A guide to Italy’s biggest wine producing region.

di Pannee Ng

Puglia, located on the heel of Italy is flanked by two seas, the Adriatic and Ionian seas, has one of the longest coastlines of any region in Italy. Puglia has a lot going for it, with some of the most beautiful seas and costal towns like Galipoli, Taranto, Trani, charming historical baroque town of Lecce, the iconic Castel del Monte, delicious peasant food and lots of good wine. It is the place where local Italians go to spend their summer holidays. The great thing is, it is still undiscovered however the tourism board of Puglia and wine producers are looking to change that fast!
Puglia grows in abundance olive oil, durum wheat, citrus fruits and is actually Italy’s top wine producing region producing (17% of Italy’s wine) thanks to its incredible climate, suitable for ripening grapes.



Until the last 20 years, the majority of Puglia's grapes went into bulk wine suppling the rest of the more famous wine producing region in the north of Italy and France until the last 20 years. Thanks to research, technology and the determination of producers to produce and bottle their own wines, Puglia now boasts 25 different DOC areas and their wine quality is up.
Indigenous red grape varieties like Negroamaro (grown in the south in Salento), Primitivo (grown in the south in Manduria), Nero di Troia (grown in the north in Foggia) and Aglianico (grown in Castel di Monte), gives Puglia wines a point of distinction and are ranking up high scores and winning awards, putting Puglia wines on the map.
White wines in Puglia count for less than 20% of the overall production and offers huge potential due to its ability to produce crisp, wonderful aromatic wines that have traces of minerality, due to its close proximity to the sea. Local grapes to look out for are the highly acidic Bombino Bianco (from Northern Lazzio area) Bianco d'Alessano and Verdeca. We are also impressed by the ligher bodied Chardonnays grown here.

How to get there?
In Puglia, there are two airports that you can fly in from Rome or Milan on CX, Bari in the middle part of Puglia and Brindisi in the South. From there, we highly recommend getting a car or organizing your own driver to get around.

Where to stay

Masseria Potenti, Manduria - A charming farmstead, or masseria with white walls surrounded by vineyards and olive farms. Masseria Potenti is a 16th century estate of some 250 acres situated in the countryside of southern Italy, an hour and half away from Brindisi airport. The estate is a restored farmstead run by former Milanese lawyer, Mariagrazia Tomassino and her husband. They serves amazing organic rustic fair using ingredients fresh from their garden. A beautiful stylish farmstead with lots of rustic details and a gorgeous swimming pool set against olive trees.
Corteinfiore, Trani - A stylish seaside B&B with only 6 rooms. Very well located, walking distance from the old town and one street away from the harbour where restaurants and bars caters to the lively nightlife of Trani. The modern well designed B&B is newly refurbished and decked out with white linen poster beds (in most rooms) and all the modern amenities and fixtures we have come to expect of a good boutique B&B.

Where to dine
Al Faro, Taranto - A classic seafood restaurant serving Puglia cuisine . The restaurant of Hotel Saraceno, a restored 18th century farmhouse with stunning views of the Ionic Sea.
La Branchina, Trani - An osteria style restaurant located on the harbour front facing the port. A great place for seafood. The simple lobster linguine and breaded seafood platter is just devine.
Corteinfiore, Trani - An award winning fine dining restaurant that serves good Italian cuisine. The restaurant has a great garden style design and a great wine list.

Wineries to visit
A must when you are in Puglia doing a wine tour. Here are some of the top wineries we visited in Puglia to taste some of Puglia’s most important and interesting wines.

Mottura winery, Salento - One of the most important wineries in Salento located in Tuglie run by Pasquale and Antonio Mottura with his daughters. Taste their light bodied rose, the Le Pitre Rosato Del Salento and the velvety well structured Primitivo del Salento 2011 with a distinct slightly salty finish.
Address: 4 Pizza Melica, 73058 Tuglie, Lecce, Phone: +39 0833 596601, www.motturavini.it

 

Vigne e Vini winery, Leporano -Vigne & Vini was established in 1921 and owners Cosimo and Maria Teresa have upped their wine-making technology to produce quality commercial wines from the native grapes of Salento - Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera, Malvasia Bianca, Aglianico and Verdeca. Taste their Vigne & Vini Papale Linea Oro Primitivo di Manduria DOC 2010 and the Chicca Primitivo di Manduria DOP 2010 made from 100% Primitivo grapes.
Address: 74020 LEPORANO (TA) Via Amendola, 36. Tel: +39 099 5315370, www.vigneevini.eu

Mater Domini winery, Salice Salentino
A relatively new winery, Tenute Mater Domini was founded in 2003 by investor, Pierandrea Semeraro. Carlo Ferrini the winemaker at the estate and Wine Technician Andrea Fattizzo is making some nice whites and rose with grapes from his 80 hectares of land located in the countryside of Veglie and the Salice Salentino DOC, LGT Salento area. Taste their well-made Provence style rose: La Nova Rosato Salento IGT made from, 85% Negroamaro grapes and the Marangi Rosato Salento IGT made from 100% Negroamaro grapes and the Casili Salice Salentino Riserva DOC
Address: Strada prov. 216 per San Pancrazio Salentino km 1 Loc. Fontanelle73015 Salice Salentino (Lecce), Tel: +39.0832.792442, www.tenutematerdomini.it

Conti Leone de Castris winery, Salice Salentino - Established in 1665 by Duke Oronzo Arcangelo of the Counts of Lemos and is the oldest wineries in Puglia in Salice Salentino, rich with history and boasts its own museum and still maintains its charming office and cellars from ages ago. Taste: Messapia Verdeca IGT Salento, La Grande Tradizone ’50 Vendemmia’ Salice Salentino Rosso Riserva DOC made from 90% Negroamaro grapes and Dona Lisa Salice Salentino Rosso Riserva DOC made from 90% Negroamaro grapes for best expressions of Salentino wine.
Address: Via Senatore de Castris 26, 73015 Salice Salentino (Lecce), Tel: +39.0832. 731112, www.leonedecastris.com

Rivera
An important winery in the Castel del Monte DOC area that was founded by early agriculture pioneer, Sebastiano de Corato. A champion of the native Nero di Troia grown, they are known for the Puer Apuliae 100% Nero di Troia wine and II Falcone Caste del Monte Riserve DOC made from Nero di Troia blend with Montepulciano.
To visit winery: S.P.231 Km. 60,500- 76123 Andria, Tel: +39.0883 569510, www.rivera.it

Tormaresca, Minervino Murgia
Tormaresca is an Antinori invested estate that comprises of two properties, Bocca di Lupo in Castel del Monte DOC, and the other, Masseria Maime in the Salento IGT region. Known for their Torcicoda Salento IGT made from Primitivo grapes, Masseria Maine Salento LGT made from 100% Negroamaro and the Bocca di Lupo made from 100% Aglianico grapes.
Address: Loc Tofano 76013 Minervino Murge (BT). Tel:+39.0883.692631, www.tormaresca.it

For more information and to plan your visit, check out these helpful websites:
To plan your trip to Puglia - viaggiareinpuglia.it
To find out about entertainment, arts, cultural food and wine events in Puglia, check out - pugliaevents.it

fonte: WineBuzz.hk