Colli Aprutini IGT is one of several Indicazione Geografica Tipica titles used in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. It was created in 1995, when the IGT category was first rolled out across Italy, and covers the hills of Abruzzo's Teramo province. A Colli Aprutini wine can, in theory, be anything from a fruity, sparkling rosé or crisp, dry white to a sweet, raisin-scented red. In reality, however, the majority tend to be dry table wines made from classic local varieties like Montepulciano, Passerina and Pecorino or well-known internationally famous ones such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
It should come as no surprise to see the Montepulciano variety featuring prominently in wines from the Colli Aprutini – it is after all Abruzzo's most widely planted wine grape. Montepulciano wine from the hills of Teramo is some of Italy's finest, and is also covered by the region's only DOCG title, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane. 'Colline Teramane' means 'hills of Teramo', so it is effectively analogous with 'Colli Aprutini'. It's worth noting then, that Colli Aprutini Montepulcianos are made side-by-side with the most famous and respected wine produced anywhere on Italy's east coast.
The authorities which govern Italian wine law have always made a clear objective of keeping IGT titles clearly distinct from those of nearby DOCs, primarily to prevent confusion between the two categories but also to create a certain individuality for each IGT title. Colli Aprutini, which effectively covers the Teramo province, is no exception to this rule. The first historical evidence of winemaking in Abruzzo dates back to Polybius, a Greek historian who lived between 205 and 123 BC. Polybius describes the quality of wines from Piceno-Aprutina, an area which corresponds roughly to modern-day Teramo.
The IGT category was introduced in the mid-1990s, to give Italy's vinegrowers and winemakers more freedom in the grapes they grew and the wine styles they produced. The project has (on the whole) proven successful at bringing Italian wines to an international audience, largely because IGT laws permit the use of both traditional, established grape varieties and those 'international' varieties which are known the world over. This objective shines through clearly in the Colli Aprutini wine production specifications, which specifically sanction a large number of grape varieties for use in varietal wines. These range from the obscure to the famous, from classic Italian varieties exemplified by Bombino Bianco, Cococciola, Falanghina and better-known 'international' varieties such as Syrah, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.
Aprutini IGT is complemented by Terre di Chieti IGT, which covers the Chieti province, and the more location-specific Colline Teatine IGT, which covers just the hills immediately around the city of Chieti.
