There is a sea of change in wine production in Puglia. A few years ago Puglia alone produced more wine than Australia. Much of this low-end wine spent more time in a railroad tank car than it did in a bottle, but those days are over. With various vine-pull schemes sponsored by the European Community, designed to soak up the vast overproduction of the European wine lake, wine producers in Puglia now have moved from quantity to quality. The region is adapting very nicely precisely because they have several features that make wine production there very attractive: high quality, reasonably priced vineyard land, old vine indigenous grapes of unique character, a spectacular Mediterranean climate that is ideal for cultivating vines, and the ability to produce superior wines at reasonable prices, a big advantage in the contemporary wine world.

The red wines of Puglia come primarily from the grape varieties Primitivo, Negroamaro and Uva di Troia, the last is found most in the Castel del Monte district.

Perhaps the best known red is Primitivo, grown in the Manduria area. The grape has now been shown to be genetically identical to Zinfindel, often considered the most American of the California wines. Although Zinfindel and Primitivo are essentially the same, you will see that different conditions and cultural behavior produce entirely different taste characteristics.

Negroamaro is the primary grape used alone or in the blends in the fairly well known DOC region located in the center of the Salentine peninsula called Salice Salentino. At its best Negroamaro can transcend its name - black bitter - and be a complex, medium bodied wine with smoky aromas and flavors of raspberries, cherries, and spices, taste characteristics that can resemble a New World Pinot Noir with an Old World twist. Look for Castel di Salve Salice Salentino from the coastal region south of Lecce.

There are a few interesting rosés being produced in Puglia, mostly from Negroamaro. The best known is called Five Roses. The name dates from the American invasion during World War II, when the producer apparently felt that his wine was a superior beverage to the beverage of choice of the GIs – Four Roses.

Another exciting thing about Puglia is the revival of old, unknown, indigenous vines that, when subject to modern viticulture and vinification techniques, have lovely character. Look for a grape called Sussumaniello, being produced in very small amounts on the Adriatic coast near Brindisi.

You will also find some international varieties like Chardonnay produced, sometimes in blends with small amounts of Malvasia Bianca, like Tenute Rubino’s Marmorelle Bianco. The best white wines found in Puglia are in the Gravina region in the north not far from Basilicata, where you will find lovely wines like Bortomagno Gravina, a blend of 60% Greco and 40% Malvasia Bianco.


Courtesy of Ten Nice Wines, an Independent Wine Consumer Guide