Bove

Bove farm in Abruzzo, on the Adriatic side of central Italy where the Apennines fall steeply towards the sea. The estate works Montepulciano and Pecorino, the region's two defining grapes.

Abruzzo is unusual in Italy for how much of it is protected: roughly a third of the region lies within national parks, and the mountains behind the vineyards hold snow well into spring. That proximity of high peaks to warm coast gives strong day-to-night temperature swings, which is what keeps Montepulciano fresh in a climate that could easily make it heavy.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is not to be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is Sangiovese from a Tuscan town. The grape gives deep colour, soft tannin and generous dark fruit, and it is one of the most reliable value reds in Italy. Pecorino, the white, had almost disappeared by the 1980s before growers recognised its quality.