Summers in Abruzzo, Italy are about escape. Physically, locals head to Abruzzo’s mountains and seaside for fresh cool air, picture-perfect vistas, and dips in turquoise lakes and calming seas. They also use the month of August to recharge and celebrate the year with friends and family in a monthlong of festivities known as Ferragosto. Each moment, though, can be wrapped together by one of Citra’s wines that express the diverse regions of Abruzzo. The experiences are almost as old as the vintages that have been handed down from generation to generation. The secret is out, though, and the wonders of this spectacular part of Central Italy are open to everyone this summer. So, grab your favorite Citra wines and enjoy Abruzzo from mountaintop to seaside with these three uncorkable moments.
Saluti to the Sea
“I spent these days in a deep quiet. Lying on a boat in the sun. You know these places: they are divine…” Abruzzo poet G. D’Annunzio wrote. These quiet moments along the Adriatic Sea are made possible by the region’s seemingly endless coastline where mornings are filled with fisherman hauling in your lunch and dinner. The afternoons begin to swell with holiday-goers licking their gelato feverishly to prevent a spill. Grab a beach chair in Central Abruzzo (from Vasto to San Salvo Marina), where the golden sand, endless sun, and transparent waters keep the spirit of Ferragosto alive. While you’ve been sunning, restaurants have been busy preparing a bordetti (broths made from local seafood) for handmade pasta. While the sun gives way to stars over the spiagga, cheers to an endless summer with Citra Pinot Grigio.
Fiery Ferragosto
Fireworks and raucous events have been used to mark the apex of Italy’s August celebration since Roman Times. On August 15, Ferragosto, gather some of your closest friends and family in Capelle sul Tavo, a small inland town that knows good food, fantastic wine, and a wild nighttime celebration. Head to the highest point in the city, where views of the river Tavo reach the sea and celebrate the evening with Citra’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, equal parts celebratory and fiery. The townspeople will march through the ancient streets with religious effigies that will soon alight with the clamor of firecrackers and fireworks. If you’ve chosen the right spot, you’ll be able to see nearby towns celebrating as well. Chin chin again (though we can’t guarantee you’ll hear the clink of your glasses).
Montepulciano in the Mountains
As you ascend high into the untouched beauty of Abruzzo’s mountains, you’ll realize that it’s the Abruzzo diverse geography that provides Citra with so many varieties of wines. While it’s cooler at this elevation, the month of August shows off a beauty that can only be matched by a good wine pairing. In the Majella Mountains, more active visitors and locals explore the 500km of trails, while those still sticking to the rejuvenating ethos of the holiday pack a basket of Abruzzen treats: caciocavallo, Mortadella di Campotosto, focaccia, and some sugar almonds. The fresh mountain air also makes the taste of Citra family of wines come alive, as you cheer to Agosto.
Last Updated: May 5, 2023
