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Puglia is much more than just the heel of the Italian peninsula and the place of origin of the popular Bari pan. It is also one of the most important wine regions in Italy with great potential. While the trend here in recent years has been almost exclusively in the direction of mass production, a quality offensive has taken place in recent years, which combined the particularly good climatic conditions with a selection of high-quality grape varieties and strict controls.
Location and area
Puglia is a wine-growing region in south-eastern Italy with a vineyard area of 107,000 hectares and an annual production of 8-10 million hectoliters. Along with Veneto and Sicily, this is the largest growing area in Italy. One of the main reasons for the extensive production is the flat landscape profile, which makes wine-growing much easier than in mountainous regions. So it's no wonder that the region is nicknamed "Italy's wine cellar". The following growing areas are particularly noteworthy.
North:
Northern Puglia includes the provinces of Tavoliere and Foggia. The most commonly grown grape varieties in the region include Montepulciano and Sangiovese. Other well-known wines are the Bombino Bianco, the Trebbiano and the Nero di Troia from the region of the famous "Castel del Monte".
Salice Salentino:
Named after a small community of 8,000 people, this region is characterized by its high concentration of high-quality wines. Here you will find almost exclusively exquisite red and rosé wines. The first bottled rosé wine in Apulia deserves a special mention - the Five Roses by Leone de Castris from 1943.
Manduria:
The Primitivo grape variety has its most famous Protected Geographical Area (DOC) in Manduria. Strict conditions and permanent controls during cultivation and winemaking ensure consistently high quality.
It's not just the wine that makes Manduria something very special. There are also many places of interest such as the port city of Taronto and the numerous beaches that attract numerous tourists every year.
Other growing areas:
In addition to the three large wine-growing regions, there are many smaller ones in Apulia. They comprise a total of 28 DOC, 4 DOCG and 6 IGP zones.
History of the wine region
Until the turn of the millennium, Apulian wines were almost completely unknown outside of the region. This is mainly because most of them were sold in tanks to other regions of Europe, used in vermouth production and processed as grape juice concentrate. As a blending partner, they should give other wines stronger colors and a fuller body.
In recent years, however, many winegrowers have modernized their cellars in order to be able to produce high-quality wines. Everywhere in the region, the path was taken from cheap mass production to high-quality wines and conscientious vineyard care. So it is only logical that Apulia, with its cellar technology and the support of many investments, has become one of the most advanced cultivation regions in Europe. More and more winegrowers from other regions are also recognizing the great potential of Apulia.
Climatic and geographical conditions
Puglia is characterized by warm temperatures and the immediately adjacent sea. Here the summers are hot, dry and sunny and the winters are particularly mild. Due to the many hours of sunshine, the soil is particularly good at storing heat and dissipating it evenly to the vines during colder periods. A cool down brings the proximity to the Ionian and Adriatic Seas.
Apulia also stands out for another special feature. While mountains characterize the landscape in many other regions of Italy, the landscape here is mostly flat with only a few hills, which also favors cultivation. The floors are characterized by a mixture of limestone, clay and sandstone.
Large variety of fine grape varieties
In Apulia you will find a wide variety of wines, with the winegrowers mainly using grape varieties from the region. Red wines such as the Primitivo, the Negroamaro and the Nero di Troia are widespread.
In addition, many white wines such as Trebbiano, Fiona, Verdeca, Moscato Bianco, Malvasia Bianca and Bombino Bianco also come from the region. The most widely grown international grape variety for white wines is Chardonnay. The grape is characterized by the fact that it tolerates the warm temperatures of the region very well and produces full-bodied white wines with an aromatic fruit and subtle freshness.
Sangiovese is currently still the dominant red variety. – and this despite the fact that the region is known in many countries primarily for the Primitivo. However, this is only second to locals and winegrowers. This is followed by Montepulciano, Trebbiano and the other varieties.