The story of great Trebbiano d'Abruzzo begins with understanding what it isn't. Most wines labeled "Trebbiano d'Abruzzo" contain Trebbiano Toscano—a productive but uninspiring grape that gives Italian white wine a bad name. True Trebbiano Abruzzese is a completely different variety, native to Abruzzo's mountains, capable of producing wines that age like white Burgundy and show complexity that rivals Italy's greatest whites.

Pietro Topi and his children Federica and Francesco knew this when they took over Terraviva in Tortoreto. Their 22-hectare estate sits in an amphitheater facing the Adriatic, with the Gran Sasso mountains looming behind. It's this position—catching sea breezes by day and cold mountain winds by night—that creates the dramatic temperature swings Trebbiano Abruzzese needs to retain its characteristic freshness while developing complexity.

The vines for "Mario's 49" were planted over 50 years ago on traditional pergola abruzzese—massive wooden structures that lift the vines nearly seven feet high, protecting clusters from Abruzzo's intense sun. It's the same training system Valentini used before nature intervened. These old vines, rooted deep in limestone and clay, yield tiny amounts of concentrated fruit that captures everything special about true Trebbiano Abruzzese.

The Topis have been certified organic since 1998—before it was fashionable, when it was just the right thing to do. Since 2020, they've embraced biodynamics, working with the rhythms of nature rather than against them. Each of their plots is harvested and vinified separately to preserve its unique character. 

It’s Trebbiano d'Abruzzo as it should be: vibrant with orchard fruit and citrus, underpinned by that distinctive wet-stone minerality that marks the real thing. We had to have it.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

TRUE Trebbiano Abruzzese: Most “Trebbiano d'Abruzzo” is actually Trebbiano Toscano in disguise. This is the real mountain clone that only a few producers still cultivate—completely different grape, completely different league. This is your chance to taste what makes Trebbiano Abruzzese legendary without the outrageous price commanded by Valentini’s version.

50-Year-Old Pergola Magic: Those 7-foot-high traditional pergolas are essential for protecting grapes from Abruzzo's brutal sun while allowing perfect air circulation. Combined with 50-year-old vines, you get concentration and complexity that modern plantings can't match.

EXCLUSIVE: SommSelect exclusive, unavailable anywhere else in America. When this small allocation is gone, you're out of luck until the next vintage—if we can get it again.

HOW TO SERVE IT

• Serve at 46-48°F in white wine stems to preserve the wine's tension and minerality.
  

• Drink now through 2031. While it's singing today with fresh orchard fruit and citrus, great Trebbiano Abruzzese develops honeyed, nutty notes with age while maintaining its mineral core.
  

• Perfect with seafood brodetto (Abruzzo's famous fish stew), grilled langoustines, or just good olive oil and bread.