8-14 September: wine with Giorgio De Maria

Join fourth generation Abruzzese chef Daniela Maiorano and Torinese wine expert Giorgio De Maria of Fun Wines for six nights and seven days sharing the undiscovered culinary and vinous secrets of the wild Abruzzese mountains and coast. Whether you are a sommelier, winemaker, or simply an enthusiast, this will be an unmissable pilgrimage to the best and most interesting vineyards in the region. We’ll be learning from master winemakers, using both traditional and modern methods, with a focus on natural wine from grapes specific to the region.

ABOUT GIORGIO

Giorgio De Maria studied agriculture and forest environment in Turin, graduating with a thesis on the production of summer cheese in the Italian Alps. After working in fine dining restaurants in Italy then Dublin and Tokyo, he came to Sydney, where he worked at Vini before opening 121BC in Surry Hills (Australian Gourmet Traveller’s Sommelier of the Year 2012, Good Food Guide Best Bar with food 2012). A sister venue, 121BC Hong Kong, opened its doors in 2013 (Best Wine Bar List of China’s Wine List of the year Awards 2014 and 2015).  In 2014 Giorgio compiled the wine list for Billy Kwong in Sydney (Australian Gourmet Traveller’s Wine List of the Year 2016). He was the creative director of Rootstock Sydney festival for all its five editions (Australian Gourmet Traveller Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality 2019). In 2019 Giorgio was the Beverage Director of Café Paci. He also owns and runs a small wine import company that specialises in artisanal natural wines: Giorgio De Maria Fun Wines alongside his restaurant and wine bar Paski Vineria Popolare that opened its door in November 2021.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE

Day 1: 

Pick up from Rome. Casual terrace lunch by Daniela on arrival in Sulmona, featuring local market produce. Explore the gorgeous medieval town on foot, relax and settle in to your accommodation. Aperitivo together at a local bar, then a relaxed and generous dinner at the renowned Ristorante Clemente, Dani’s family restaurant.

Day 2: Pacentro + Di Cato

Breakfast on the terrace: fresh sourdough bread, local butter, preserves, eggs, summer fruit and vegetables, tea and coffee. Head to the beautiful mountain town of Pacentro to explore the unique laneways on foot, and visit Dani’s friend Virginia Alla Casa Vecchia to learn about local cheesemaking traditions. Visit Di Cato winery, owned by our friend and winemaker Mariapaola who caretakes her ancestral lands, farming organically and making beautiful natural wines which, as her grandfather Mariano said, “have the scent and taste of grapes”. We’ll enjoy lunch among the vines prepared specially by Mammarossa restaurant in Avezzano, followed by a wine tasting in the cantina. To finish, learn the art of making pizzelle with Mariapaula Di Cato’s mum! Evening free to explore Sulmona.

Day 3: Bocca di Valle + trabocchi

Breakfast on the terrace. Visit the picturesque town of Guardiagrele and try the famous Sise delle Monache, or “Nun’s breasts” a local sweet pastry with a very interesting origin story! Next, visit Luca Bevilacqua winery in Atessa in the Val di Sangro for a wine degustation and a light lunch. Continuing his family winemaking tradition, Luca believes in letting the grapes of Abruzzo speak for themselves – think unadulterated Montepulciano, Trebbiano and Passerina wines made for drinking.  In the afternoon, enjoy a swim in the beautiful Adriatic sea, followed by dinner at the famous Trabocchi, traditional wooden fishing machines on piers that punctuate a section of the Abruzzese coast: the creation of shepherds who wanted to fish but were strictly not sea-going people!

Day 4: Rabasco

Breakfast on the terrace. Visit the vineyard of Rabasco in the commune of Loreto Aprutino, home of single-vineyard wines from four hectares of 40 year old vines enjoying the influences of the Gran Sasso mountain on one side, and the Adriatic Sea on the other. Participate in the vendemmia (grape harvest), followed by lunch outside under the trees – including a unique local bread made with yeast from the winemaking process. Participate in a cooking class to make cioccolatini col mosto – chocolates made using wine must. Evening free to explore Sulmona.

Day 5: Podere San Biagio

Breakfast on the terrace. Participate in the winemaking process at Podere San Biagio, located in Controguerra, in the Teramo hills. In the 1980s, the forward-thinking Fiore family were among the first in Italy to reintroduce the cultivation of ancient grains. Today they farm organically, growing grapes and olives as well as Saragolla, Solina and Rosciola grains, soft wheats typical of the Abruzzese mountain areas. The influence of breezes from both the sea and mountains create an ideal climate for the ripening of typical Abruzzese grape varieties like Trebbiano, Malvasia, Passerina, Pecorino and Montepulciano. The wines are spontaneously fermented and left unfiltered for maximum expression and depth of character.  We’ll enjoy a wine tasting and leisurely lunch at the agriturismo on site. Evening free to explore Sulmona.

Day 6: Caprera

Breakfast on the terrace. Visit the historical wonder of Rocca Calascio for some very memorable walking, followed by a visit to the vineyard and cantina of Caprera. Caprera was started in 2012 by two friends, Alfonso and Luca Paolo, who use organic methods to grow century-old olive trees for oil alongside local varieties of grape: Montepulciano, Trebbiano Abruzzese, Passerina and Pecorino. Their natural wines reflect the compact, complex, rich soils – marl, blue clay, calcarenite – the unrelenting winds, the brightness of the summer sun, and the resonance of the mountains. Enjoy a wine tasting and a relaxed, unforgettable lunch at Ristorante Bilancia. Later, we’ll meet for aperi-cena at Buon Vento in Sulmona for our last evening together!

Day 7: Final breakfast on the terrace and private transfer to Rome.

Booking notes

You can book either a single or double occupancy room at the beautiful Il Marchese del Grillo or La Dimora del Falconiere. Our daily breakfast for the whole group will be served on the terrace at Il Marchese del Grillo. La Dimora del Falconiere is an easy 3-5 minute walk away.  

All bookings are subject to our terms and conditions. Please note that there are no refunds available. If you are unable to attend the tour, and you let us know earlier than 4 months from the tour start date, we can transfer your booking to someone who can take your place, or we can transfer you to a future tour, within two years (subject to availability, and to payment of any price difference). We recommend you purchase travel insurance to cover you (and others under your booking) in case of change of plans or family/health emergencies.