76km Vineyard vestments

The ride
The province of Chieti is both one of the oldest and largest wine regions in Italy where it is said, vines have been growing in the deep, clay rich soils since the 6th century BC. Cycling through this land on a damp and melancholic mid-autumn day, is a feast for both the eyes and nose - and afterwards the tongue, when the luscious juice of the fruits from these vines are introduced to it. The route is hilly - there's not one stretch of flat road on the entire ride. The roads are small country affairs with endless twists and turns, and they are almost completely free of traffic. Be especially cautious after rain as mud can streak across the roads. Gravel is ever present, as are tyre-width cracks in the tarmac. That said, it’s not a ride to rush, but like the wines which originate from here, it’s one to savour and enjoy at leisure.

Choose a mellow autumn day if you can for this ride when a soft hazy light strokes the yellowing leaves of the vines, although in bright sunshine of course, the colours are more vibrant and uplifting.

Begin in Orsogna, whose views stretch down the Moro valley to the sea, and up to the mighty, snow covered slopes of the Maiella. Umbrella pines line the road and in summer the chorus of cicadas is as loud and percussive as you could ever wish for. The town was at the epicentre of a fierce battle in December 1943 between the New Zealanders and German paratrooper divisions. The town was completely raised to the ground, and the complete re-build has a rather harsh and un-beautiful appearance.

Take the road out of the main square, signposted to Lanciano, and freewheel down for several kilometres until the river. It’s a long climb back up the other side, but the views over the corduroy fields of vines, to the Maiella mountains are stupendous.
After Frisa, the route dives again down to the Moro river on a small country road. On a calm autumn morning, riding through the spectacularly coloured vineyards, it is impossible to imagine the terrors of war which raged in all the valleys and ridges over which we ride. Between December 1943 and February 1944, during one of the wettest winters of the twentieth century, young men fought themselves to a standstill. For months bombs fell from the sky and the villagers starved, their country in ruins.
Out of Frisa, you pass a ‘cantina’, where the local wines are made. The smell of tannins and fermenting piles of must are intoxicating. Unlike many more famous wine growing areas in Europe, few of the wine houses are open for tastings, so you’ll have to wait until the end of the ride before you begin your tastings.

The route heads over the main Orsogna-Ortona road towards Tollo and Colle Secco. The castle which you see on a hill, is the rebuilt Norman Castle at Crecchio where the King Vittoria Emanuel III cowered whilst fleeing his country in 1943.
As the road dips and climbs, you’ll notice the autumn scents of decay, of soil and stone, permeating the air. In the calm tranquility of the morning, you’ll hear (if you stop awhile), the drops of last night’s light rain drip from one vine leaf to the next. Other than that soft patter, the air is heavy with silence. On intoxicating days like this, it is hard to persuade a bike to move - or should that be the other way round, the bike finds it hard to get you to move! The road passes the Castello di Semivicoli, the home of one of the foremost wine makers of the region, Masciarelli. They have rooms and it is a beautiful place to stay. Occasionally they have wine tastings too.

The final climb is long - 13km - and your legs will be feeling the previous 1100m by this stage. But the views of the mountains, the ever changing colours and perspectives of the vineyards, all potently mixed with the ambient calm of the day, will feed your energies to take you back up to the ridge. All that then remains is the last kilometre through the umbrella pine-lined avenue back to the main square.

START/FINISH; Orsogna, Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini DISTANCE; 76KM. TOTAL ASCENT; 1460m TERRAIN AND SURFACES; Constantly hilly, gravel and crumbling tarmac roads along with long smooth sections. FOOD; The route is very rural and cafes are very few and far between. They will only sell coffee and perhaps a brioche in the early morning. There are places to eat in Orsogna, although in autumn the choices are fairly limited. Better to ride /drive the 10km onto Guardiagrele, where there is ample choice. Recommended restaurant; La Grotta dei Raselli, Località Comino - Via Raselli, 66016 Guardiagrele (CH.) Tel: +39 0871 808292. Franco has an excellent cellar holding many of the wines, whose vines you’ve been riding past all morning. Stay: Castello di Semivicoli: Via S. Nicola, 24, 66010 Casacanditella CH, Italy. Phone: +39 0871 890045