The region of Abruzzo has been nicknamed “Europe’s Green Lung”. One third of its land is designated as protected wildlife refuges, making it Europe’s largest naturalistic area. This highlights the strong civic and cultural commitment to caring for the environment here in the green heart of the Mediterranean.
Gabriele D’Annunzio, one of Italy’s most famous poets and a native of Abruzzo, described the region’s fantastic scenery in a poem titled “Sogno di un pomeriggio in autunno” (Autumn Afternoon Dream). Pastures and beech woods give way to the high peaks of mountain massifs and an almost desert landscape covered with snow all year round. The area is rich in old traditions and archaeological heritage: one can still visit shrines and cave churches built entirely into the rock. Three contiguous national parks and a host of nature reserves make the region one vast habitat where wildlife and lush vegetation are the natural complement to millennia of history and tradition.
The icing on the cake is the magnificent “Trabocchi” coast that stretches for some 80 km (50 mi) along the shores of the Adriatic in the province of Chieti. Its salient feature is the trabocchi, fishing machines built on stilts that allowed fishermen to intercept passing schools of fish with their dip nets. The practice dates back to the eighth century, when farmers and shepherds not given to seafaring realized that they could supplement their agricultural harvest by projecting the land out into the sea on pilings driven into the rocky shoreline.
Fascinating also is the trabocco fishing technique: the broad nets are lowered into the sea by means of a rotating winch fixed to the center of the platform. Now and then the nets are raised just above the water level. The trapped fish, mostly mullet, bream, garfish and oily fish in general are suspended above the water in a shimmering mass of silvery flashes before being scooped up with a landing net.
The Casal Thaulero vineyards spread over the hills in the province of Chieti. They are bordered on one side by the Majella massif and, further west, the Gran Sasso, the highest mountain in the Apennines. On the other side they give onto a magnificent alternation of blues as the sky merges into the Adriatic: a spectacular four-season show. In this unique terroir, the vineyards are caressed by the sea breeze and by mountain currents, creating a variety of microclimates that are ideal for vine growth. This is why Abruzzo has so many indigenous grape varieties. Casal Thaulero wines are produced through the tireless efforts of winegrowers who bring forth the most precious and exhilarating fruits from the soil of Abruzzo.
We owe the excellence of the wines they produce to the art of our master oenologists who work closely with growers to select the finest grapes and then supervise the entire winemaking and aging process. It is a long natural process that produces the beautifully enticing blends of smells, tastes and local character that define Casal Thaulero wines, which bring out the best in both local and non-indigenous grape varieties. Ever true to the innovative spirit of Giovanni Thaulero, Casal Thaulero has ventured into the creation of a sparkling wine using the local pecorino grape. The result, Voilà Pecorino, was immediately honored with a bronze medal at the Japan Wine Challenge. Casal Thaulero thus continues in the time-honored yet future-oriented tradition that has made it so successful over the years.
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