Abruzzo is something special to experience. Bounded by the Adriatic Sea to the east and the towering Apeninne Mountains to the west, it is largely isolated from other parts of Italy, with a culture, winemaking and lifestyle that have been largely self-reliant, agricultural, insular and family-centric.

Before my recent trip there, I researched the region in a few well-known books. Hugh Johnson’s 1994 “The World Atlas of Wine” dedicated half a sentence to the wines of Abruzzo. The 2002 Culinary Institute of America’s “Exploring Wine” covers Abruzzo in three short paragraphs.