Italy · Abruzzo — Region-wide

Cantina Zaccagnini

Bolognano winery founded by Marcello Zaccagnini, making Tralcetto Pecorino and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo with a vine twig on each bottle neck.

The producer

Cantina Zaccagnini began in Bolognano, Pescara, with Marcello Zaccagnini's inherited passion for winemaking. Its Tralcetto line covers Pecorino and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, with a handcrafted vine twig tied to the bottle neck. Wine and art meet at the estate: on May 13, 1984, Joseph Beuys presented In Defence of Nature there and said, “It is a work of art that has wine inside.” Tralcetto Montepulciano uses destemming, submerged cap maceration, temperature controlled fermentation for approximately 15 days, and ageing in steel on its own lees.

Known for

Tralcetto Pecorino and Montepulciano

Notable facts

The story

Beuys And The Tralcetto Bottle

On May 13, 1984, Joseph Beuys came to the Bolognano winery to present In Defence of Nature in the barrel room. The German artist looked at the Tralcetto bottle and said, “It is a work of art that has wine inside.” Cantina Zaccagnini's wine and art programme has a physical object at its centre: a handcrafted vine twig is attached to the bottle neck, symbolizing the bond between wine and territory. More than 40 artworks are held at the estate.

From the atlas

Cantina Zaccagnini

Cantina Zaccagnini in Bolognano, Pescara, makes Tralcetto Pecorino and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo while bringing wine and art together at the estate.

At A Glance

FieldDetail
RegionAbruzzo
HomeBolognano, Pescara
White wineTralcetto Pecorino
Red wineTralcetto Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Main grapesPecorino and Montepulciano
Defining featureA handcrafted vine twig attached to the Tralcetto bottle neck

The Producer

Cantina Zaccagnini joins wine with artistic expression at the estate. More than 40 artworks are on the property. On May 13, 1984, German artist Joseph Beuys visited the Bolognano winery to present In Defence of Nature. Looking at the Tralcetto bottle, he said, “It is a work of art that has wine inside.”

Marcello Zaccagnini founded the winery in 1978 after inheriting his father Ciccio's passion for winemaking. The Tralcetto line places the Pecorino grape in a white wine and Montepulciano in a red wine named Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. The bottle line gives the producer two clear grape and colour expressions within the same visual world.

Place

Bolognano in Pescara is Cantina Zaccagnini's home. The Tralcetto white and red are presented under regional DOC designations, so each label places the wine within a regulated production area broader than the town address. DOC is a geographic designation tied to production rules. The place wording therefore moves from a specific home in Bolognano to wider Abruzzo production areas.

Wines

The Tralcetto line divides by grape and colour. Tralcetto Pecorino is the white wine, made with gentle pressing, cold maceration and cold fermentation. Lower temperatures help preserve aromatic detail, which comes through as flowers, yellow fruit, mint and thyme. On the palate, the wine balances depth with salinity and freshness.

Tralcetto Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is the red. Its grapes are destemmed and crushed before submerged cap maceration, which keeps the grape solids beneath the fermenting wine and supports colour and tannin extraction. Temperature controlled fermentation lasts approximately 15 days, then the wine ages in steel on its own lees. Steel adds no oak flavour, while lees ageing can round the texture. The finished wine is purple red with deep violet reflections, harmonious soft tannins and good persistence.

Final Word

Cantina Zaccagnini is a Bolognano winery with Tralcetto wines from Pecorino and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, and an estate programme that places wine beside art.

Sources

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