Ciavolich

Background

The Ciavolich family traces their roots back to Bulgaria in the 1500s. A family of wool merchants by trade, they eventually left their homeland to escape the Saracen invasion. They settled in Miglianico in the province of Chieti around the year 1560. In 1853, they built their first wine cellar which still stands today as one of the ancient winemaking landmarks of the Abruzzo region. The cellar was built underground beneath Via Sud and connects to the barrel rooms under the palace. A wide cave on the Eastern wall of the winery was expanded during the Nazi occupation and reached under the convent of Suore di Sant'Anna. This tunnel was used during WWII as a bomb shelter until the family was finally forced from the estate in December 1943.

At the end of the war, the family returned to Miglianico. Life and winemaking eventually began again. In the 1960s the family inherited from Donna Ernestina the Loreto Aprutino estate in the province of Pescara. This 50-hectare estate held some of the most prime vineyard lands in the area and was eventually planted to Montepulciano, Trebbiano, and Cococciola.

Since 2004, the estate has been run by Chiara Ciavolich and her husband Gianluca. They have brought a modern approach with traditional philosophy to the viticulture and winemaking. Sustainable methods are employed both in the vineyards and throughout the entire winemaking process. Chiara seeks to elevate the traditional varieties of the zone through both a modern interpretation of the vines, and a more historically traditional technique in the Fosso Cancelli bottlings. The estate comprises 40ha of vineyards located in the 2 small towns of Loreto Aprutino and Pianella in the province of Pescara.