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PUGLIA, LAND OF ROSATI

THE TERRITORY, THE VINES, THE DENOMINATIONS

THE TERRITORY

Our region, thanks to its microclimates given by its amazing biodiversity, has about 25 autochthonous and historical grapes, with which to vinify in red, white and rosé.  The reasons for this so varied differentiation of Vitis Vinifera is to be found in its origins. The incessant action of water on the limestone, the main component of the soil, has given rise since prehistoric times to deep incisions in the rock bank (our Gravines) greenhouses and fossil beds of ancient rivers. It is an area that alternates the characteristic vegetation of the Mediterranean maquis with woods of various kinds (such as the lush Umbrian forest), surrounded by the two Ionian and Adriatic seas.

The Apulian territory is mainly flat (53%) and hilly (45%) and extends for over 350 km between the Adriatic Sea and the Ionian Sea. It is thanks to the characteristics of the soil, mainly calcareous-clayey, that it is possible to make structured wines, with a nice tannic texture, but also elegant, characterized by a good acidity well balanced with roundness, and equipped with an amazing set of aromas.

From north to south, we can divide Puglia into macro areas, each with characteristic soils:

  • The Capitanata, the northernmost part of Apulia, covers two main areas: the Gargano and the Tavoliere. In particular, the vineyards are distributed on the slopes exposed limestone promontory of eruptive rocks. Here, with the rocky slopes that slope towards the Adriatic, we find a sedimentary mother rock that gives wines great minerality and a powerful structure.
  • The Tavoliere delle Puglie is a gentle plain composed of alluvial soils of sand and clay. In the vast Tavoliere the soils are mainly alluvial, red wines are produced with intense, complex aromas,  but also pleasing and fresh, with delicate chromatic nuances.
  • Murgia, composed of rocky agglomerations rich in limestone, which give rise to compact and deep wines; the remarkable temperature ranges and calcareous-clay or siliceous-clay soils, lead to fresh rose wines of good elegance . On the coasts between the Murge and the Adriatic, the tufaceous and sandy soils are the habitat of the Muscat royal.
  • Salento, the place of the Red Lands. The soil here is in fact composed of a mix of limestone and clay, which give strength to renowned rose from Negroamaro, exceptional wines and suitable for aging.
  • Climate: Typically Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and little rain and hot summers, ventilated and dry, which favor the production of structured and intensely colored wines. In Puglia there is minimal rainfall throughout the peninsula, however compensated by good humidity and a windy cycle that naturally preserve the grapes from the attack of fungi and diseases. The Mediterranean Sea and its mountainous areas act as climate mitigating the Region, making the climate milder and conducive to healthy growth of bunches. In addition, the light that affects them stimulates photosynthesis chlorophyll, allowing the berries to be enriched with sugars and aromatic substances, the same ones that give our rose wines those amazing aromas.

The Vines

The Apulian vineyard covers about 83,000 hectares, distributed mainly in the plains (70%) and hills (29.5%). The soil of Apulia gives life to vines with aromatic grapes, elegant, which vary by type and methods of winemaking. But it is in the production of rose wines that our black grape varieties find their maximum expression, giving life to structured wines, deep, rich in aromas. Not only, therefore, excellent for openings, but they are also a perfect combination to dine with fish dishes, pizza, focaccia and white meat.

Let’s see them together:

1971

DAUNIA & CAPITANATA

Nero di Troia (2.1% of Apulian vines) e Tuccanese

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2008

ARANTO & SOUTHERN SALENTO

Malvasia Nera (1.8% of Apulian vines) e Susumaniello (0.5% of Apulian vines)

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1919

SALENTO

Negroamaro (18.5% of Apulian vines) e Aleatico (0.5% of Apulian vines)

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1985

MURGIA & BARI COASTLINE

Bombino Nero (1% of Apulian vines), Primitivo (10.2% of Apulian vines) con DOC Gioia del Colle e DOC Manduria.

