Italy Unit 16 - Puglia

The following are my notes for studying the wines of the Puglia region of Italy including information about the topography, climate, soils, important red and white grapes and extensive information on the DOCs and DOCGS of the region. I also include notes on the wines I tasted from this region.

Puglia (Apulia in English), the heel of the boot of Italy, is the southern most region south of Molise and west of Campania and Baliscata. It consists of 7,469 square miles with a 518 mile coastland on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. 

Whereas most regions in Italy are defined by their mountains and hills, Puglia is dominated by broad fertile plains and low hills.

Red and White Wines of Puglia

Much of Puglia’s viticulture consists of high-yielding vineyards located on the plains and the grapes are destined for distillation or to be sold off cheaply as bulk wine. Approximately 2% of the region produces DOC level wine and most of those are found in the Salento Peninsula 11 of which are dominated by Negromaro/Malvasia Nera blends.

While Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Bombino and Fino table wine are produced, such as in the Salice Salentino DOC, most of the region’s Trebbiano is used in vermouth production. The largest white wine zones are Locorotondo DOC and Martina Franca DOC, located near the Adriatic Coast between Bari and Brindisi, and they both have basically the same soils and produce similar wines from Verdeca.

The three dominant red grapes for wine production are Negroamaro, Uva di Troia and Primitivo followed by Aglianico (which is much more popular in the neighboring Campania and Basilicata provinces), Montepulciano and Malvasia Nera.

