
These experiences are limited, not by design, but because the wines themselves are rare. Some bottles only exist in one or two examples. Others come from private hands, never meant to travel far. But when shared with the right people, they become unforgettable.
If you’re ready to taste Abruzzo with depth, emotion, and meaning, get in touch. We’ll open the right bottles, at the right time, in the place where they were born.