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1997

VALLE D’ITRIA

Ottavianello (0.1% of Apulian vines) e Aglianico (0.3% of Apulian vines)

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NON-INDIGENOUS AND INTERNATIONAL GRAPE VARIETIES

  • Sangiovese (17.0% of Apulian grape varieties)
  • Montepulciano (9.1% of Apulian grape varieties): traditionally used to dissolve the tannic strength of Troia and Negroamaro grapes, it is sometimes used in purity especially in the central-northern area of Puglia, where from wines of very intense color, with aromas of black cherry and cherry, jams, followed by hints of leather and spices.
  • Merlot, Cabernet, Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Malbec: they are often used as “improving” vines, used in the cuts.
THE MAGIC HAPPENS - VINIFICATION

The first technique allows to obtain wines with clear and delicate nuances, slight hints of peach flowers, jasmine and violet and red fruits. To obtain it, the contact between the grapes and the must during the pressing must be very short, to avoid the solubilization in the liquid of all the pigmenting substances of the pomace (tannins and anthocyanins).

The second technique provides for a longer maceration time on the skins (maximum 24 hours), as a result of which the mostofiore is vinified using the method used for white wine. This process allows the wine to be enriched with more intense nuances and a little more robust structure, however remaining fresh and light.

The third method has a curious name: “bleeding”, from the French “saigne”. Here the juice of the bunches is left to macerate on the skins for 24 hours, then to be taken and divided by the latter before the beginning of fermentation; at this point, therefore, the light pink liquid will be vinified as if it were a white, while the remaining part is left to macerate and ferment on the skins to obtain a red wine.

APULIA WINES - DEOMINAZIONI DOCG, DOP AND IGP

DOC and DOCG rosé wines in Puglia

With its more than 400 km of coastline, Puglia has 26 Appellations of Origins (DOC and DOCG) and 5 IGT (Puglia, Daunia, Murgia, Valle d’Itria and Salento), thanks to its varied microclimates that make it a land particularly suited to viticulture.

  • Ortanova DOC Rosé comes from the grapes: Sangiovese (min 60%) Uva di Troia and Montepulciano (20-30%), Lambrusco Maestri and Trebbiano Toscano (maximum 10%).
  • For the DOC San Severo Rosato we have instead: Montepulciano and Sangiovese (maximum 10%).
  • In the DOCG Castel del Monte Bombino Nero Rosato we have: Bombino Nero plus other varieties for a maximum percentage of 30%.
  • For the DOC Castel del Monte, there is also the Denomination for the Aglianico Rosato DOC Castel Del Monte, which provides at least 90% of Aglianico grapes.
  • DOC Gioia del Colle: Primitivo (50-60%), Malvasia Nera (maximum 10%), Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Negroamaro (40-50%).
  • For the DOC Colline Joniche the disciplinary foresees the use of: Cabernet Sauvignon (minimum 50%), and other non-aromatic black grape varieties admitted to the cultivation from the viticultural zone Salento Arco Jonico.
  • Moving further south, we find the DOC of Salento, where our rose was born. These include the municipalities of: Salice Salentino, Brindisi, Lizzano, Squinzano, Alezio, Copertino, Galatina, Leverano, Matino and Nardò. In each of the areas mentioned, the denomination is allowed only with the impego of Negroamaro grapes (in purity or in predominant quantity), with the contribution of other varieties such as Malvasia Nera, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Bombino Nero.

The Wine Areas Doc and Igt

In Puglia there are some important wine-growing areas:

1971

CAPITANATA

DOC and IGT wine

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2008

ARCO IONICO - TARANTINO

DOC and DOCG wines

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1919

ALTO E BASSO SALENTO

DOC and IGT wines

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1985

CENTRAL MURGIA - NORTHERN PART

DOCG, DOC and IGT wines

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1997

MURGIA CENTRALE - SOUTHERN PART

DOC and IGT wines

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It corresponds to the province of Taranto, among hills dotted with trulli and drawn by dry stone walls in karst stone, from the vineyards of the Denomination Martina Franca are produced still white wines or sparkling Martinotti method, which focus on Verdeca, Bianco d'Alessano and Minutolo.

In the sunny lands of the Gulf of Taranto are located the vineyards where Primitivo offers expressions of absolute importance, thanks to the turning point determined by some producers in the 90s, some with wines of decidedly innovative style, others traditional, others with intermediate characteristics between these two trends.