Climate
Puglia has a Mediterranean climate with hot sunny summers and mild winters. It has a climate similar to Greece, just across the Adriatic, and the long coast has many sandy beaches. Inland, Puglia’s rolling hills and fertile plains are warm and dry while the climate becomes cooler in the Apennines in the north of the region. Puglia has an average of 300 sunny days per year, and even during the wet months of winter the rainfall is relatively low.
Soils
Much Puglia consists of fertile iron-rich soils best suited for olive and cereal crops.
IGTs Puglia has 6 Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) zones which are: Daunia, Murgia, Puglia, Salento, Tarantino and Valle d’Itria.
DOCs and DOCGs There are 28 Denominazioni di Origine Controllata (DOC)s and 4 Denominazioni di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)s in Puglia.
DOCs
1. Aleatico di Puglia DOC	Established in 1973. The primary red grape varietal is Aleatico. Rosso and Liquoroso must consist of a minimum of 85% Aleatico and a maximum of 15% Malvasia Nera, Negroamaro, and/or Primitivo.
2. Alezio DOC	Established in 1983. The primary red grape varietal is Negroamaro. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 80% Negroamaro and a maximum 20% Malvasia Nera, Sangiovese, and/or Montepulciano.
3. Barletta DOC	Established as the Rosso Barletta DOC in 1977, it was expanded as the Barletta DOC in 2011. The primary white grape varietal is Malvasia Bianca.  The primary red grape varietal is Uva di Troia. Bianco must consist of a minimum of 60% Malvasia Bianca. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 70% Uva di Troia.
4. Brindisi DOC	Established in 1980. The primary white grape varietals are: Chardonnay, Fiano, Malvasia, and Sauvignon Blanc. The primary red grape varietals are: Malvasia Nera, Negroamaro, Susumaniello. Bianco must consist of a minimum of 80% Chardonnay and/or Malvasia. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 70% Negroamaro. Spumante may be made by a second fermentation of Bianco, Rosato, Negroamaro Rosato, or any of the white varietals and may undergo second fermentation either in bottles or in autoclaves.
5. Cacc’e mmitte di Lucera DOC	Established in 1976. The primary red grape is Uva di Troia (known locally as Sumarello). Rosso must consist of a minimum of 35–60% Uva di Troia (locally Sumarello); 25–35% Malvasia Nera, Montepulciano, and/or Sangiovese; 15–30% Bombino Bianco, Malvasia Bianca, and/or Trebbiano.
6. Castel del Monte DOC	Established as a DOC in 1971; incorporated the Rosso Canosa DOC in 2011; Castel del Monte Bombino Nero, Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva, and Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva were established as separate DOCGs in 2011. The primary white grape varietals are: Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. The primary red grape varietals are: Aglianico, Bombino Nero, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Montepulciano, Pampanuto, and Uva di Troia. Bianco must consist of a minimum of any proportions of Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay, and/or Pampanuto (known locally as Pampanino). Rosso and Rosato may consist of a minimum of any proportions of Aglianico, Bombino Nero, and/or Uva di Troia (known locally as Nero di Troia). Spumante may consist of any proportions of Bombino Bianco, Chardonnay, and/or Pampanuto.
7. Colline Joniche Tarantine DOC	Established in 2008. The primary white grape varietals are: Chardonnay and Verdeca. The primary red grape varietals are: Cabernet Sauvignon and Primitivo. Bianco must consist of a minimum of 50% Chardonnay. Rosso must consist of a minimum of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. Superiore Riserva must be aged a minimum of 30 months, including 12 months in barrel Liquoroso and Liquoroso Dolce Naturale must consist of a minimum of 85% Primitivo.
8. Copertino DOC	Established in 1977. The primary red grape varietal is Negroamaro. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 70% Negroamaro; maximum 30% Malvasia Nera, Montepulciano, and/or Sangiovese (maximum 15% Sangiovese).
9. Galatina DOC	Established in 1997. The primary white grape varietal is Chardonnay. The primary red grape varietal is Negroamaro. Bianco must consist of a minimum of 55% Chardonnay. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 65% Negroamaro.
10. Gioia del Colle DOC	Established in 1987. The primary white grape varietal is Trebbiano. The primary red grape varietals are: Aleatico, Malvasia Nera, Montepulciano, Negroamaro, Primitivo, and Sangiovese. Bianco must consist of a minimum of 50–70% Trebbiano Toscano. Rosso must consist of a minimum of 50–60% Primitivo; 40–50% Malvasia Nera, Montepulciano, Negroamaro, and/or Sangiovese (maximum 10% Malvasia Nera). Aleatico Dolce and Aleatico Liquoroso Dolce must consist of a minimum of 85% Aleatico with a maximum of 15% Malvasia Nera, Negroamaro, and/or Primitivo.
