Valentini, Abruzzo

Valentini remains one of the oldest and greatest names in Italian viniculture; masters of traditional winemaking. The Valentini family is Spanish in origin, dating back to 1650, when the Bourbons ruled southern Italy and Abruzzo formed the northern limit of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In 1868 Camillo Valentini was formerly recognised for the quality of his wines. However, as was common during the time, the estate was managed by a factor, not by a member of the family. In the 1950s, Edoardo was the first Valentini to dedicate himself to the propriety until his death in 2006. His son Francesco Paolo Valentini has since taken over, aided by his (Hispanic) wife Elèna, and now son Gabriele. Located in the heart of the Colline Teramane DOCG zone of Abruzzo, at Loreto Aprutino, on sandy/ calcareous clay soils in sight of the Adriatic sea, the 60-hectare estate is divided between olive oil and grapes (Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo).