What can I say? I fell in love with Vasto on this last trip to Abruzzo. I hadn’t spent much time in this commune where the beaches are still undiscovered by foreign tourists and where the wild vegetation and biodiversity are as exciting as are the people who grow and make wine not far from the Molise border.

Nicola Altieri’s wines at Fontefico are fantastic. Organically farmed, spontaneously fermented, and 100 percent delicious and food friendly. The creative, youthful packaging is also consumer-friendly and just downright fun.

After our tasting a few weeks ago, I scratched my head wondering aloud why progressive U.S. importers are not bending over backward to get these wines to north America. I loved them.

But I also loved the whole vibe of their estate, where they have rooms for visitors (we didn’t stay) and an extraordinary “zero kilometer” restaurant where Nicola’s mom cooks up a storm. That’s peperoncino over white flower chicory — yes, the rare white flower chicory! — and crunchy maize.

And man, the flavor of the tomato sauce and the pasta itself… wow… this dish, so simple, floored me. I’m sorry I don’t have any photos of the wines. They are worth seeking out.

Earlier in the day, we had tasted at Jasci e Marchesani, another hit in my book.

The Jasci family is a pioneer of organic farming in Abruzzo. Early on, before the term “organic” even existed as we know it today, they had recognized the potential harm of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.

Abruzzo is arid and well-ventilated thanks to the maritime influence, ideal for organic farming. The Jasci showed their neighbors a path forward at a time when chemical-driven farming was encouraged among small growers like them.

I really loved their two Cerasuolo but the Trebbiano was another favorite of mine, one of the estate’s flagships. Shout out to our tasting guide Luana and her command of English (made my job easy!). You should have seen the locals lining up to buy their monthly supply. This place was another wonderful discovery for me.

And dulcis in fundo, that’s the view from the Hotel Villa Maria in Francavilla where we stayed during our trip. And below you’ll find a YouTube for the famous song, “T’aspetto a Vasto” (“I’ll wait for you in Vasto”), including shots of the gorgeous pristine beaches.