Dino Illuminati

When the winery was first called Fattoria Nico, named after the founder Nicola Illuminati, the wine, initially produced in small quantities, was still bottled in glass balloons. Since the 1970s, the Abruzzi estate, which dates back to the late 19th century and has long been known under the name Dino Illuminati, has undergone major quality upsurges. Today the wines are sought after all over the world. Every year, six out of ten bottles are exported to five continents. The family winery is situated between the sea and the mountains, almost on the border with the Marches, in the municipality of Controguerra in the DOCG Colline Teramane. The owner and eponym of the company, which is now in its fourth generation, is the winemaker Dino Illuminati, who is well over 80 years old and still determines the course of the estate today. 'Cavaliere del Lavoro' known. The grandson of the founder was decisively responsible for the development of the region of origin. Today Dino is supported by his wife Marina and his son Stefano, but also by his siblings Lorenzo and Anna.

The area around Controguerra is one of the most productive wine-growing zones in Abruzzo. The area used in the Azienda Agricola Dino Illuminati for the cultivation of red and white grapes has increased almost ninefold over the years from 15 hectares in the beginning to the present day. The grey eminence of the Colline Teramane is gladly quoted with the words: "I chose the wine and forgot everything else. But I've never regretted it." The estate manager, who is far from being an old hand, has the most modern technology at his disposal for the vinification of his noble wines. The traditional and in their way unique high-quality wines age in barriques and Slavonian oak barrels.

The seventeen wines prepared in the cellar - red, white and rosé - are wines with a strong character and often very terroir-specific. One of the three flagships is - besides Pieluni and Lumen - the Zanna, a classic Montepulciano of this Abruzzo cultivation zone. The noble wine, which has often been ennobled with a set of three glasses by the wine guideGambero Rosso, is not only able to easily compete with competing products due to its complexity, fullness and personality strength, but is also probably the best Colline Teramane ever. The grapes used for this noble plant come from a vineyard that is more than 45 years old and has a great Abruzzo pergola education. Dino named his wine Pieluni after his three grandchildren Pierpaolo, Ludovica and Nicola. The red wines of the house Illuminati are almost exclusively made from Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. SUPERIORE.DE

"You write Controguerra and read Colline Teramane. And here in this winery the adventure of the Colline Teramane began for this wonderful region of Abruzzo."Gambero Rosso