Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ‘Branella’ 2021

The Emidio Pepe winery is located in the northern province of Teramo. This family-run operation continues to make wine using the same techniques that were perfected by Emidio Pepe himself over fifty years ago. While based on traditions that were handed down from the generations that came before, it wasn’t until   this time that the modern-day vision of the winery was perfected. Today, it is Sofia Pepe who oversees work in the vineyards and winery. Practices include biodynamic principles throughout the estate’s pergola-trained vines (started long before it was trendy), hand-harvesting only the best fruit, destemming by hand without harming a single berry, fermenting by spontaneous yeasts, low sulfur, and refining in glass-lined cement (no wood). The vineyards, all planted through massale selection, benefit from the age of the vines (nearly fifty years old) and the pergola training that helps to shade and shield the berries as temperatures continue to gradually increase due to global warming. Their vines, grow between 240 to 260 meters in elevation, in a unique mix of clay-rich soils with patches of sand and a solid layer of limestone 16 inches below the surface. Chiara De Iulis Pepe, Emidio Pepe’s granddaughter, explained that warming trends are the biggest challenge for them today, as the family looks to higher elevations to invest for future generations. Change here is made carefully and slowly as it is all about respect of tradition and of the foresight and hard work of Emidio Pepe.

Emidio Pepe remains one of the very top estates in the region, and while grounded in tradition, the family also displays a willingness to be forward-thinking and progressive