A WALK IN THE PARK WITH OUR BOTANIC EXPERT

Meeting with Prof Ciaschetti in Popoli

• Short walk to the springs of Capo Pescara
• Transfer to POPOLI
• Short walk among the vineyards of Valle Reale
• Meeting with the staff of Valle Reale, explanations of the wine-making techniques, and the logics of spontaneous fermentations.
• Consultation of historic archive of Valle Reale
• Visit to the cellar and the fermentations area
• Eno-gastronmic exploration

Eno-gastrononmic exploration: tasting of 3 Valle Reale Cru’s and 3 cheese made by shepperd Gregorio Rotolo
• Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC Valle Reale 2016: Tasting of Trebbiano 2016, obtained from different wine makings within the property. This particular vintage, produced in limited quantity due to the frost blow which hit the vineyards on April 26th 2016, contains the prestigious production of the CRU Trebbiano Vigna di Capestrano, whose grapes, in this harvest, have been exceptionally convoyed in the production of this very wine. Ricotta scorza nera (black crust ricotta) obtained with organic sheep milk. After a short drying which makes it more compact, the ricotta is sal-ted on the outer side then to be seasoned for 100 days. During this seasoning, on the outer part, a natural mold is formed and this gives the name to the cheese. This “scorza nera” (black crust) protects the ricotta, keeping it soft, rich and delicate
• Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Vigneto di Popoli 2014: the most representative white wine of Valle Reale, with an ever growing demand, thanks to ou-tstanding press and critic reviews, which defined this wine “the trebbiano of the cold”. The 2014 harvest stands out among the best 6 vintages ever produced as it expresses in full the vibrating power and the freshness of the famous canyons of Popoli. Gregoriano is a soft aromatic cheese, with typical pressed and rounded shapes on the sides, with a white or greenish crust, which gets softer with the sea-soning, until assuming a “stracchino”-like consistency. A happy combination between the raw sheep milk and the production technique said “lactic coagula-tion”, mostly used in the North of Italy. A process which requires time and patience
• Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC Valle Reale 2015: the grapes of this Montepulcinao come from both the vineyards of Popoli and Capestrano. These two areas have different climatic profiles, since the Valley of Ofena and in particular Capestrano is quite warm during the summer period, when compared to the area of Popoli. Whereas the Capestrano area produces grapes that generate more structured wines, Popoli is renown for the complexity of perfumes. This is the youngest Montepulciano of Valle Reale, with an unique personality, which can be obtained only in a mountain terroir. Trittico, is a product which enhances the best flavors of cheese because it wisely combines three kinds of milk in different percentages: organic cow milk (85%), sheep milk (10%) and goat milk (5%). The long seasoning, about one year and a half, happens in a humidity and temperature controlled ambient
Discussion and reflections
Relax and coffee
Goodbye