Slow Wines Descent into Puglia

The Puglia Wine Region is a long, thin wine region in the far south-eastern corner of the "boot" of Italy. According to wine-searcher.com, "the hot Mediterranean climate, persistent sunshine, and occasional sea breezes make for a near-perfect environment for viticulture".  For this reason, over the past 2.5 millennium olives and grapes have been cultivated in this area regardless of the Greek, Roman, Goth, Byzantine Greek, German Lombard, Muslim Saracen, Norman, Angevin, Aragonese King, Spanish, French Bourbon, and Neapolitan Republic stewardship.

In November 1995, Puglia vineyards were organized into the Puglia IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), a region-wide appellation for the Puglia region: the easternmost region in Italy, a long, narrow peninsula, bordered by two seas, the Ionian and Adriatic, with the longest coastline in the Italian peninsula.  This coastline is bordered by plains rising steadily up into low-lying mountains and is characterized by scrubby, sunbaked limestone soils, cooled down on summer evenings by fresh breezes from the Mediterranean. 

Puglia IGT regulations allow for 50 grape varieties with an even split between red and white wine grapes. Northern Puglia favors Italian classics such as Sangiovese and international varieties such as Chardonnay and Syrah. In contrast, southern Puglia favors the region's traditional varieties: Primitivo, Negroamaro, Susumaniello, and Uva di Troia (Nero di Troia) for reds and Falanghina, Fiano and Muscat for whites.

These wines were on display at a recent Slow Wine tour of the United States.  This is an organization with branches in the U.S. and Italy which "support and promote small-scale .. winemakers who are using traditional techniques, working with respect for the environment and terroir, and safeguarding the incredible biodiversity of grape varieties that are part of our heritage".  During their stop in Washington D.C., I was able to sample wines from four Puglia members that demonstrated the richness and depth from this area. 

Amastuola Winery
This establishment is located on the western side of south Puglia, close to Taranto and the Ionian sea. By design, the 100 hectare estate "brings together the two concepts of functionality and aesthetics. The rows of vines were planted on the basis of the design conceived by the great landscape designer Fernando Caruncho. The vine spaliers draw harmonious parallel waves that follow each other for about 3 km. The were also defined by their author himself 'waves of time that have been crossing this place since times immemorial'.

In addition, 1,500 centuries-old olive trees have been rearranged in the 24 islands organically positioned throughout the entire surface of the vineyard as well as along the historic allays of the Farm. The olive trees used are the result of a historical-monumental recovery work. The CNR (National Research Council) of Perugia dated and filed a record of all the olive trees, some of which are 800 years old and have a diameter that exceeds 2.5 metres. The combination of olive trees and vines has created a harmonious visual contrast that brings alongside the silver green of the vines with the intense green of the olive trees".

From this estate they produce over a dozen organic wines with several available at the event.  Primitivo is their flagship grape and is expressed through their Centosassi, Lamarossa, and Primitivo labels.  The Lamarossa may have been my favorite as its shared concentrated ripe fruit and silky tannins with the other labels, but had a more earthy quality. They also poured a bolder more tannic and spicier Aglianico as well as a delicious Negroamaro. Please seek Puglia wine made from this grape. 

Cantina Sampietrana
This winery was formed in 1952 as a cooperative by 68 vine-growers and is located on the Adriatic coast within the Brindisi and Salice Salentino DOCs, both designations dedicated primarily to the production of Negroamaro wines. The region is also both hot and dry and enjoys 300 sunny days each year with summer afternoon temperatures regularly surpassing 104 Fahrenheit. As a result, the grapes which grow here develop high levels of sugar which leads to a high percentage of alcohol in the wine.  Besides Negroamaro, the winery vinifies Primitivo, Susumaniello, Malvasia, Aglianico, Montepulciano, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Fiano and Verdeca.

