Cantina Tollo, the well-known proactive brand from Abruzzo, has released on the market its latest project. The new line, which is made from indigenous grapes and with a sustainable packaging, features five wines certified both organic and vegan. The wines pay homage to the surrounding natural environment which stretches from the Adriatic Sea to the towering Maiella mountain reaching above 2.790 metres asl and boosts an incredible flora and fauna biodiversity. The five wines include Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Dop, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Dop, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Dop, Terre di Chieti Pecorino Igp and Terre di Chieti Passerina Igp.

Each wine is identified by a handmade pencil drawing featuring five bioindicators.
 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo dop, made from the eponymous juicy and tannic red grape, Montepulciano, is identified with the ladybug, which is an indicator of unpolluted environments. The dragonfly, which inhabits clean water spaces, stands on the label of Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Dop from refreshing white Trebbiano variety. Butterflies which reveals huge information about climate change have been chosed to represent a traditional product such as Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, the local dry rosé with a deep salmon hue, cherries aromas and a mineral palate. The stag beetle, living in the fierce old woods of Maiella mountain, stands out on the label of white Terre di Chieti Pecorino Igp whereas the bee is the symbol of the light Terre di Chieti Passerina Igp exuding aromas of citrus and wild flowers.

The whole packaging aims at respecting nature. The capsule is PVC-free, the label is made from recycled paper and cotton fibers, and the box too is made of recycled cardoboard.

The line is aimed at consumers looking for wines with a sense of place, speaking of the land they come from and playing an active role in preserving the environment, from a social and a natural point of view. “Cantina Tollo has always been safeguarding and preserving nature” states Tonino Verna, chairman at Cantina Tollo. “With this new line we want to cast a light on insects which are the daily companions of our grape growers and are the minuscule keepers of our vineyards, helping preserving the natural balance. Today, more than ever before, we have to carefully observe the signals of the environment, understand it, respect the Earth and produce in a sustainable and conscious way”.

Once again the Mo - Montepulciano d’Abruzzo PDO Riserva shone in the eyes of a prestigious panel of judges, winning the gold medal at the Berliner Wein Trophy 2016. Launched in 2015, this wine has already received many major awards, such as the Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri 2016 and gold medals at the latest Sélections Mondiales des Vins Canada, the Challenge International du Vin and the Mundus Vini 2015.

It has an intense fruity bouquet, with hints of black cherry and forest fruits. This Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is aged for twenty-four months in oak casks and six months in the bottle so it improves with time. 

Established in 1994, the Berliner Wein Trophy is now one of the most important wine competitions in the world and is sponsored by the OIV (International Organisation of Wine and Vine). Only two competitions in Germany - and 19 all around the world - have endorsed the standards set by the OIV for international wine competitions, which provide participants with the highest guarantee of an objective assessment for their product.

After the success by C’Incanta Trebbiano d’Abruzzo PDO two years on the trot (Tre Bicchieri 2014 and 2015) and the Tre Bicchieri 2013 assigned to Cagiòlo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo PDO Riserva, it is the turn of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo PDO Riserva 2011: a wine with an intense fruity flavour, with hints of cherry and fruits of the forest, created from the interpretation of an ancient grape variety cultivated in the area since the eighteenth century. In Abruzzo, red means Montepulciano: a precious grape variety that continues to generate new excellences, each with its own distinctive personality. Intense ruby red with purple reflections, twenty-four months in oak casks and six months in the bottle for an ageing which improves with time.