11. Gravina DOC	Established in 1984. The primary white grape varietals are: Greco and Malvasia. The primary red grape varietals are: Montepulciano and Primitivo. Bianco must consist of a minimum of 50% Greco with a minimum of 20% Malvasia (Bianca or Bianca Lunga) and a maximum of 30% Bianco di Alessano, Chardonnay, Fiano, and/or Verdeca. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 40% Montepulciano, a minimum of 20% Primitivo and a maximum of 30% Aglianico, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and/or Uva di Troia Spumante must consist of a minimum of 50% Greco and a minimum of 20% Malvasia and a  maximum of 30% Bianco di Alessano, Chardonnay, Fiano, and/or Verdeca. Passito must consist of 100% Malvasia.
12. Leverano DOC	Established in 1980. The primary white grape varietals are: Chardonnay, Fiano, and Malvasia. The primary red grape varietal is Negroamaro. Bianco must consist of a minimum of 50% Malvasia Bianca and a maximum of 40% Vermentino. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 50% Negroamaro; maximum 40% Malvasia Nera di Lecce, Montepulciano, and/or Sangiovese. Passito must consist of 50% Malvasia Bianca and a maximum of 40% Vermentino.
13. Lizzano DOC	Established in 1989. The primary white grape varietals are: Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Trebbiano. The primary red grape varietals are: Malvasia Nera, Negroamaro. Bianco and Spumante must consist of a minimum of 40–60% Trebbiano Toscano; minimum 30% Chardonnay and/or Pinot Bianco; maximum 25% Bianco di Alessano and/or Sauvignon Blanc. Rosso, Rosato, and Rosato Spumante must consist of a minimum of 60–80% Negroamaro with a maximum of 40% Bombino Nero, Montepulciano, Pinot Nero, and/or Sangiovese with a maximum of 10% Malvasia Nera.
14. Locorotondo DOC	Established in 1969. The primary white grape varietals are: Bianco di Alessano, Fiano, and Verdeca. Bianco must consist of a minimum of 50% Verdeca and a minimum of 35% Bianco di Alessano. Passito and Spumante must consist of a minimum of 50% Verdeca; minimum 35% Bianco di Alessano.
15. Martina / Martina Franca DOC	Established in 1969. The primary white grape varietals are: Bianco di Alessano and Verdeca. Bianco and Spumante must consist of a minimum of 50–65% Verdeca and 35–50% Bianco di Alessano and a  maximum of 5% Bombino Bianco, Fiano, and/or Malvasia Toscana.
16. Matino DOC	Established in 1971. The primary red grape varietal is Negroamaro. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 70% Negroamaro and a maximum of 30% Malvasia Nera and/or Sangiovese.
17. Moscato di Trani DOC	Established in 1975. The primary white grape varietal is Moscato. Dolce Naturale and Liquoroso must consist of a minimum of 85% Moscato Bianco and a maximum of 15% other aromatic white grapes.
18. Nardò DOC	Established in 1987. The primary red grape varietal is Negroamaro. Rosso must consist of a minimum of 80% Negroamaro and a  maximum of 20% Malvasia Nera di Brindisi, Malvasia Nera di Lecce, and/or Montepulciano.
19. Negroamaro di Terra d’Otranto DOC	Established in 2011. The primary red grape varietal is Negroamaro. Rosso, Rosato and Spumante Rosato must consist of a minimum of 90% Negroamaro. Spumante can range from extra brut to extra dry.
20. Orta Nova DOC	Established in 1984. The primary red grape varietal is Sangiovese. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 60% Sangiovese and a maximum of 40% Lambrusco Maestri, Montepulciano, Trebbiano, and/or Uva di Troia (maximum 10% Lambrusco and/or Trebbiano).
21. Ostuni DOC	Established in 1974. The primary white grape varietals are: Francavidda and Impigno. The primary red grape varietal is Ottavianello. Bianco must consist of a minimum of 50–85% Impigno; 15–50% Francavidda (known locally as Francavilla) and a maximum of 10% Bianco di Alessano and/or Verdeca. Rosso must consist of a minimum of 85% Ottavianello and a maximum of 15% Malvasia Nera, Negroamaro, Notardomenico, and/or Susumaniello.
22. Primitivo di Manduria DOC	Established as a DOC in 1975; Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale was established as a separate DOCG in 2011. The primary red grape varietal is Primitivo. Rosso must consist of a minimum of 85% Primitivo and be aged a minimum of 5 months. Riserva must be aged a minimum of minimum 24 months, including 9 months in barrel.
23. Rosso di Cerignola DOC	Established in 1974. The primary red grape varietal is Uva di Troia. Rosso must consist of a minimum of 55% Uva di Troia and 15–30% Negroamaro and a maximum of 15% Barbera, Malbec, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, and/or Trebbiano Toscano.
24. Salice Salentino DOC	Established in 1976. The primary white grape varietals are: Chardonnay, Fiano and Pinot Bianco. The primary red grape varietals are: Aleatico and Negroamaro. Bianco must consist of a minimum of 70% Chardonnay. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 75% Negroamaro. Spumante may be made by a second fermentation of Bianco, any of the white varietals, Rosato, or Negroamaro Rosato. Dolce and Liquoroso Dolce must consist of a minimum of 85% Aleatico and a maximum of 15% Malvasia Nera, Negroamaro, and/or Primitivo.
