Paride D’Angelo is a producer and founder of a winery based in Pianella, in the province of Pescara. In just over a decade, he built a young reality but already rooted together with his brother, able to combine peasant tradition and entrepreneurial vision
Today the company has almost 50 hectares of life, it is completely certified organic, and produces wines obtained from spontaneous fermentation and crafts, interpreting wine not only as a product, but as a contemporary language of territory and identity. From Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva DOC to Cococciola DOC, to the most irreverent line Tutto Coccia, the project today represents one of the most interesting expressions of the new Italian wine craft. We interviewed him for the New Yorkers.
How is your adventure born in the world of wine?
It started twelve years ago when I was just 21. I came from other sectors, but wine has always been part of my life: My father was president of the Italian Association Sommelier, so since childhood he sent me the curiosity to taste, understand and respect the wine. I bought my first ten hectares and started to vinify almost by game. Today the company has grown, and I lead it with my brother: I take care of the commercial and administrative part, he follows the cellar and the production.
How is your company structured today?
We have almost 50 hectares of vineyards in Abruzzo, divided into three areas: Pianella, where the main cellar is located with about 30 hectares; Pratola Peligna and Bucchianico, in the area of Chieti. The latter are more in height, about 650 meters above sea level, and here we only cultivate a product: All Coccia, our most iconic label. It is a sparkling wine obtained from Montepulciano grapes in purity (100%). It is a very special bubble, because while adopting a method “Prosecco”, it maintains all the personality of Montepulciano: the color is intense, deep, almost to remember a Lambrusco, and at the calyx comes with a lively foam and a full body structure. we work exclusively in organic and with spontaneous fermentation. We only use indigenous yeasts and we take care of every stage of wine making to obtain clean, elegant and natural wines. It is a philosophy: the wine must be good, but also make the drink good.
“Tutta Coccia”: a curious name, a wine out of the box.
It’s a project that was born five years ago. My brother and I wanted to create something that would have fun and make our customers have fun. We have involved a communication agency and developed a project with pop, colored, light language. “All Coccia” literally means “all head” — a little like saying: When you put your head and heart on it. We wanted to break the traditional wine patterns. The bottle and the packaging are colorful, pop, almost provocative. Our goal is to make it clear that wine can be authentic and quality, but also modern, fun and accessible. “Tutta Coccia” was born as a bottle to open in the cellar with friends, and has become a symbol of our way of working: with seriousness, but without taking us too seriously.
You chose to invest in the American market. How was this decision born?
At first we were entrusted to a great American importer but three years ago we closed the contract and we split from scratch. Speaking to a friend who works in catering in New York, we said: why don’t we try to import ourselves? So we opened our import company in New York, with headquarters between Manhattan and New Jersey. Raffaele Volpe and I, who today is our brand ambassador in the United States, have been on the field every day, to tell our story and to let the wines taste. Today we manage directly the distribution of our wines in New York, New Jersey, and collaborate with Italian and American restaurateurs who believe in the quality of the product. The American market has become our first market, representing about 50% of production.
And then a lucky meeting came..
Yeah, I’d say almost cinematic. During Vinitaly, at the end of the day, an American entrepreneur approached our stand. I’ve stapped a bottle of “Tutta Coccia” and made it taste. At first it was skeptical, for him the bubbles were “only North Italy”, but after the first sip fell in love with the product. He told me he wanted to bring the product to America, create a brand, even Ape Car branded “Tutta Coccia” to turn around New York. I thought he was joking. A month later he writes to me and everything started. Today the project “Tutta Coccia” in the USA grows: we are preparing the summer launch with the Ape Cars that will fly between Manhattan and Long Island. It is a new way to tell the wine: dynamic, contemporary and deeply Italian.
Your company stands out for a strong identity linked to tradition and sustainability. How can you communicate these values in the market, both in Italy and abroad?
Our company was born with a very clear philosophy: make wine as you once did, in full respect of tradition. We produce serious wines, capable of ageing well, all strictly organic and fruit of spontaneous fermentation. All our vineyards and the fifty hectares of property are certified bio, because we believe that wine must be good, but also healthy — a product that drinks with pleasure and that “makes it feel good”. While we are a young company, we tend to communicate a coherent image: respect for sustainability, attention to the territory and care for every detail. Our wines are clean, authentic, never difficult: we want wines that are allowed to drink, that speak of Abruzzo without filters, in a simple and direct way. Abruzzo is an extraordinary region, where in a few kilometers steps from the sea to the mountain: this variety is reflected in our wines. Working in bio here is possible, because around our vineyards there is only nature.
When you submit your wines to importers or restaurateurs, what message do you want to convey to them on your way of working?
Whenever we meet a new importer or restaurateur, we bring not only wine, but the history of our territory. We organize tastings, tell where our grapes are born, we talk about Abruzzo as a unique region: between sea and mountain in just twenty kilometers, a green place, ideal for working in organic. Our vineyards are isolated, surrounded by nature, and this allows us to produce without risk of contamination. We explain that we are a group of boys who believe in quality and transparency: we want to make known authentic wines, made well and with passion. And then our wine is extremely versatile: You can combine it with a pizza, a pasta dish or a grilled meat, it is a bubble that makes you love, and when you try it, you fall in love with it. Looking at the future, we want to continue to grow without betraying our philosophy: remain faithful to the territory, invest in quality and authenticity, and make Abruzzo known more and more through our wines. The goal is to expand the presence on international markets, but maintaining the same artisan spirit that has brought us into being: young, sincere and tied to the earth.
The article From Abruzzo to Manhattan: Paride D’Angelo brings the organic wine “Tutta Coccia” from IlNewyorkese.
