Zaccagnini targets US market with modern styles

The traditional styles of Abruzzo perform well in the US market, but Zaccagnini is pursuing further success by bringing its de-alcoholised range to American drinkers.

The US is big business for Italian wine producers. Even in the current challenging climate for US-facing exporters, the nation remains the biggest destination for exports of Italian wine. With a well-known region to draw in consumers, Abruzzo is particularly well placed to take advantage.

Among its producers, Zaccagnini stands out as a perfect candidate for US drinkers. The producer, founded in 1978, is deeply rooted in the Italian countryside. Its vineyards – 250 hectares centred around the hills of Pescara – balance two climatic influences. To the west, the Apennines protect vineyards and offer higher elevation sites; to the east, the warm Adriatic moderates the climate.

The wines, unsurprisingly, are a selection of iconic Abruzzese styles. Naturally, Montepulciano is at the fore, with both a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva on offer. The two wines, a lighter style and a richer, spicier option respectively, prove why the variety is so popular. A Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, meanwhile, demonstrates how the cherry-scented, provocatively pink wine – sometimes thought of as the fifth colour of wine – can stand as an equally fine expression of Montepulciano.

Local gems Pecorino and Trebbiano, also stand out in the range, as easy-drinking styles that have a longstanding history in Abruzzo. Zaccagnini also makes styles in its Tralcetto range with international reach, including to the US. Those include a Pinot Grigio and two spumante sparkling wine labels: the Blanc de Blancs and the Rosé.

Traditional winemaking is a key part of the Abruzzese identity.

As an independent enterprise, Zaccagnini built up its reputation steadily, reaching key export markets such as the US by the turn of the millennium. Its importer, WinesU, helped Zaccagnini secure a foothold in the US market.

However, its growth potential has been turbocharged since the Zaccagnini family chose to join the Argea group in 2023. As Italy’s largest private wine company, it has the access and resources needed to turbocharge brands. Indeed, Argea group acquired WinesU this year, allowing greater synergy in Zaccagnini reaching US consumers.

On-trend releases

That means, of course, that Zaccagnini is bringing its Abruzzese classics to even more US shops, bars, restaurants and homes than ever before. However, it is also allowing the winery to bring 21st century innovation to the huge market.

A de-alcoholised sparkling wine is the latest addition to the Tralcetto range.

Zaccagnini revealed its range of de-alcoholised wines in 2024, with a red and a white launching the range. This year, a sparkling wine joined them, and the selection became available in the US.

The wines are a union of Italian agriculture and German technology. Zaccagnini grows the grapes with the same care as for its other ranges, then vinifies them to ensure complexity and create the wines’ characteristic aromas. After that, the alcohol is gently removed through a collaboration with a specialist German partner that uses low-temperature vacuum distillation.

Through that process, aromatic compounds – in particular, the fruity and floral notes beloved by consumers – can be protected and reintroduced into the wine. The result is both familiar and new: the flavours are evocative of Italian winemaking, but they play out on a delicate, refreshing texture.

Zaccagnini’s Tralcetto de-alcoholised wines are not, the winery freely admits, mimicry of the alcoholic versions. They are supposed to have their own identity – a different taste sensation, but nonetheless an opportunity for everyone to raise a toast.

Certainly, from the winery’s tasting notes, there is something for the longstanding wine lover. The red has a smooth tannin profile with red berry notes and subtle spice. The white tastes of yellow fruits and white flowers, with a fresh profile. The sparkling wine has a lively mousse and notes of stone fruits.

With the no-alcohol market expected to reach $5 billion in the US by 2028, the nation’s drinkers are ready for a new wave of alcohol-free products to reach their shores. Through its Tralcetto range, Zaccagnini is making sure that the US can enjoy a genuine taste of Abruzzo – with or without the alcohol.