2021 Orlandi Contucci Ponno Adrio Trebbiano D'Abruzzo 750 ml

Trebbiano.

For some, it’s a word that sums up how confusing Italian wine can be. But for others, Trebbiano represents the kind of INCREDIBLE values out there for savvy wine lovers.  

Take the 2021 Adrio Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. Ian D’Agata, one of the foremost experts on Italian wine, loves the best Trebbiano from Abruzzo for its “uncanny resemblance to France’s outstanding Chablis,” and Orlandi Contucci Ponno’s Adrio shows off the ocean-spray salinity, refreshing acidity, and delicate fruit that merits comparisons to great Premier Cru bottlings. 

Trebbiano is actually several grapes that share a common name. On one hand, you have the commonly found Trebbiano Toscano: innocuous, easy to farm, with yields so high that Italians plant it nearly anywhere. Then there’s the harder-to-farm Trebbiano Abruzzese, a grape named for the province where it thrives. 

However, even in its home region, it’s largely been replaced by the “other” Trebbiano—and to make things more confusing, wineries can label either as Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. But the handful of producers who tend the real thing—pergola-trained old vines of true Trebbiano d’Abruzzo—are rewarded for their work with some of the most profound white wines in Italy. The results are so impressive that Vinous mused that the grape was “the future of the region.”

In Abruzzo, sea breezes roll over steep hillsides dotted with fragrant, purple-red batches of the native erba sulla flower. Called “a stunning agricultural area that can rival anywhere else in Italy” by Wine Spectator, the region’s abundant sunshine and diurnal temperature shifts are perfect for nurturing aromatic complexity and preserving vibrant acidity.

This is an invigorating and elegant wine—the perfect companion for seared scallops, grilled fish, or a platter of fresh vegetables.