What You Need to Know: Useful Information
The wine routes of Abruzzo provide a unique opportunity to explore a region filled with history, nature, and culinary traditions. Six main routes connect the Adriatic coast to the mountains, providing a diverse journey of sea, hills, and plateaus. These itineraries are specifically designed to enhance the wine-growing areas and promote experiential tourism linked closely to wine and local culture. Each wine route passes through picturesque landscapes and historic villages, allowing visitors to discover excellent local wines such as Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. An excellent example is the Strada del Vino Colline Teatine, which begins right at the Adriatic Sea in Francavilla al Mare and ascends to Maiella National Park, passing through prominent towns like Chieti, Guardiagrele, and Ortona. Along this path, you can visit modern and traditional wineries, taste exceptional wines, learn about local viticulture, and appreciate beautiful historical monuments and museums. To make planning seamless, the online platform “Percorsi” (Routes) created by the Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo (Abruzzo Wine Protection Consortium) facilitates the organization of your trip by offering detailed information on wineries, restaurants, cultural spots, and natural attractions, allowing you to choose customized itineraries based on interests like nature, culture, or relaxation.
Getting There
By train
To reach the starting point of the coastal routes, you can take a Trenitalia train directly to the Pescara Centrale railway station or the Chieti station. For regional or high-speed passengers heading to the Colline Teatine route, dropping off at the local station in Francavilla al Mare provides direct access to the starting line of the scenic vineyard trails.
By car
If you prefer driving from Rome or the west, take the A25 highway heading toward Pescara, then join the A14 highway southward and exit at Francavilla al Mare / Pescara Sud to connect immediately with the coastal roads. Alternatively, taking the SS81 provincial highway allows you to drive parallel to the mountain ridges, perfectly cutting through Chieti and Guardiagrele at your own pace.
By bus
For regional public transit travelers who prefer this option, TUA (Trasporto Unico Abruzzese) operates frequent daily intercity bus routes that connect the central bus terminal in Pescara directly to the main squares of Francavilla al Mare, Chieti, and Ortona.
Below you'll find the location marked on Google Maps. Click on it to open the location directly on your device's maps.
Useful Contacts
- Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo (Abruzzo Wine Consortium & “Percorsi” Platform Office):
- Phone: +39 085 4221650
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: vinidabruzzo.it
- Ufficio Informazioni Turistiche Chieti (Chieti Tourist Hub):
- Phone: +39 0871 3411
- Associazione Strada del Vino Colline Teatine (Colline Teatine Route Network):
- Website: turismodop.it
What to Bring & Pro Tips
Because the online platform “Percorsi” of the Consorzio Tutela Vini d'Abruzzo provides the incredible possibility of choosing customized itineraries, it is highly recommended to bookmark the platform on your phone before setting out so you can easily access real-time winery coordinates and restaurant suggestions along the way. Since your wine-tasting journey will lead you to visit modern and traditional wineries, remember to book your cellar tours and tastings in advance, as many boutique family-run vineyards require a prior reservation. Ensure you wear comfortable, flat walking shoes, as a typical visit often involves walking through muddy vineyard soils, damp barrel cellars, and historic cobblestone towns like Guardiagrele and Ortona. Lastly, if you intend to purchase exceptional bottles of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo or Trebbiano d'Abruzzo to take home, bring a protective, padded wine carrier bag or a small cooler box to shield your vintage souvenirs from the warm Mediterranean sun inside your vehicle.
The “Hidden Gem”
Once you have finished tasting the robust vintages along the Colline Teatine and explored the historic center of Ortona, take a short drive down the coast to witness the dramatic Trabocchi Coast (Costa dei Trabocchi).
Instead of looking at a standard modern beach resort or plain harbor docks, head to the rocky shorelines just south of Ortona to see the spectacular trabocchi – ancient, spider-like wooden fishing platforms built on stilts directly over the crashing waves of the Adriatic Sea. Originally invented centuries ago by ingenious local fishermen to harvest fish safely without entering the open sea, many of these fragile-looking pine structures have been beautifully preserved, and some even operate as exclusive open-air seafood restaurants. Walking along the wooden piers and standing on these gravity-defying platforms offers a wonderfully scenic, breezy break from the inland vineyard tours, rewarding travelers with a dramatic panoramic view where the rolling green hills of Abruzzo plunge directly into the clear blue sea.
