Visiting the Francesco Cirelli winery with our dream team group of sommeliers last month was like a homecoming for me.

Francesco’s wines first came to my attention many Vinitalys ago when a mutual friend took me to taste with him.

At his stand, a clique of über-hipster winemakers awaited. They were there for the vibrant wines, the salami and bread, and the super cool conversation that seemed to take ethereal shape around him.

The next year, his amphora-aged wines were stars on my list at Sotto in Los Angeles where people enjoyed them as much as Tracie and I dug them at home.

That’s a sign, above, that leads you to his “amphora room” (anforaia is a compound word formed by the Italian anfora meaning amphora and the suffix -aia, which comes from the Latin area; just like a sassicaia is a place full of stones, from sassi, and a lupaia is a den of wolves, anforaia is a place where you will find amphorae).

Many years ago now, when Francesco planted his grapes along the side of a valley not known for viticulture, his neighbors must have thought him crazy. But he already had a solid business plan in his pocket and a vision in his mind.

Even before the new wave of new and old Abruzzo growers reshaped the way we think about these wines, Francesco’s wines were a breakout success in a region that most American wine professionals knew for just a handful of mainstay estates.

He accomplished this by making great wines, of course, wines that appealed to a youthful sensibility. But perhaps more importantly, he created a new “vibe” and model for the Abruzzo wine business: cool user-friendly packaging, screw top bottles, a glamping destination (yes, you can glamp there!), aggressive pricing, and an ecumenical attitude toward his customers.

I couldn’t have been more proud to lead our group to one of our favorite wineries, producer of the amphora-aged Cerasuolo that Tracie and I drink on special occasions.

To Francesco and all the wine pros (Justin and Nathan!) who have believed in and shared his vision, I share a thanks for giving us a new paradigm for great Abruzzo wines.