If I’m honest, I couldn’t point to Abruzzo on a map before we went there. The region is talked about so infrequently outside of Italy, but in the end, it was probably the place that blew me away the most.

Not only is it home to a D.O.P. (protected designation of origin) of saffron, Zafferano dell'Aquila, it’s also home to some of the most creative yet humble food and wine powerhouses – chef Niko Romito, behind Michelin three-starred Casadonna, modern trailblazers of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Valle Reale, contemporary yet familial one-Michelin-starred Villa Maiella – like its mountains, they’re painfully beautiful, totally underrated, and full of surprises at every turn.