25. San Severo DOC	Established in 1968. The primary white grape varietals are: Bombino Bianco, Falanghina, Malvasia, and Trebbiano. The primary red grape varietals are: Merlot, Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Uva di Troia. Bianco must consist of a minimum of 40–60% Bombino Bianco and 40–60% Trebbiano. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 70% Montepulciano and a maximum of 30% Sangiovese with a maximum of 15% Malvasia Nera, Merlot and Uva di Troia. Spumante must consist of a minimum of 40–60% Bombino Bianco and 40–60% Trebbiano.
26. Squinzano DOC	Established in 1976. The primary white grape varietals are: Chardonnay, Fiano, Malvasia, and Sauvignon Blanc. The primary red grape varietals are: Negroamaro, Susumaniello. Bianco and  Spumante must consist of a minimum of 80% Chardonnay and/or Malvasia. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 70% Negroamaro.
27. Tavoliere delle Puglie or Tavoliere DOC	Established in 2011. The primary red grape varietal is Uva di Troia. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 65% Uva di Troia.
28. Terre d'Otranto DOC	Established in 2011. The primary white grape varietals are: Chardonnay, Fiano, Malvasia, and Verdeca. The primary red grape varietals are: Aleatico, Malvasia Nera, and Primitivo. Bianco must consist of a minimum of 75% Chardonnay. Rosso and Rosato must consist of a minimum of 75% Malvasia Nera (di Basilicata, di Brindisi, and/or di Lecce), Negroamaro, and/or Primitivo. Spumante must consist of a minimum of 75% Chardonnay.  Spumante Rosato must consist of a minimum of 70% Negroamaro.
DOCGs
1. Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale DOCG	Formerly part of the Primitivo di Manduria DOC; established as a separate DOCG in 2011. The primary red grape varietal is Primitivo. Rosso must consist of a minimum of 100% Primitivo.
2. Castel del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG	Formerly part of the Castel del Monte DOC; established as a separate DOCG in 2011. The primary red grape varietal is Bombino Nero. Rosso must consist of a minimum of 90% Bombino Nero.
3. Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva DOCG	Formerly part of the Castel del Monte DOC; established as a separate DOCG in 2011. The primary red grape varietal is Uva di Troia. Rosso must consist of a minimum of 90% Uva di Troia.
4. Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva DOCG	Formerly part of the Castel del Monte DOC; established as a separate DOCG in 2011. The primary red grape varietal is Uva di Troia. Riserva must consist of a minimum of 65% Uva di Troia (locally Nero di Troia).
Key White Grape Varieties
French Varietals	Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
Bianco di Alessano	Also known as Acchiappapalmento, Bianco di Lessame, Bianco di Valdigna and Verdurino. It is identical to the Luvarello grape variety in Calabria. It is a native varietal to Puglia but is now being grown in Australia. It is often blended with Verdeca in the Gravina, Locorotondo, and Ostuni DOCs. It is known for its ability to retain acidity in hot conditions. The grape bunches are conical-cylindrical with round berries and it ripens in late September to early October.
Bombino Bianco	Valued more for its generous yields than its aromatic qualities, it has a few nicknames such as Straccia Cambiale and Pagadebit (“the debt payer”) in reference to its reliably high yields. When produced in mass quantities it tends to create fairly neutral characterless wines. But even when the vines are carefully manicured and yields are lowered it remains a basic inexpensive quaffable wine with subtle aromas and flavors of green apple, pear, grapefruit and flower with medium acidity and medium body.
Fiano	Also known as Fiore, Mendillo and Latino, it was brought back from near extinction by Antonio Mastroberadino of Campania with his first vintage in 1945 and it is now being cultivated in Marche, Basilicata and Sicily. The vine produces small pyramid shaped compact bunches with yellow-green oval shaped berries with thick skins. Fiano tends to have aromas and flavors of tropical fruit such as pineapple with nutty, floral, honeyed notes and spice. It can develop a sweetness that makes it extremely attractive to bees which is why some people thought it was the grape referred to as Vitis Apiana (“the vine beloved of bees”) by Pliny the Elder (23 AD – August 25, 79 AD) though most today think that it was Moscato. Fiano is best known for its dry wines but it is also made into passito dessert wines that are luscious and textured, developing dried fruit flavors of fig and prune.
Francavidda	Also known as Francavilla, after the small town near Brindisi named Francavilla Fontana, It has medium-large, pyramidal-cylindrical clusters with midsized berries with thick round green skin. It is often blended with a rare local variety Impigno in the Ostuni DOC. The wines are generally described as being light, fresh and fairly simply drinking wines that don’t improve with age but pair well with vegetable dishes.