Primitivo di Manduria DOC excels for strength, richness of extract and character, especially if the grapes come from old saplings planted in calcareous-clayey soils and the wines rest in cask or barrique. The scent recalls hints of fruit also in jam and spirits, carob, fig and dried almond, sometimes tobacco and licorice, with some herbaceous and mineral notes. The taste is full and warm, supported by smooth tannins. After evolution it becomes austere and elegant.

Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale DOCG impresses for its structure and opulence, measured sweetness and velvety wrapping and is an excellent wine to keep, perfect also with dry almond figs covered with dark chocolate. The local productions of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera are also of a good level, while to revive the white wines is focusing mainly on Minutolo, Fiano Verdeca, Chardonnay and Viognier.

The appellation Colline Joniche Tarantine, with vineyards planted with espalier and located between 190-300 meters, has a Primitivo with characters between those of the area Gioiese and Manduriana.

Salento is a flat peninsula also called Tavoliere di Lecce, which rises in the last reliefs of the Murgia plateau and in the Serre Salentine. The microclimate is unique, with the summer heat mitigated by the sea breezes that blow from one coast to another, creating a climate similar to that of the hills. In Alto Salento, Brindisi’s lands are particularly suitable for the cultivation of Negroamaro and give excellent red and rose wines, in Brindisi and Salento Salice Denomination denominations and in Salento and Puglia PGI.

An important role in the production of red and rose wines in the area played by Malvasia Nera of Brindisi, Primitivo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Susumaniello.

Ostuni DOC, a niche production is that of vii reds obtained by Ottavianello. This vine, known in France as Cinsaut and in South Africa as Hermitage, was brought by Ottaviano to San Vito dei Normanni as a gift to the Marquis of Bignano. Just as few are the Impigno and Francavilla, used with Verdeca and Bianco D'Alessano for the production of Ostuni Bianco DOC.

In the IGP Salento, in the province of Brindisi, there are wines of greater complexity and structure, from Malvasia Bianca, Fiano, Minutolo, Chardonnay and Sauvignon, as well as some of the best passiti of the Region from Aleatico, Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera and Bianca grapes, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Semillion and Riesling. Excellent Salice Salentino Aleatico Dolce Doc.

In the Southern Salento, in the province of Lecce, Negroamaro dominates uncontested and gives very appreciated red and rose wines in different historical denominations, such as: DOC ALEZIO, DOC GALATINA, DOC COPERTINO AND DOC MATINO. It is also very well expressed in IGP SALENTO and IGP PUGLIA. Malvasia Nera, Primitivo, Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Aleatico play a complementary but equally important role. The white wines, pleasing and of good structure, are mainly obtained from Malvasia Bianca, Fiano, Chardonnay and Sauvignon.

This area includes the Gravina and Gioia Del Colle appellations and, for the part that belongs to the province of Bari, Locorotondo and Martina Franca, as well as the Murgia and Valle D'Itria PGI, although the latter is located between the provinces of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto. The most prestigious grape is Primitivo, which today expresses itself with particular elegance, enriching itself with vivid fresh-sapid components and showing a great longevity, especially in wines obtained from old trees and in the Gioia del Colle DOC Reserve. Rose wines produced by Primitivo are also being relaunched in this area either alone or in blend with Aglianico, Aleatico or Montepulciano. The favourable pedoclimatic characteristics of the Bari Murgia and the picturesque Itria Valley favour the production of pleasing white wines, in the area of Gravina from Malvasia Bianca Lunga and Greco, in the area of Gioia del Colle from Trebbiano Toscano, Chardonnay, Falanghina, Greco, Malvasia Bianca and Minutolo, in that of Locorotondo da Verdeca, Bianco D'Alessano and Minutolo, assembled or pure. In Murgia Barese also deserve sweet wines made from Aleatico and Malvasia Bianca.

Area highly suited for viticulture. The red wines produced here are complex, structured and long-lived, and are produced from 100% Uva di Troia and Aglianico, or from a blend of at least one of these varieties with Montepulciano in the DOCG Castel del Monte Nero di Troia and Castel del Monte Rosso, as well as in the Castel del Monte Aglianico DOC.

Increasingly appreciated is our Castel del Monte Bombino Nero Rosato DOCG, thanks to the magnificent cerasuolo color, the finesse of the fruity aromas and the great freshness and flavor.

