It was L’Aquila, a June evening, and I was with a group of fellow judges from the “Food & Rosé Selection” organized by the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. After wandering around for a while in search of the right place to have dinner — it was Saturday night, it was getting late, and the city center was full of people eager to enjoy the evening — finding a table was proving difficult.
At a certain point came the timely tip from Antonio Paolini, who knows every corner of Abruzzo (and beyond). We headed — luckily a little outside the busiest part of town — toward what we hoped would be our final gastronomic destination.
We arrived at La Fenice. A wine bar slightly removed from the chaos of the city center.
A few tables outside, high stools — but on a mild summer evening it was exactly what we were looking for.
The problem began when we started getting closer to the shop windows. Windows revealing every imaginable treasure when it comes to wine. Peering inside, we noticed even more… and suddenly — imagine that — the hunger that had brought us there was overtaken by curiosity and by the irresistible desire to step into this wine sanctuary run by Maurizio De Luca.
Maurizio. A madman? A passionate soul? A lover of wine? Or perhaps all three at once.
What I saw inside this place — at least for me — is something I have never seen anywhere else. And I have rarely witnessed the kind of passion that pours out of Maurizio’s stories. A passion inevitably shaped by the turning point imposed by the earthquake, a moment in history that wiped out the lives of many in these lands. Lives erased not only by what was physically lost, but also by the sudden disappearance of enthusiasm, passions and future perspectives.
But this is Abruzzo, and people here are known for having a tough skin.
The stories continued — from the tale of 10,000 bottles lost (and we are certainly not talking about ordinary wines) to a visit to the room of wonders, a space where a magnum of Château d’Yquem stood out as the protagonist of a story (which you can hear in the video) worthy of earning the label “Earthquake Resistant.”
We had come for dinner, but food quickly became secondary.
Wine took over.
The stories captivated us.
Every corner of La Fenice tells something — even the one that houses an incredible collection of vintage hi-fi equipment, where glowing valves are the undisputed stars.
Yes, in the end we did order a platter of cured meats, but those extraordinary salumi could have tasted like anything for all we cared.
Let me conclude with a simple statement:
If you ever pass through here and don’t stop by La Fenice, provoking Maurizio to tell you any chapter of his story, you’re a fool — because you have no idea what you are missing.
As for me, I have already promised myself that I will return, bringing my wife and my son with me. Federico is beginning his journey in the world of wine, and I want — actually, I insist — that among the experiences he gathers there will also be a little of the tenacity, perseverance and passion that I saw in Maurizio.
La Fenice
Via Zara, 18
67100 L’Aquila (AQ)
