With a wine glass in your hand: Star gazing and modern art in Abruzzo. Summer of culture for 40 years of Masciarelli Winery
It is a ripe vintage, the top Masciarelli winery in Abruzzo! For the 40th anniversary, the mother-daughter duo Marina Cvetic and Miriam Lee Masciarelli invites guests to personally taste their fine wines at the place of their creation, with a cultural summer. Stylishly housed in the Castello di Semivicoli, guests can look forward to a delicious picnic in pink, stargazing in the vineyards and an installation by Belgian artist Job Smeets. Come with us on a journey to Abruzzo.
Slow down at Castello di Semivicoli
Located between the Adriatic coast and the Maiella Massif, this lovingly restored 17th-century patrician residence invites guests to take a relaxing break in the heart of Italy. In the eleven rooms and suites of the Castello di Semivicoli, somehow, the heart seems to beat slower. Magnificent rooms from a bygone era and the spacious garden are perfect for quietly reading a good book or enjoying a glass of wine while looking out over the vineyards to the sea. At Castello di Semivicoli you can choose from 11 suites, all located on the upper floors of the Castle. Each suite is different from the other, timeless atmospheres blend with the essentiality of contemporary design. The characteristic period interiors, unaltered by the skillful restoration, contain furnishings chosen from the most characteristic collections of Frau, Lupi, Driade and Stark.
On hot days, the large pool area offers refreshment. In the evening, when the crickets start their song in the garden, the clatter of cutlery on the castle terrace joins in. The cuisine, made from fresh, regional organic ingredients, finds its ultimate complement in the wines pressed here. Environmentally conscious guests are in the right place at this Ecoworld hotel. But also simply connoisseurs whose heart likes to beat a little slower.
Stargazing and Pink Picnic
On clear summer nights, stargazing is the order of the day. Supplied with a picnic bag, the cosmos can be observed wonderfully from the darkness of the surrounding vineyards. If you are lucky, you might even spot the Big Dipper or Cassiopeia, but certainly many other stars in the firmament. Always with you: the fine Masciarelli wines. On August 27, the summer picnic in pink continues: At the Serata Rosè in piscina, all guests are asked to dress in pink as a tribute to the famous rosé wine Masciarelli Cerasuolo. At the same time, live music will ensure a good atmosphere, reservations are required. The cost is € 45 per person. In addition, the open-air summer restaurant invites you to indulge in “La Tavola di Gianni”. In the garden or in the vineyards, experienced sommeliers present not only the popular Masciarelli wines, but also selected drops – from the region to the top wines of Europe.
A heartfelt wish for the 40th – the Masciarelli Art Project
The Masciarelli Art Project fulfills a long-cherished wish of the heart: The Masciarelli Art Project is launched just in time for the winery’s 40th birthday. In the future, it will bring international talents of contemporary art into a dialogue with the kaleidoscopic Masciarelli world. The Belgian artist and designer Job Smeets, founder of the avant-garde Studio Job, will kick things off. He picked up ideas during his residency at Castello di Semivicoli in April for an installation that will be on view at the castle in October 2021. Smeets is also designing a label exclusively for the limited-edition Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva Villa Gemma. “It is an honor to be the protagonist of the first edition of the Masciarelli Art Project,” Job Smeets is pleased to say, “Immersing myself in the unique and evocative atmosphere of Castello di Semivicoli, I was overwhelmed by the centuries-old history, surrounded by the beauty of nature and the enormous diversity of the vineyards. I was very fascinated by the elements that help to protect it: Roses, bees, herbs, flowers, symbols of a powerful nature that maintains the delicate balance of wine production.”
Straight from the heart – the education of Syrian children
Anyone who decides to buy a bottle of Pecorino DOC Castello di Semivicoli 2020 will be supporting access to education for refugee children from Syria. Five percent of the proceeds will be donated again this year by the Masciarelli winery to the refugee organization Terre des Hommes Italia. Among other things, it operates protected learning spaces for girls and boys in Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon. The initiative to dedicate one of Casa Masciarelli’s most innovative wines to charity has been in place since 2017.
It is a matter close to the hearts of Marina Cvetic and Miriam Lee Masciarelli. This year, a child from Syria even designed the wine label. But it’s not just for the good deed that the 2020 vintage is worth investing in: made from pure Pecorino grapes, Pecorino Castello di Semivicoli comes from the vineyards around the castle. Versatile, full-bodied and dense, it presents itself as a lively, contrasting white wine with aromas of balsamic, sage, thyme, honeysuckle and mountain herbs, as well as hints of pear, dried apple and lemon zest. Crisp and fragrant, it is suitable for an aperitif or as an appetizer, but equally with fish dishes or cheese.