The artisans of taste

Together with two starred chefs and the food and wine journalist Alessandro Bocchetti, who will guide us into a sensory experience of food and wine pairings, the artisans of taste from Abruzzo will be the protagonists of the 8 stages of this journey: dairymen, olive oil producers, breeders of courtyard animals such as poultry, catlle and the Abruzzo black pig, producers of legumes, cereals and vegetables, pasta makers, beekeepers and wine growers.

Adi Apicoltura, Tornareccio – Honey

Beekeepers from the late 1800s, this family-run business from Tornareccio (aka The capital of Honey), produces organic honey by moving bees to the search for the best nectar and paying particular attention to the biodiversity of the territory. Adi’s production includes various types of honey, among which are acacia, eucalyptus, mixed flower, cherry, sunflower and sulla.

Alimonti Nicola, Guardiagrele – Dairy Products

Small dairy, close to Guardiagrele, renowned especially for the preparation of ricotta, primo sale – a slightly aged cheese – and raw milk cheese, all obtained only with the milk of their own cows.

Azienda Agricola Fratelli Del Proposto, Loreto Aprutino – Poultry, dairy products, vegetables

Near Loreto Aprutino, Daniela Del Proposto and his father Paolo manage this farm specialized in the cereals and livestock sectors since the 1950s. Here, free range poultry (mainly chickens, hens and Muscovy ducks) are fed with home-produced hay and grains. In addition to this, the Del Proposto family produce raw milk sheep cheese – obtained exclusively with the milk of their sheep – as well as cereals, vegetables and extra virgin olive oil.

Trappeto di Caprafico, Casoli – Extra virgin olive oil

From the 19th-century farmhouse of the Masciantonio family, immersed among lush olive trees, one can admire an outstanding view of Maiella mountain. We are in the green countryside of Caprafico and here, since 1874 the “Trappeto” has produced top quality extra virgin olive oils, among which are the organic Colline Teatine blend, the monovarietal Intosso and the flavored oils. In the last few years, in addition to extra virgin olive oil, the Masciantonio family has started producing wine.

De Fermo, Loreto Aprutino – Cereals, legumes, wines

Wine growers, but also producers of extra virgin olive oil (Dritta monocultivar), legumes, and cereals, which are all cultivated by using organic and biodynamic methods. We are in the panoramic hills of Loreto Aprutino, a territory rich in biodiversity and the De Fermo family preserves this incredible natural heritage since 1785. The vineyard occupies approximately 17 hectares and rises at an altitude of about 300 meters on a limestone and clay soil. In the cellar there is little technology and a lot of craftsmanship. The musts are not clarified and the wines are neither stabilized nor filtered. Only wooden and concrete tanks are used, both for fermentation and aging.

Pasticceria Emo Lullo, Guardiagrele – Sise de’ Monache, torrone

The history of the Lullo pastry shop is linked to that of Guardiagrele since 1889, when Filippo Benigno opened the shop in the historic centre. From generation to generation, the production of the Sise de ‘Monache (literally “breasts of the nuns”), a sponge cake filled with custard, has continued to date and today Emo, with the help of his sister Dina, is the guardian of the tradition. The Pasticceria Lullo produces also the typical Guardiagrele torrone sweet and other delicacies.

Frantoio Coletta, Civitella Casanova – Extra virgin olive oil

Mariano and Anna Rita Coletta have been producing extra virgin olive oil in Civitella Casanova for over thirty years. This foothill area is highly suited to the cultivation of local varieties of olive trees such as Dritta, Leccino, Toccolana and Pendolino. But the true protagonist of this corner of Abruzzo is certainly the remarkable Fagiolara cultivar, so called after the shape of the olives that recall a bean (fagiolo). It is an autochthonous and rare variety – about 500 trees in total – from which Mariano and Anna Rita obtain a unique monovarietal extra virgin olive oil.

Pasqualone, Civitella Casanova – Vegetables and fruits

We are in Penne, in the heart of the Pescara hinterland, where the Pasqualone family grow fruits and vegetables since the 1930s. A plot of land of about 70 hectares with vineyards, olive groves, tomato plants, vegetables, cereals, legumes and orchards. All the products are freshly processed to obtain extra virgin olive oil, tomato sauces, fruits in syrup and jams.

Tenuta i Fauri, Ari – Wine

The Di Camillo family has been dedicated to the cultivation of the vine since the early ‘900. The first cellar dates back to 1978, but the turning point is in 1996, with the productive and qualitative increase.
The vineyards – 35 hectares – are located between the hillsides of Villamagna, Francavilla al Mare and Ari. The main grape variety is Montepulciano, followed by Trebbiano, Pecorino, Passerina, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The systemic treatments and the chemical fertilizers are minimized and during the winemaking process, fermentations take place spontaneously and without the help of added yeast. Steel and concrete tanks are used for aging.

Azienda Agricola Giacomo Santoleri Casino di Caprafico, Guardiagrele – Cereals and legumes

Giacomo Santoleri’s farm, in the Plains of Caprafico, has been producing and transforming cereals, legumes and olives for over twenty years by using organic and traditional methods. Among the products are semi-pearled spelt, pearled barley, lentils, chickpeas, hulled barley – used to prepare barley coffee -, 100% stone-ground wholemeal spelt pasta and Ma’Kaira, a type of bronze drawn pasta made from hard wheat with added crushed barley. In addition, the Casino di Caprafico farm produces extra virgin olive oil.