ABRUZZO: Illuminati Pecorino

Color: Straw yellow.

Aroma: Stone fruits, citrus, and white flowers.

Taste: High acidity. Fresh, crip, lemon flavors.

Pairing: Burrata, caprese salads, mozzarella, lighter appetizers.

In nearly 130 years of history, the Illuminati vineyards have grown from 15 to 130 hectares in size in Controguerra (Teramo), a special wine-producing area between the Gran Sasso mountains and the Adriatic Sea. The Illuminati family represent all that is great about modern winemaking, with their possession of some remarkable vineyard sites, a respect for tradition and family that dates back to the winery’s inception in 1890 and a totally up-to-the-minute technological bent which sees their winemaking facilities equipped to best practice standards. Quality, not quantity drives Dino Illuminati and his family and their wines are characterful, impressive and fiercely individualistic: the focus is on Montepulciano made in traditional fashion and offered in excellent, drinkable mealtime bottlings to more nuanced, muscular vineyard selections, most offering terrific value. Sustainable farming, low sulfites.