IT - Southern Italy / Puglia

Answer 1

Puglian wines were praised for their quality in Roman times.

1. Biggest producer in Italy but culture of overproduction and low quality bulk.
2. Since 2000s: external investment to modernise winemaking techniques (refrigeration and stainless steel) and flying winemakers contributed to a regeneration of the area
3. Mediterranean climate w long summer months & rainfall only in winter months. Little annual variation.
4. South of Abruzzi along the Adriatic coast w 70% of vineyards in the flat fertile coastal plains w some rolling hills
5. Calcareous soil base

Answer 2

Reds (60% of production)

1. Negroamaro
2. Most planted in Puglia & 6th most planted red in Italy
3. Vigorous & hi yielding w a preference for calcareous and limey soils
4. Ripens later vs. Primitivo
5. Dark, thick-skinned berries that produce hi alcohol, full bodied, tannic reds with spicy berry aromas & an earthy bitterness (‘amaro’)
6. Blended w Malvasia Nera e.g. Salice Salentino
7. Victim of the EU vine pull scheme in the 1990s
8. Primitivo
9. Early ripening grape
10. Produces full bodied reds w spicy berry characters
11. Grown principally in Puglia; victim of 90s EU vine pull scheme
12. Malvasia nera
13. Dark version of Malvasia bianco
14. Usually used in blends to add perfume

Others: Uva di Troia (aromatic premium grape variety), Sangiovese, Montepulciano

Answer 3

Whites (40% of production)

1. Bombino bianco
2. Late ripening, hi yielding white grape that produces relatively neutral wines
3. Found in 8 Puglian DOCs
4. Verdeca
5. Light berried native vine that produces neutral wines ideal for Vermouth
6. Tart, vegetal, hi acidity
7. Chardonnay

Others: Trebbiano Toscano, Malvasia Bianca

Answer 4

3 areas:
A. North: large volumes of undistinguished wine from tendone-trained Trebbiano, Sangiovese & Montepulciano

B. Central: Uva di Troia (Castel del Monte DOC) and Montepulciano showing promise
C. South: the flat Salento peninsula produces some of the best wines from Negroamaro & Primitivo

6 IGTs & 25 DOCs. The key DOCs from the Salento peninsula are:

1. Salice Salentino DOC (R/R)
2. Located in Italy’s ‘heel’; DOC since 76 producing intense port-like reds from Negromaro & Malvasia Nera in the provinces of Brindisi & Lecce
3. Copertino DOC (R/R)
4. Negroamaro with no more than 30% Malvasia/Montepulciano/Sangiovese.o Riserva are aged min 2 years before release and must have min 12.5% abv
5. Primitivo del Manduria (R/Sweet/Fortified)
6. DOC on the western of the Salento peninsula, around the town of Manduria
7. Made from 100% Primitivo for hi alcohol (~14% abv) full bodied reds w notes of plum and spice

Others: Squinzano DOC, Castel del Monte DOC.

Answer 5

105,000ha for 7.8m hl/yr – #1 area under vine & producer in Italy w 14% of total wine production

Only 2% DOC and only 25% of the wine sold in bottle.

Key producers:

Leone de Castris – Salice Salentino - 2.5m btls

Conti Zecca – Salice Salentino IGT – 1.5m btls