Wine in Controguerra, Abruzzo

Illuminati ★ 4.5

Controguerra house working since 1890, farming 130 hectares and making around a million bottles a year per DoctorWine. Riparosso is its long running Montepulciano.

Camillo Montori ★ 4.3

Controguerra estate at Piane Tronto, farming 55 hectares and making around 600,000 bottles a year per DoctorWine, within the Controguerra DOC on the Marche border.

Camillo Montori ★ 4.3

A Controguerra estate at Piane Tronto farming 55 hectares on the Marche border, making around 600,000 bottles a year per DoctorWine across the Controguerra and Abruzzo denominations.

Why locals love it: Controguerra is the one Abruzzo DOC that allows Cabernet and Merlot, and this Piane Tronto estate of 55 hectares works it from the Marche border.

Tip: Ask about the Controguerra DOC itself. Created in 1996, it is the one corner of Abruzzo where international varieties sit inside the denomination.

Civitella del Tronto ★ 4.5

A hill town at 589 metres above the Marche border, with a fortress about 500 metres long and 45 metres wide covering 25,000 square metres. Its garrison surrendered on 20 March 1861.

Pours: Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOCG, Controguerra DOC

Tip: It sits above the Controguerra DOC, so pair the fortress with Camillo Montori or Illuminati and you have the northern tip of Abruzzo in a day.