Citra is synonym of Abruzzo. At Citra, among the largest wine cooperatives in Italy, everyone is very proud of being Abruzzese, of their roots and traditions, of their land so well described in the verses of the world-wide famous poet Gabriele D’Annunzio. The strong link with this territory is well expressed by the name, which the founders wanted to give the winery in 1973: Citra. The name CITRA, which identifies the area in which the 8 wineries that make up the Consortium are located, is therefore dense with meaning: it both expresses the strong bond with the territory and refers to an ancient wine-making wisdom in the Chieti area. The same experience and tradition that Citra’s approximately 3,000 members and winegrowers renew every day with pride and passion. Values and teachings, such as the art of the vine and winemaking, have been handed down from father to son in Abruzzo for more than two centuries. Citra winegrowers are the artisans of a mosaic of small vineyard plots. They are the faces and soul of Citra.
With a total annual production of 30 million bottles and a turnover of 54 million euros in 2023 today CITRA is the largest wine production reality in Abruzzo: the vineyards cover 6,000 hectares, all in Abruzzo between the Adriatic Sea and the Majella massif, an area rich in biodiversity, offering unique and diverse terroirs and microclimates, with ideal temperature ranges for vine cultivation.
“Citra combines the technology, control, innovation and skills of a large company, with the quality and peculiarities of the traditional work of the 3000 winegrowing families, who guardians of small patches of land, have been handing down their love for their land for generations” the General Manager, Fabio De Dominicis, explains.
CITRA wines are distributed in 50 countries worldwide, both in restaurants and on the shelves of large-scale organized distribution. It offers a wide range of DOC and IGT wines. The grape varieties are mainly indigenous such as Montepulciano, Trebbiano, Pecorino, Passerina and Cococciola but also allochthonous, Chardonnay, Pinot, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. There are also productions of organic wines, sulfite-free wines and Martinotti method and classic method sparkling wines from native grape varieties. All wines are entirely made in the grape production area.
Citra has a strong sense of social responsibility towards its community, looking to the present but, above all, to the future for the new generations. Activities are carried out with a Glocal approach, therefore, fostering local growth but with a global vision. As a testament to this commitment and vision, Citra was awarded Equalitas Sustainable Organization certification in October 2021, an important milestone that is part of the broader project “Let’s Cultivate Values for the Future”, which groups activities carried out and planned in the area of environmental, economic and social sustainability.
Last year an important milestone was celebrated: the 50th anniversary. It was the occasion for reflecting on the past but also future goals, especially regarding the new generations. With the official debut of the renewed brand-line NIRO, the company has aimed to relaunch this premium wines line for the modern channel, in order to consolidate historical customers and, above all, go out and win over the new generations, who are increasingly attentive to bottle dressing.
“Today, there are constantly changing styles, wine consumption habits, swaying between the established, somewhat self-referential trends, typical of the wine sector and the new digital dynamics, for which, it is increasingly important that already from the packaging the consumer can perceive the quality and soul of the product, and, consequently, the labels must tell, reveal the terroir, history, brand identity, as well as the correct positioning” Donato Nasuti, Export Sales Director, says.
The name Niro recalls the “black” that identified Montepulciano wine in past centuries; it is a two-syllable word, simple, immediate and therefore easily memorizable. At the same time the new Niro line looks sharp, modern and elegant, capable of capturing the consumer’s attention on the shelf. The strong point of the restyling carried out is the clarity of impact, one is enraptured given the maximum readability of the lettering and the combination of the simplicity of the overall graphic lay-out and the sophistication and refinement of the details.
“The elaborate design is chosen to bring us closer to the new generations that are increasingly attracted to originality and the use of tactile materials or eye-catching visual effects capable of capturing attention and creating an emotional bond with them as well” Donato Nasuti continues.
The Premium Line NIRO is not just Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, it is flanked by other autochthonous wines: Cerasuolo, Pecorino, Passerina e Cococciola. Each wine exudes different olfactory notes releasing and revealing the uniqueness and peculiarities of our territory where nature, climate, and sun exposure come together and give rise to engaging sensory experiences.
New challenges are always in Citra’s projects, aiming to communicate Abruzzo’s winemaking tradition and territory through research and innovation. For this reason, since 2017, Citra can boast a collaboration with Riccardo Cotarella, World President of Enologists, and his staff. Dr. Cotarella coordinates the Citra Wine Team formed by the three in-house oenologists: Davide Dias and Ludovica Crugnale and eight oenologists and agronomists from the associates, who together control the entire production chain and are in charge of special R&D projects in collaboration with Universities and Research Institutions, which are still ongoing, such as: precision viticulture, zoning, new wine lines and sparkling wine.