The production of white wines is also admirable, thanks to the rediscovery of white bombino and Pampanuto and the confirmation of Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Pinot Blanc in the Castel del Monte appellation. We are also rediscovering Moscato Dolce di Trani, which offers memories of dried apricot, citron and orange, yellow peach and mimosa, honeysuckle and orange blossom, on a background of moss, sage and rosemary.

Crossing the Molisano border, you enter the Capitanata, formerly called Daunia. It corresponds to the province of Foggia, where there are consolidated denominations, such as: San Severo, Tavoliere Delle Puglie. Here Nero di Troia expresses all its most precious organoleptic characteristics, and is therefore a land of great red wines and excellent rose wines. They are often used in blends with Montepulciano, Sangiovese and white berried grapes, as is the case with CACC E' MMITTE Di LUCERA DOC. A vine rediscovered a few years ago and now grown in a few hectares between the area of Orsara di Puglia and the Sub Dauno Apennines, the Tuccanese -gives interesting niche wines, in purity or in blending with Nero di Troia. In recent years, in the area are enhancing the Falanghina, the Fiano Minutolo, the Greek and Bombino Bianco (ideal, thanks to their acidity and freshness), to the production of Classic Method Sparkling Wines.

Malvasia Nera

Malvasia Nera expresses its best organoleptic characteristics in the areas of Brindisi and Lecce and, following a careful study of the DNA of the plant, it has emerged that it derives from the crossing of Negroamaro and Malvasia Bianca Lunga. The name comes from the city where the large family of Malvasia (which has more than twenty varieties scattered throughout Italy) was born, that is Momemvasia, an ancient town of the Peloponnese that served as a port for the Venetians since the eleventh century. The wines produced with Malvasia Nera grapes express all their elegance and sweetness in the aromas, thanks to the notes of tree fruits, red berries, and deeper ones of chocolate and licorice. The roses are very fresh, ready to drink and can be finished until the last drop: perfect for an aperitif, accompanied by blue and aged cheeses.

 

Susumaniello

It is one of the historic grape varieties of our region, which, after a long period of oblivion, has returned to the top, giving us wines with unique characteristics. Finding its maximum expression in Salento, its wines are accompanied by a freshness and a flavor out of the ordinary, vertical, combined with fruity notes of cherry, red fruits, strawberry, pomegranate, raspberry and cherry. Excellent paired with lamb rolls, stewed meat with a side of chicory, broad beans or turnips.

Negroamaro

It is thought that the origins of our native vine date back to the seventh century BC, when the Greeks, moved to Puglia, planted it and spread in Salento. Already in the name we find a small tale of this variety: nigra (Latin) and mavru (Greek) refer to its intense color, dark and impenetrable, which is perfectly declined in the vinification in red. The rose, on the other hand, found in the area of Salice Salentino, shows intense coral nuances, while the nose emits typical hints of pomegranate and red berried fruits, delicate spicy roses, oleander, rhubarb and Mediterranean scrub. They are balanced wines with a good body.

 

Aleatico

Also of Greek origins, Aleatico is considered a semi-aromatic grape variety, ancient mutation of a black berry Moscato (of which, in fact, it recalls the taste). With Moscato also shares its peculiar characteristic of preferring a warm climate, with hilly terrain, finding in our region a perfect place to grow and give fruits of excellent quality. Here it has in fact several denominations,  as DOC in the areas of Bari, Brindisi, Taranto, Lecce and Foggia. The wines produced by this vine are ruby red, tending to orange with aging. With a good persistent olfactory system, Aleatico gives off aromas of undergrowth, red flowers and fruits, among which stands out the black cherry.The mouthfeel is horizontal, rich and full, a softness accompanied by an aftertaste in which the notes of dried fruit are persistent. Great to close in beauty a good dinner, accompanying Dolici and almond paste.