Impigno	A very rare grape, the name is derived from the name of the farmer who planted it in Ostuni between 1904-1905. It is a natural cross between Bombino Bianco and Quagliano (a local variety of Piedmont). It is primarily found in the Ostuni DOC. It tends to have medium sized loosely packed and “winged” bunches with green small oval green berries. It is frequently blended with Francavidda rather bottled as a variety wine.
Malvasia Bianca	Also known as Malmsey, Malvasier, Malvazia, Monemvasia. It is believed to be of Greek origin, the Malvasia family has been commercially important to the Mediterranean for more than 2000 years. Malvasia, the name, is a derivation of the coastal Greek town of Monemvasia. It is grown all over Italy.
Pampanuto	Also known as La Pampanuta, Pampanino, Pampanuta, Pampanuto di Terlizzi and Rizzulo but it is unrelated to the Pamanaro grape of Lazio. It typically ahs medium-sized conical shaped bunches with round green berries. It is primarily used as a blending variety, to reduce the acidity in the wine made from a higher acid grape variety such as Bambino Bianco. It is used in the wines of the Gioia del Colle DOC in white wines that are primarily composed of 50-70% Trebbiano Toscano.
Pinot Bianco	Also known as Pinot Blanc in France and Weissburgunder in Germany. It is a mutation of Pinot Grigio (which is a mutation of Pinot Noir) and it tends to have more aromas and flavors of green apples, white flower, and beeswax with more floral, steely and minerality notes than Pinot Grigio. It is more common in Friuli Venezia Giulia and Alto Adige.
Verdeca	it is one of the main grapes in the wines of Locorotondo DOC and Martina Franca DOC. The grape ripens very late and it tends have green, vegetal notes with a flinty minerality and fairly high acidity.
Vermentino	Also grown in Liguria with it is known as Pigato which means “spotted” from the appearance of the ripe grapes. It is also known as Favorita in Piedmont and Rolle in Provence, France. It tends to have high acidity and aromas of peach, lemon peel, dried herbs and a saline minerality.
Key Red Grape Varieties
French Varietals	Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir (Pinot  Nero).
Aglianico	Pronounced “ahl-YAH-nee-koe” but it is also known as Agliatica, Ellenico, Ellanico, Gnanico, and Uva Nera. It is primarily grown in the Basilicata and Campania regions of Italy. Structurally it is similar to Nebbiolo giving it the nickname “the Barolo of the South.” It produces wines with high tannins, high levels of acidity, and full-body with musky berry flavors.
Aleatico	It is used in a variety of styles including dry red, rosé and sweet passito wines. It is planted in several Italian regions, including Lazio (Aleatico di Gradoli), Marche (Pergola) and Puglia (Aleatico di Puglia) but it is most well-known on the island of Elba off the coast of Tuscany, in the Elba Aleatico Passito DOCG. Aleatico has very high sugar content so it produces strong, high alcohol wines even without fortification. It has medium to large berries growing in loose clusters and grows well on plains as well as hills and in a multitude of soil types. It is a consistent producer and is not overly prone to mildews, rots or other afflictions unless heavily shaded. But it prefers warm to hot weather, which is typical for a Southern Italian wine. Aleatico grapes are blue-black in color with a thin skin and contain moderate amounts of juice.
Bombino Nero	There are two theories about Bombino Nero's interesting name. One suggests that it relates to the variety’s bunches, which look like a young child (bombino in the Puglian dialect) with outstretched arms. The second, perhaps more plausible, is that bombino means “little bomb” (i.e. hand-grenade), again in reference to the variety's dense bunches.  It is a black-skinned mutation of the white wine grape Bombino Bianco. Bombino Nero grapes are late ripen due to their high levels of phenolics, particularly the anthocyanins that given them their intense coloration. This makes it particularly useful in blends with Montepulciano, Uva di Troia and Negroamaro for Rosato (rosé) wines in Puglia's Lizzano and Castel del Monte DOCs. They are rarely used to produced varietal wines, except for in the Castel del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG.
Malvasia Nera	Also known as Malvasia di Casorzo and Malvasia di Schierano. It is darker-skinned member of the greater Malvasia family. It is a thin-skinned variety that is very aromatic and can be used to produce dry red, rosé, sparkling and passito style wines. It is also a Teinturier grape with juice that ranges in color from light to a deep ruby-red with aromas of plums and cherries.
