An Interview with Feuduccio Winery

The Feuduccio Vineyards:

What is the history of the land you are on? What was it used for before your winery owned it or did someone else own it previously?

Il Feuduccio acquired previously existing vineyards and olive groves in the early Nineties, all conveniently located in a single plot of land (approx. 150 acres) and decided to build a modern cellar on a hill in the heart of the property. The cellar is set against the rocky landscapes and has five levels. It is surrounded by vineyards and olive trees, offering a stunning view, including the Majella and Gran Sasso Mountains and sea.

Those beautiful green hills, in the heart of a regional park, had ancient vine-growing traditions and are located at 450 meters above sea level, situated between the high peaks of the Majella Mountains and the Adriatic Sea. The microclimate is unique showing great exposure and temperature variations between day and night. The old vineyards were replaced with new ones.

What clones and selections are used?

We only produce wines from native grape varieties: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Pecorino, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, Passerina. The current clones for Pecorino are some of the oldest ever known. Historically, this variety has found its perfect growing conditions in the cool foothills of the mountain.

Where does the water sources for the vineyard(s) come from?

There are streams and small rivers running underneath our vineyards. The Venna, which we named our oldest range after (Fonte Venna), is the name of a stream running through our land, which historically helped and nurtured the tenants and workers of the area.

What trellising systems does the winery use? Why do you prefer that system?

We use Guyot and double Guyot. Some of the new young vines have been planted with the traditional Pergola system. The old vineyards were replaced with new ones with rows single and double cordons, leading to a significant production increase: from 3,630 vines per hectare to 5,000 units, with a yield between 5,000 and 6,000 kilos per hectare.

What are the different soil types from each of the vineyard sites? What do these soils do for your wines?

The soil is generally a mix of clay and limestones with lots of stones.

Do any of your vineyards have names? If so, is there a story behind those names?

Feuduccio means Little Feud. The name is a nod to Il Feuduccio’s origins as a land estate with a landlord and tenants working for him and living on the property and the disputes that would arise between the two groups.

If you have large vineyards do you only use a portion of the vineyard to produce specific wines? How did you choose what portions to use?

One of our two Riserva wines is called “Ursonia,” which is the ancient, Roman name of the town, Orsogna, where Il Feuduccio is located. It is a superb selection of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from one single cru, recognized from the beginning as the best of the estate.

The Feuduccio Winery & Winemaking Process

What is the winery’s long term plans regarding production levels, vineyard replanting, style of winemaking, consumer targets, etc..

Our wines come from a pure, untouched territory set in the beautiful green region of Abruzzo, with a unique microclimate. Our wines speak to the character of this region. Thanks to a combination of simplicity and precision, we have different lines to satisfy different palates and requests around the world.

What cooperage does the winery use? Is there a philosophy around cooperage?

We use new French barriques and tonneaux from a couple of different French tonnelleries which we know personally and we also use bigger barrels from Slavonian oak, which we replace yearly.