In the heart of the Teramo hills you can sleep inside wine barrels

«The idea was born in 2016, right after the earthquake. We purchased custom-made wood – special wood shaped like a barrel – and we built the barrel here with the aim of creating an earthquake-proof home designed for the four of us: my parents, my sister and I. We built the bathrooms ourselves». This is how Gaia di Sabatino, the very young owner of Tenute Morganti, with a master’s degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures and a deep passion for wine, recounts the invention of the barrels to welcome wine tourists to the estate.
«We come from a winemaking tradition, so the idea was to link everything to the winery: even this home had to recall wine. As soon as we moved in, we liked the idea of letting others – especially our guests – experience the same emotions. Around that time – continues Gaia – the renovation of the barn began, which was then turned into the winery, and the barrel became accommodation for those coming to visit us».

A complete immersion in country life

After the first quadruple barrel, year after year Gaia built three more doubles plus one hosting a hot tub. «At that time – she continues – the barrels immediately proved very appealing, both to those who feared earthquakes and to those who wanted to shield themselves from the spread of the virus during the pandemic. Nothing could happen to you there. And then there is another advantage: we are 15 km from the sea. Back then, nobody was talking about glamping yet, but rather about farm holidays». And so the first visitors arrived. «At the beginning the guests were mostly Europeans from France and Germany. After Covid there was a setback, and then word began to spread: many Italians came, and now also many local visitors who appreciate being in contact with nature».
The eco-glamping Tenuta Morganti thus offers complete immersion in the surrounding countryside without compromising comfort levels. The units are independent and there are no shared spaces. All the barrels have names linked to wine: Montepulciano, the only quadruple, then Cabernet, Trebbiano and Cerasuolo, the three doubles.

The breakfast box and excursions

Gaia explains: «For breakfast, guests collect a wooden box with the name of their barrel, containing food and thermoses with hot drinks, and they can eat wherever they like. For our breakfast and tasting boxes we opted for disposable materials, to guarantee safety and hygiene, but made of paper and compostable materials to respect the environment. The idea came to us during the pandemic». All the barrels are powered by photovoltaic panels, while the garden irrigation uses water from the estate’s lake. Rooms are cooled by air conditioning powered by solar panels. In addition to the hot tub, hosted in a dedicated barrel, guests can also enjoy classic tastings at the winery. For extra activities – canoeing on the Tirino river, excursions in the Orfento Gorge, e-biking in the Tirino valley, etc. – the winery is linked to the Majellando project. «The barrels are available all year round – Gaia specifies – except for brief periods when we close to carry out maintenance on the bathrooms or the wood, which otherwise risks deteriorating, or to host special events such as weddings or “Calici di Stelle”».

A small ecosystem with wine at the centre

Visitors find a small ecosystem of bees, wine and lake, in which the barrels also play a fundamental role. «Many of our guests can stay in the barrels and appreciate our work from start to finish. The human connection is important, and this kind of hospitality enhances it: having them come here and sleep is something else entirely», Gaia assures. The estate is small: just six hectares in total, including arable land, woodland, olive groves, lake and vineyards. Only three hectares are planted with vines, and only half of those are currently productive, for a total of 15,000 bottles. Tenute Morganti produces Montepulciano in two versions, a DOCG in steel and a DOC in amphora: a niche product of only one thousand bottles, highly appreciated. Completing the range are a Trebbiano and a Cerasuolo, both in steel.

The strategic importance of wine tourism

Most buyers are local, but wine tourism plays a key role. «Our biggest wine sales – explains Gaia – come precisely from the barrel guests: when they leave, they gladly buy our products. The rest we promote through events. In any case, for us wine tourism is an important driver for direct sales. It’s a virtuous circle: they come here to stay and buy the wine, then they become loyal customers and keep buying the wine. One thing leads to another». The only thing left is to discover the cost of staying in the barrels. «Compared with the glamping circuit, our prices are normal: €180 per night for a double barrel. Bookings through our website continue to grow».

In the heart of the Teramo hills

The origins of Tenuta Morganti date back to 1953, when Gino Morganti, having returned from Venezuela, decided to settle on the family farm in Torano Nuovo, in the Teramo hills, and began planting the first vineyards of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. Later, with the help of his wife Antonietta Pepe and their children Mirma and Nazareno, he expanded the estate where, alongside producing grapes for the local cooperative winery and bulk wine, he nurtured a passion for beekeeping and honey production. The estate also had a cattle stable. After skipping a generation (Gaia’s mother worked as a teacher), in 2014 the estate passed into Gaia’s hands: she put wine back at the centre and began bottling. In 2022, after graduating in economics, her sister Sveva also joined the adventure.