By Nicolas Belfrage MW & Franco Ziliani
Italy's National Wine Committee, which is responsible for approving DOC and DOCG status, recently gave the green light to Colline Teramane, the special sub-zone of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, to become a DOCG from the 2003 harvest. The new wine will be made from 100 hectares of vineyard spread over 30 communes of the province of Teramo in Abruzzo (Teramo, Roseto degli Abruzzi, Silvi, Torano nuovo, Colonnella, Castilenti, etc.). It will be the fourth DOCG of the Centre-South, together with Umbria's Montefalco Sagrantino and Torgiano Rosso Riserva, and Campania's Taurasi. It should produce around 7,000 hectolitres at a yield of 66.5 hectolitres per hectare (hl/ha), as against the DOC's 77hl/ha, with a minimum of 90% Montepulciano grapes (Sangiovese is at a maximum 10%). Key producers will include Nicodemi, Montori, Lepore and Farnese.