I am intrigued by their back story when choosing wines to drink, particularly value wines. Agricola Tiberio has a great story and their wines are just good.
Riccardo Tiberio established this winery in 2000, when he found an old plot of Trebbiano D’Abruzzese vines. Trebbiano is quite common in Tuscany but was almost non-existent in Abruzzo. Although their names are similar, Trebbiano D’Abruzzese and the Trebbiano found in Tuscany are very different grape varietals.
Riccardo and his family are dedicated to planting indigenous grape varieties to match the distinctive soils in Abruzzo. Abruzzo is a wine region in Southern Italy known for producing value wines. But Riccardo has shown that very profound wines can be produced from this region through careful selection. In 2008, Riccardo turned over management of the winery to his daughter Cristiana and son Antonio. Antonio and Cristiana uprooted international grape varieties and replaced them with indigenous grape varietals like Pecorino and Trebbiano D Abruzzese. Pecorino is another white wine grape varietal that was almost instinctive before the Tiberios revived interest in it.
I recently had the opportunity to meet and drink the Tiberio wines with Cristiana Tiberio. Aside from the tremendous value Tiberio's wines offer, I was struck by her passion for ensuring indigenous Italian grape varietals. As a wine enthusiast, I am always looking for distinctive, interesting wines that excite the palate. Here is a summary of some of the wines I tasted with Cristiana:
Tiberio 2023 Colline Pescaresi Pecorino IGT – not to be confused with the sheep’s milk cheese of the same name, Pecorino is grape varietal. It is light in colour yet has good alcohol content and weight. This wine is quite dry, almost like a Pinot Blanc but with floral aromas. I love the texture of the wine, which has a heaviness and slight oily character that makes it great for pairing with food. We had it with some Italian meats, pickles and olives, which was a perfect match.
Tiberio 2019 Trebbiano D’Abruzzo DOC Fonte Canale – this is the winery’s flagship from the Trebbiano D’Abruzzo region and a must-try for Italian white wine lovers. Trebbiano D’Abruzzo wines are often compared to Chablis but I find this wine has tangerine and apricot flavours, not normally associated with Burgundy Chardonnay, and slightly more fruit sweetness compared to Chablis. This wine can easily age for 10-15 years. It was paired with a spot prawn dish which brought out the flavors in both the food and wine.
Tiberio 2022 Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo – this is another very unique wine that uses the Montepulciano grape varietal to make a rose. This wine has a cherry colour which is darker than most roses (due to the heavy pigmentation of the Montepulciano grape) and has orange peel, strawberry and cinnamon flavours and aromas. The wine is more substantial than most roses and can easily be paired with pasta dishes.
Unfortunately, the wines listed above are produced in limited quantities and are only available by contacting the winery’s local agent, World Wine Synergy. However, BC Liquor Stores does offer two very affordable Tiberio wines that are on sale this month.
The white wine is the Tiberio 2023 Trebbiano D’Abruzzo, which is a great introduction to the Trebbiano D’Abruzzede grape varietal. The wine is reduced this month from $24.99 to $22.99 and is the perfect wine for those who enjoy unoaked wines with apricot and green apple flavours along with orange blossoms and anise aromas.
Their red wine is the Tiberio 2022 Montelpulcino D’Abruzzo 2022, reduced this month at BC Liquor Stores from $26.99 to $24.49. This wine has black cherry, blackcurrant, plum and tobacco flavours and aromas. I like the subtleness of this wine as it is not overly tannic or acidic. To see more on my reviews of these wines, please see here.
Until next time happy drinking!
Tony Kwan is a Richmond News columnist. Lawyer by day, and a food and wine lover by night. Kwan is an epicurean who writes about wine, food and enjoying all that life has to offer.
