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Winery
Contrade
Varietal: Negroamaro
The Negroamaro grapes typical of Puglia in southern Italy have been an important feature of this region's wines for almost a millennium. Big, bold, deep and dark, the Negroamaro grape is widely enjoyed for its rustic character and the fact that it produces beautifully dark and bloody wines, packed full of intense flavors and a delightfully earthy bitterness. The name 'Negroamaro' means 'black-bitter' in Italian, but there is some dispute over the actual etymology of the name of this varietal, with many people claiming it actually comes from both the Greek and Latin words for 'black' as a result of the color of its dark, thick skins. Often used for single varietal wines in its home region, the Negroamaro grape is surprisingly versatile, and is commonly used for sparkling wines and as a blending grape to add body to weaker wines.
Region: Puglia
The southern Italian region of Puglia, known as the 'heel' of the country, is home to Italy's most up and coming wineries, keen to demonstrate to the world that the poor reputation they had in the seventies and eighties no longer applies. The wines of Puglia are certainly full of character, often big, bright and juicy, and full of strong dark fruit flavours. The Puglian wines are also renowned for being slightly more alcoholic and structured than those found further north, giving wine drinkers plenty to experience and discuss when sampling the region's complex and fascinating wares. Puglia is, in essence, a region of deep traditions, and the wine makers there are determined to stick to their traditional techniques and methods, and keep the unique identity of Puglian wine alive in the twenty first century.
Country: Italy
There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.