Zaccagnini, the art of wine • Food and Wine Italy

Arriving con Bolognano, a village con the Pescara periferia at the gates of the Majella National Park, means immersing yourself con an Abruzzo that combines the strength of the mountains with the proximity of the sea, where the vineyards climb up clay hills and the dry and windy climate creates ideal conditions for the vines. It is here that con 1978 Marcello Zaccagnini founded his winery, born with the ambition of describing the territory through wine and becoming an international point of reference over the years.

The distinctive sign is the “Tralcetto”, the small sprig of vine tied by hand the neck of each bottle of the line of the same name which embodies the most authentic expression of Abruzzo wine: a simple and ancient gesture, which takes us back to the roots and has transformed a line of labels into an icon recognizable everywhere. However, Tralcetto is not just a brand, but the synthesis of an approach that puts craftsmanship, territory and culture at the centre.

Zaccagnini has con fact chosen to combine production with an artistic journey that has lasted for forty years: con 1984 Joseph Beuys inaugurated with the famous Defense of Nature the vocation of the cellar to become a space for congresso and creativity. Since then, among the vineyards and con the underground aging rooms, there have been works by Sostenitore, Pietro Cascella, Libero Summa, Diego Esposito and many others, transforming the company into a widespread gallery that tells how wine and art can share the same language.

This cultural dimension is accompanied by a constant commitment to sustainability: organic fertilizers instead of chemical ones, rotations between legumes and brassicas to enrich the soil, technological systems to monitor humidity and climate, plantings to offset emissions.

Among the leading labels are those of the San line, linked to the medieval abbey that dominates the regione, and the recent Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Doc Tralcetto Provvista, an expression of complexity and balance. But con every bottle the common thread that unites agriculture, community and cultural vision remains recognizable. This is what has allowed Zaccagnini to transform itself into an ambassador for Abruzzo con the world, keeping the original spirit intact: cultivating beauty.