Cerasuolo

Cerasuolo is an Italian village, the most populated hamlet (frazione) of Filignano, a municipality in the province of Isernia, Molise. As of 2009 its population was of 151.

History

During the 20th Century, the municipal population of Filignano has been decreasing due to emigration in Northern Italy and in the United Kingdom. Cerasuolo is, among the 13 municipal villages, the most populated by a community of Italian Scots, children and grandchildren of Filignanese immigrants, returning from Scotland. An event that celebrates this cultural link is, for example, the annual "Scottish Festival Fish & Chips".

Geography

Located at circa 1 km from the borders of Molise with the Province of Frosinone, Lazio, Cerasuolo is the only hamlet within the northern branch of its municipality. It is a hill villages below the Mainarde mountains, close to the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park.

The village is 4 km far from Cardito, 8 from Filignano and 19 from Venafro. It is crossed in the middle by a provincial road and close to the national highway SS 627 Sora-Isernia. Nearby the SS 627, linking the village to Scapoli (14 km), San Biagio Saracinisco (12 km), and Vallerotonda (17 km), there are the medieval ruins of Cerasuolo Vecchio (i.e. "Old Cerasuolo").

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a red Italian wine made from the Montepulciano wine grape in the Abruzzo region of east-central Italy. It should not be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a Tuscan wine made from Sangiovese and other grapes.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo was classified as Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) in 1968; a separate Denominazione di origine controllata e Garantita (DOCG) for wine produced around Teramo, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane (Teramo hills), was established in 1995 and promoted in 2003.

In the late 20th and early 21st century, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo earned a reputation as one of the most widely exported DOC wines in Italy. It is typically dry with soft tannins and often consumed young.

In addition to Montepulciano, up to 15% Sangiovese is permitted in the blend. Wines aged by the maker for more than two years may be labeled "Riserva."

Wine region

The DOC region for Montepulciano d'Abruzzo covers a vast expanse of land in the Abruzzo region between the Apennines foothills down to a few miles inland from the Adriatic coast. The region is one of Italy's most mountainous with more than 65% of all Abruzzo being considered mountainous terrain with the Apennines peaks reaching up to 9000 feet above sea level. The hillside vineyards planted on calcareous clay benefit from warm and significant sun exposure that is ventilated by dry breezes coming off the Adriatic.