Puglia

Known for its long summers, heat swirling through the vines and for the cool night breezes that blow through the countryside, it is an area rich with ancient olive groves and vines, enchanting beaches and jagged rocky shoreline, classic grottos and some of Italy’s best farmland. When the ancient Greeks admiringly called Italy Oenotria, the land of wine, they were referring specifically to the southern peninsula : the toe, heel, and ankle of the Italian boot : Campania, Puglia, Basilicata and Molise. In this rugged, sunny, mountainous land they found scores of fascinating grape varieties. To these they contributed many of their own, establishing an even richer foundation of viticulture. Puglia’s subsoils are extraordinarily fertile thanks to the natural presence of limestone and clay. Dating back to the Cenozoic Era, the soils are deep, with medium to high permeability, a healthy presence of calcareous soil, and good pH. Negroamaro, Primitivo (Zinfandel) of Manduria fame, Susumaniello and White Malvasia are are considered local grape varieties. Chardonnay is also grown, which makes for wines with excellent aromatic character thanks to the unique subsoils and climate. The older vines are often bush-trained, the traditional alberello system that uses no trellising but delivers fantastic results. Younger vines are sometimes trained using classic systems, mostly cordon-trained spur-pruned and Guyot.