Montepulciano	Also known as Cordisco, Morellone, Primaticcio, Uva Abruzzo, and Violone The variety was named after the Tuscan parish of Montepulciano, but is no longer used to make wines in Tuscany. Nor should it be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is made from mostly Sangiovese. It tends to have moderate tannins and medium tannins making it drinkable in its youth. It can age well but will not gain any more complexity. Abruzzo's finest examples of Montepulciano come from the region's north, in the Colline Teramane foothills.
Negroamaro	It is pronounced “Nay grow ah MAH row” and is also known as Nigramaro and Negro Amaro.  There are two theories as to the origin of Negroamaro’s name: The first is that it is a combination of negro which means "black" and amaro which means means "bitter" derived from the grape’s dark colors and savory flavors. The second theory is that it is of Latin-Greek origin so that its name means “dark black”. Negroamaro wines are a deep purple in color, characterized as bold, intense and full-bodied. Typically aromas include plum, cherry, and blackberry and at times it may have earth and medicinal notes.  Negroamaro may be at its best when blended with Malvasia Nera, Sangiovese, or Montepulciano.  Blending with these varieties can add tannins, resulting in a wine with more structure and age worthiness.
Notardomenico / Notar Domenico	Notardomenico is an ancient an indigenous variety grown around Brindisi since ancient times, but it is sparsely cultivated. It has small medium-small bunches with round but not uniform reddish-violet berries and it often used to make Rosato. It tends to produce wines with high acidity and low alcohol with delicate flavors. It is often blended with Ottavianello, another local variety. It is found in the wines of the Ostuni DOC and Murgia, Puglia, Salento, Tarantino and Valle d'Itria IGTs.
Ottavianello / Ostuni Ottavianello	Also known as Cinsaut (Cinsault) in the Southern Rhone and Languedoc-Roussillon in France. Its primary home in Puglia is in the very small Ostuni Ottavianello DOC.
Primitivo	Primitivo and its California relative Zinfandel are clones of a Croatian grape called Crljenak. The history of this grape in Italy dates back at least to the 17th century when the Benedictine monks named the varietal “Primitivo” which translates roughly as “early one” and it was named as such because of it is an early ripening grape in this zone. It tends to produce wines that are deeply colored, with aromas of flavors of cherry, jam, wild blackberry, raspberry clove and spice. Structurally it tends to have high tannins, moderate acidity, be full bodied and have high alcohol.
Sangiovese	Sangiovese derives its name from the Latin Sanguis Jovis, “the blood of Jove and it has several synonyms. In Chianti Classico it may be referred to as Sangiovetto, in Montalcino it is called Brunello, in Montepulciano it is called Prugnello Gentile and along the coast in Maremma it is called Morellino. "Sangiovese" was actually several "varieties" of clones which are broadly classified as Sangiovese Grosso and Sangiovese Piccolo. The Sangiovese Grosso family includes the clones growing in the Brunello region as well as the clones known as Prugnolo Gentileand Sangiovese di Lamole that was grown in the Greve in Chianti region. Sangiovese wines in Tuscany tend to be light in color with sour cherry notes and herbal undertones. Structurally they are naturally high in acidity, firmly tannic, and medium to full-bodied. When aged, Sangiovese traditionally spends time in large European (often Slavonian) casks, but modern wines are just as likely to be aged in new barriques, which infuse both flavor and texture into the wines.
Susumaniello	The name means “the load of the donkey,” because it is a prolific yielder as a young vine. This local variety is found only in Puglia and it is primarily cultivated in the area of central Murgia. It is primarily used as a blending grape in the production of both red and rosé wines such as the Negroamaro-based Brindisi Rosso and Brindisi Rosato and the Ottavianello-based Ostuni Ottavianello. However, I did come across a few bottlings online such as Tenute Rubino’s  “Torre Testa” Salento IGT which is 100% Susumaniello. DNA research indicates that it is a crossing of Sangiovese and another yet-to-be identified grape variety.
Uva di Troia	Also known as Nero di Troia, Sumarello, Uva di Canosa, Uva di Barletta, Troiano, Tranese, and Uva della Marina. It is one of the most important grapes in Puglia along with primarily Negroamaro and Primitivo and it is primarily grown in the areas around Andria and Barletta, and in the Province of Bari. The vine is fairly and produces compact, pyramid shaped “winged” clusters of violet colored grapes that ripen mid-season. It is adaptable to a variety of soils and thrives well in the heat. It may be bottled as a variety wine or blended with grapes such as Bombino Nero, Montepulciano or Sangiovese. It plays a key role in Castel del Monte DOC in northern Puglia. Structurally Nero di Troia can be very tannic, and the anthocyanin concentration is high.

