Cataldi Madonna Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2008

Cultivation of the vine and production of wine have very ancient origins in Abruzzi and it is likely that it was the Etruscans to introduce the vine in this region. The Greeks were probably the first to praise its qualities and soon after, they were followed by the Romans. Abruzzi is mostly mountains; to the west there are Apennines, of which Gran Sasso and Maiella are the most important and to the east the region meets the Adriatic sea. It is in the province of L'Aquila, at the feet of the southern side of Gran Sasso, where the Luigi Cataldi Madonna winery is located. The winery was established in 1920 and in 1968 began a modernization process started by Antonio Cataldi Madonna, who worked to plant new vineyards and to renovate the winery's structures and facilities.

The winery is run by his son, Luigi Cataldi Madonna, who continues the important working philosophy whose goal is to safeguard and enhance the specific characteristics of the terroir. Ofena, the city where the winery is located, is in a mountain's valley at 380 meters (1246 feet), to the feet of Gran Sasso, which is traditionally called "oven of Abruzzo". Thanks to the exceptional exposition to the sun and to the sensible diurnal tempratures, this area has remarkable qualities for wine making, also thanks to the composition of the soil.