Puglia

Question 1

Grapes

Answer 1

Sangiovese: 15%
Primitivo: 14%
Negroamaro: 14%
Montepulciano: 11%
Trebbiano Toscano: 6%
Trebbiano Giallo: 4%

Question 2

Primitivo

Answer 2

Aka Zinfandel
High yielding, early budding (frost) early ripening (avoid rain).
Prone to drought and poor flowering and fruit set in rainy humid years. This variability is tough for growers to meet demand and preserve cash flow.

Bunches are looser with smaller berries for more disease resistance than in California. Bunches contain ripe and underripe fruit so strict sorting needed.

Accumulates sugar easily so produces high alcohol wines. Grapes dry on the vine as harvest approaches adding to the high alcohol. Jammy and dried fruit flavors can occur.

Older vines are bush trained and low density. Provides some shade and makes the most of low rainfall. Newer and inexpensive are trellised (cordon or can VSP) for mecanization

Inexpensive vinified at warm temps with maceration on skins for 7 - 10 days to extract color, flavor, and med to high tannin. Aged for 6 mo in stainless or casks.

Premium spend longer on skins for more structure. Aged in French barriques for 12 mo

Question 3

Primitivo DOC’s

Answer 3

Primitivo di Manduria DOC: min 85% primitivo. max 63hl/ha. Riserva aged 2 1/2 years with 9 mo in wood. and min 14% abv

Gioia dell Colle DOC: 50% - 60% Primitivo with Montepulicano, Sangiovese and / or Negroamor and up to 10% Malvasia. Max 52hl/ha. Riserva aged 2 years and min 14% abv. Hill area (250m - 500m) so slightly cooler

Med plus to pronounced, ripe to jammy red cherry, strawberry, med acid, med to med plus tannin. Wide range of quality. most acceptable to good with some very and a few outstanding. Gianfranco Fino (Primitovo di Manduria) and Polvanera (Gioia dell Colle).

Mixed fortunes recently. Many high quality old vines ripped up in EU pull scheme. Now more popular, partly because of CA Zin

Question 4

Negroamoro

Answer 4

Widely grown on the eastern side of the peninsula

High yielding with good resistance to disease and drought. Also retains acidity in hot climates.

Salice Salentino DOC: Min 75% Negroamora (90% if on label). 84hl/ha max. Riserva aging 2 years with 6 in large wood casks.

Reds are macerated 7 - 10 days. Aged in stainless 6 mo or oak for more expensive. Black plum and cherry, med to high alcohol, med acid and med plus tannin.

Rosato (rose of deep pink orange color).

Good to very good and inexpensive to mid with a few prem. Agricola Valloneand Leone de Castris (rosato)

Question 5

Nero di Troia

Answer 5

AKA Uva di Troia

Mainly grown in central Puglia

Late ripening and prone to downy mildew. Needs a long season to develop full color so prone to autumn rain. Bunches ripen at diff times for many passes through the vineyard.

Med red cherry and redcurrant with black pepper. High fine grained tannins, med plus acid.

Castel del Monte: Min 90% Nero if on label. DOC: 91hl/ha, stainless and DOCG for Riserva; 70hl/ha and two years aging incl 1 in wood (French barriques or large casks).

Good to very good with a few outstanding. Mid to prem.

Rivera and Torrevento

Question 6

Wine Business

Answer 6

Large vol’s of inexpensive wine
Less than 10% PDO and 60% “wine”

Coops very imp. i.e. Cantina Due Palme has 1,000 members with 2,500ha

Quality increasing