Heading south and east out of the well-travelled zone of Rome and Central Italy, you will cross the craggy Appennini and find yourself in Italy’s “breadbasket”, Puglia! The Adriatic to the east and the Ionian Sea to the south, wrap the heel of the boot in abundant sunshine. Some of Italy’s best bread, olives and wines come from this region. Whether the glossy primitivo or the more rustic negroamaro varietals, you’re sure to fund ample body, juicy fruit and soft, sun-baked texture. We are also including a wine from the adjacent rural, undeveloped inland mountains of Basilicata. Agriculture, including viticulture is sparse in this rugged region, though powerful reds rule the slopes of the extinct Vulture volcano.
2007 Botromagno Gravina DOC, Puglia $13
Puglia is often referred to as the “bread basket” of Italy. It is home to some of the peninsula’s finest fields of grain as well as olive and fruit groves that bask in the long, hot summer sun. Being far south and on the heel of the boot also plays a role in the grape growing and the wines of the region tend to be some of Italy’s more powerful and full bodied. Gravina is a DOC located inland in the province of Foggia on some of the only “hills” in all of Puglia. Botromagno is likely the only Gravina wine you will find in the US and they do a great job on this blend. 60% Greco di Tufo (the world’s most ancient white varietal with probable origins in Greece) and 40% malvasia give this wine a floral bouquet that also shows great acidity and freshness for a southern climate white wine. A treat with grilled branzino!
2007 Cantine Due Palme “Le Sciare” Chardonnay, IGT Salento, Puglia $12
Cantine due Palme is a co-op that was formed in 1989 near the southern extremity of Puglia. Since then, they have become one of the most modern producers in southern Italy. While they have ebraced technological improvements, they are also committed to preserving the rich traditions of this region and do not want to see the vineyards become a copycat of New World wine making. Just under eight miles from the Adriatic sea the vineyards are distinctly touched by the rich history of the region, including Romanesque cathedrals, baroque churches and remains of Greek and Byzantine temples. This 100% Chardonnay from Rocca Normanna comes from young vines growing in loose sand and old volcanic chalk. The wine is fermented in steel tanks and rested on the lees for five months. This is a great option for anyone tired of chardonnays that are too heavily oaked. Enjoy with the olives harvested next-door for a true southern Italian treat!
2008 Michele Calo Mjere Rosato IGT, Salento, Puglia $20
We had heard rumors from our Italian contacts about fabulous Puglian rosato, but we were having a very hard time tracking down here in Boston. Fortunately our hard work paid off and we found one of the best! The Michele Calò winery is the first winery in Italy whose main focus is a rosé wine. This third generation winery commits half of it’s entire production to rosato! For this reason, their rosato is among the finest rosé wines produced in the world. As this is such a delicate style of wine, the production methods are even more rigorous that most of the great wines of the world. The selection in the vineyards, as well as the timing of the harvest, are vitally important components. The selection of the best negroamaro (80%) and malvasia nera (20%) grapes are left in contact with the skins for 16-18 hours prior to fermentation. The free run juice is collected (only 30% yield of the actual grapes) and fermentation begins. The un-pressed “crème de la crème” juice is the winery signature. This type of labor of love gives this rosé great quality and color even after two years, if you could wait that long!
2007 Racemi “Pietraluna” Negramaro del Salento, IGT, Puglia $13
The Accademia dei Racemi is a group that is dedicated to preserving and promoting of Vigneto Puglia. They feel that their traditional methods are under the threat of attack from internationalization and they are fighting back with fantastic wines produced with old school Puglian methods. (Racemi actually produces another wine called Anarkos in tribute their political/viticultural philosophy). The Torre Guaceto area is a stunning, nature preserve along the Puglian coastline and boasts one of Italy’s most beautiful and least touristy beaches. This quaffable style of negroamaro would be perfect for a beach barbecue or it’s even juicy enough for picnic of prosciutto and mozzarella sandwiches. We liken this wine to the Southern soulmate of the Guidabono Barbera, the classic Wine Bottega grab and go wine! I was searching for an answer to why they choose to spell negroamaro without the extra “o” for this wine, but have been unsuccessful. There is an Italian rock band from the area with that name, so perhaps it is a tribute to them. Bonus points to anyone who can find out the whole story!
2005 Grifalco Aglianco del Vulture, Lucania, Puglia $19
So, as Sesame St. would sing, one of these is not like the other, but we thought we would throw a Basilicata wine in the mix just for fun. Fabrizio Piccin and his wife Cecilia had a very successful winery in Montepulciano, Tuscany. However, Fabrizio often found himself in Basilicata in business and became enamored of the local aglianico grape variety. He started out taking small lots of grapes back home with him and experimenting with mico-vinifications. He was soon convinced that this is where his destiny awaited! His first vintage was 2004 and was immediately met with critical acclaim! Aglianico in Basilicate is grown on the contours of the extinct Vulture volcano that dominates the landscape of Northern Basilicata. Fabrizio says that he put 110,000km on his car driving around to select the very best parcels to produce his vision of an ideal aglianico. In total he now has 18hm spread over four vineyard sites that each bring something important to the mix. Each parcel is vinified individually and receives the appropriate oak treatment for it’s weight and style and then a final assemblage is made. This is a great opportunity to taste one of Southern Italy’s rising stars!
2005 Az. Agr. Alberto Longo, Cacc’e Mmitte di Lucera, Puglia, Italy $28
Alberto Longo was once a banker and professional living the fast paced life in Milan, and then he had a vision and a calling to his homeland of Puglia. Longo has since dedicated himself and his team to harvesting and producing natural wines that represent the beauty of this sun baked southern Italian region. Fattoria Cavalli (the family estate) has been in existence since 1800 and has recently been updated to seamlessly integrate the modern winery into the landscape. Under the direction of master woman wine maker Graziana Grassini, this 2005 marks the first release of the Cacc’e Mmitte cuvee. It is a rich blend of Uva di Troja, montepulciano and bombino bianco (a local white varietal). “Cacc’e Mmitte” is actually a denominated wine zone (DOC) in the northern plains of Puglia one three producers make wine in this tiny appellation. Uva di troja is considered amongst the most “elegant” and “bright” of the local Puglian varietals and shows that freshness can be harnessed even in the very warm climate.