Ottavianello

A vine forgotten for half a century, Ottavianello is experiencing a new youth and a new era of splendor in recent years, thanks to its characteristic grapes, able to give a wine very elegant and typical of our region. Raised in Brindisi, Ottavianello is available in ruby red products, aromatic, prepared for long ageing. Dried fruit (hazelnut and almond), spices and red fruits make up its aromatic complement, which heralds an enveloping, long and soft sip. Vinified in rose, it has a pale pink color, very delicate in nuances, mind its aromas range from the hints of peeled almonds, white flowers and candied fruit. The smell is surprising for its freshness, accompanied with a right roundness that balances the taste. It is excellent with a Salento fish soup or a rich chopping board.

 

Aglianico

Present in Southern Italy, especially in the regions of Campania, Basilicata and Puglia, this black grape variety has Greek origins, and its spread in our territory would have coincided with the colonization by the Hellenic people of the Tyrrhenian coast. It would therefore be the same variety that, at the time of the Romans, was known in Italy with the name of "Ellenica".  The wines produced by this typology have a nice bright red color, tending to garnet with aging. Among the aromas stands out the characteristic vinous aroma, blackberries, plums, wild strawberries and others brought by a long aging wood. Its powerful tannic texture and a good quantity of tartaric acidity, in fact, make it a wine predisposed to periods of rest and aging in mainly long barrels and barriques. Aglianico finds its ideal companions at the table in fish dishes, savory and fat, white meat dishes enriched with spices and dried fruit.

Bombino Nero

Originally from Spain, Bombino Nero is now fully part of our native vines, and is one of the most appreciated and rediscovered in our region. The name so curious has an equally unknown plot: it is thought that the ancient peasants have called it "child" because of the peculiar shape of the cluster, which recalls that of an infant, in fact. However, other interpretations trace its origin to the adjective "buovino", for its particularly abundant production. The vine finds one of its highest expressions in the vinification in rose, so much so that, near Castel del Monte was established the denomination Bombino Nero Rosato Castel del Monte DOCG. The Bombino Nero vinified in rose gives dry wines, fresh and elegant, medium-bodied. The bouquet is inviting and often complex, ranging from small red fruits such as strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, flowers and a characteristic scent of bitter almonds.

 

Primitivo di Manduria and Gioia del Colle DOC

Perhaps spread in our territory thanks to the hand of Phoenicians and Greeks, Primitivo expresses all its character especially in the area of Manduria and Gioia del Colle. The characteristics of this variety are easily guessed also by the name: it is "Primitivo" because, as Don Francesco discovered in the Gioia del Colle countryside in 1700, its bunches ripen before the others, already around the middle of August. Hence the name, which derives precisely from the Latin "Primativus" "which matures before the others.

First used as a wine for those from the north, in the last 20 years there has been a real rediscovery of what has now become the banner of our Regional wine production. The color is an intense ruby, with reflections tending to garnet with ageing, Primitivo releases characteristic hints of black cherry, plum, cherry, and the delicate note of violet. With the aging in wood, then, acquires a more complex aromatic outfit thanks to the aromas of cinnamon, cocoa, black pepper and licorice. When vinified in rose, the primitivo is able to give us a well structured product, deep, with beautiful shades of wax and fruity aromas of wild strawberries, red apple, raspberry, accompanied by flowers, often fresh, and spices.  Excellent with seafood risotto, paccheri all'astici, but also lenticchiem timballi, hummus and pasta with tomato sauce.

Nero di Troia

Having found its land of choice in Daunia and Capitanata, Nero di Troia has its roots in Asia Minor (in the epic city of Troia), and then it was planted and spread on the opposite shores of the Adriatic following the Hellenic colonization. The aromas produced by this vine have fragrant and deep scents, which are expressed in a different way but still with excellent results both in the vinification in red and in rose: the aromas of pomegranate, cherry and small red fruits meet the typical and more pungent ones of the Mediterranean maquis, wild rosemary, juniper and the unmistakable hint of licorice. Powerful and structured, the reds are excellent accompanied by dishes of game, while the Black Roses of Troy are excellent served with soups and focaccia of burnt wheat.

 

Tuccanese

Produced in Capitanata, Orsara di Puglia and in the Sub Appenino Dauno. Perhaps clone of Sangiovese, is a vine rediscovered in recent years and cultivated in a few hectares. From this are produced interesting niche wines, vinified alone or in blends with Nero di Troia, characterized by a full and velvety body, accompanied by aromas of marasca cherry, plum, violet, iris and a light spiciness.