The Wines

While studying Puglia I tasted the following wines:

2003 Conti Zecca Terra Riserva, Leverano DOC

This wine is a blend of 70% Negroamaro and 30% Aglianico. It is a clear red wine, ruby in color at the core to garnet with slight brick tint around the edge with medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean with moderate intense aromas of dried cherries, pomegranate, dark chocolate, tobacco, black tea and a hint of dried herbs. On the palate it has flavors of dried and fresh sweet/sour cherries with additional notes of tobacco and herbs. It is dry with moderate tannins, medium+ acidity, medium body and a medium+ length finish of tobacco and dried stems. This wine sells for $37.99 at Enoteca Vino Nostro in San Francisco.

2005 Conti Zecca Nero Rosso Salento IGT

This wine is a blend of 70% Negroamaro and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a clear red wine, ruby in color at the core to garnet with slight brick tint around the edge with medium viscosity. On the nose it has moderate intense aromas of dried plums, dried cherries, dried tobacco, licorice, dried earth. On the palate it tastes very Bordeaux-like with red currants and tobacco with medium tannins, medium acidity and a length tobacco and cherry finish.  This wine sells for $39.99 at Enoteca Vino Nostro in San Francisco.

2008 Carvinea Frauma, Rosso Salento IGT

This wine is a blend of 60% Aglianico and 40% Petite Verdot. This is an opaque wine, dark purple/black at the core with minimal rim variation, and medium+ viscosity and slightly staining tears. On the nose it is clean with medium- intense aromas of fresh blackberries, black currants, black cherries, blueberries, violets, beef jerky and teriyaki, with hints of spice. On the palate it is bone dry with medium+ tannins, medium+ acidity, medium+ body and a long finish. This wine sells for $28.99 at Enoteca Vino Nostro in San Francisco.