I’ll be taking next week off from the blog while Tracie, the girls, and I are vacationing in Italy. I’m sure I’ll plenty of adventures to share. In the meantime, here are some highlights from my week in Abruzzo for the consortium. See you in a few weeks. Thanks for being here.

Nic Tartaglia grows Montepulciano on clay-rich soils in some of the highest lying vineyards in Casauria. He and his team are working hard in the U.S. and the wines are awesome.

I really loved this barrique-aged, rich-style Pecorino from Guardiani-Farchione. It’s really cool to see how winemakers are experimenting with Pecorino and pushing its envelope.

Sara Tilli makes wine in the shadow of the Maiella massif. The peak in the photo is obscured by clouds. My visit to her winery and the Maiella valley were profoundly inspiring. Her wonderful Montepulciano is grown on 100 percent limestone.

The famed vineyard where Cristiana Tiberio developed her massal selection of Trebbiano Abruzzese, which many believe to be an avatar. Her wines have been making people rethink what they know about this amazing region.

Luca Paolo Virgilio of Caprera is one of the coolest people I’ve met here. His wines are awesome and he’s one of the faces of Abruzzo’s next generation. Don’t miss the ancient Roman vinification basins not far from his winery.

It was amazing to walk the vineyards in Francavilla not far from the sea with my good friend Valentina Di Camillo at I Fauri. Her family’s amazing story of resilience is so compelling. And I really like her fresh-style wines a lot.

One of the most fascinating visits was at Tenuta Antonio Fiorentino @tenutafiorentino in southern Abruzzo. I loved getting to chat with Antonio’s dad, Carmine, whose “historic memory” of Abruzzo viticulture is a treasure. Antonio also grows delicious saffron. I’m so glad I made it down there to see them. Great wines, great people.

The food in Abruzzo is extraordinary. Thank you to Davide and the consortium for a fantastic dinner at Isola della Piane on my last night here! See you soon.