Negroamaro is a main player and "owes its name to its main characteristics: the almost black color of its wines and a bitter aftertaste. It has medium-sized bunches of conical shape, with tight density, of short size and without wings. The berries are large, very pruinose and with thick black skins with violet veins. Oval in shape, the berries are very leathery. Productivity is very high and must be limited with drastic pruning and suitable breeding systems, little expanded". It's beauty is shown in the Since 1952 Brindisi D.O.P. Reserva -- a blend of Negroamaro 80% and Montepulciano 20%.  This is simply a luscious wine. Negroamaro is also featured in the Settebraccia Salento I.G.P. Rosso, along with Susumaniello, that is fresher and very satisfying.  

Primitivo was also on display in three offerings, the Tre Filari Salento I.G.P. Rosso, Centoare Primitivo, and Stillarosea Salento I.G.P. Rosato. Like with the Amastuola Winery, these wine show concentrated ripe fruit and silky - easy tannins. 

Finally, the Verdeca Salento I.G.P. Vino Biblioteca is a refreshing saline driven wine with citrus and juicy acidity. This autochthonous and late ripening grape is now found almost exclusively in the Taranto and Bari provinces and is most known for its high acidity.

Sacco Vignaiolo Apuli
This winery is located in Torremaggiore in northern Puglia and whose underlying philosophy is Terra Mij or "My Land". This implies a deep respect for the territory and tradition first displayed by founder Vincenzo Sacco and now by his two sons Matteo and Alessandro. They maintain this respect by focusing on Nero di Troia - the indigenous grape of northern Apulia. This grape is more commonly referred to as Uva di Troia and is believed to have arrived in Puglia with Greek colonists in ancient times. "According to the legend, in fact, the Greek hero Diomede, once the Troia War (Trojan War) ended, sailed to the Adriatic Sea until he reached the Ofanto river and there, after he found the perfect place, he anchored his boat. Diomede brought with him some grapevines that, upon the banks of the Ofanto river, gave birth to the Nero di Troia grape.   It takes its name both from its polyphenolic properties, which gives it a deep ruby red color that sometimes may seem 'black', and from its historical origins."

During this tasting they offered three expression from this grape. The Magis Nero di Troia is the premium offering - made from hand harvested grapes grown on very steep slopes. This wine has tremendous structure with balanced freshness. the Terra Mij Nero di Troia is even fresher with hints of spice - a very solid wine. Finally, they produce a rosè in the Unanotte Nero di Troia Rosè where the wine's pink color is extracted over one night (Unanotte). This is a lovely wine -- bright fruit and slight minerality. 

On the white side, the Aleis Organic Falanghina stands out as a single vineyard source with fresh citrus and mineral characters. And the Terra Mij Organic Bombino White is an introduction to a new grape variety -- its obscureness probably explains adding White to the label. It's a blend with 30% Malvasia - aromatic with ripe fruit, minerality, and fresh acidity.  Bombino Bianco is most likely from Spanish origin but has found a home in northern Puglia, Abruzzo, Lazio and Emilia-Romagna.

Conti Zecca
The Zecca family has been farming estates in central Salento since 1580 when Francesco Antonio Zecca moved to Leverano. In 1884, Pope Leone LEO XIII bestowed the title of Count upon Giuseppe Zecca because of the family's role in developing the region. In the early 20th century the first bottles were produced and in the post War era, the cellar was modernized leading to the first Conti Zecca wine label: Donna Marzia. In modern times, they operate four estates all closer to the Ionian coast that cover 320 hectares of vines. They focus on Negroamaro, Primitivo, and both Malvasia Nera and Bianca.  The Nero IGP Salento Rosso is a dark rubied blend of Negroamaro and Cabernet Sauvignon which starts with a complex aroma of fruit and spice that leads to a structured wine with soft but firm tannins and a deep fruit profile. I just want to chew on this wine on a cool night on the deck. 

Fire and Roses at Salento's Cantine Cantele

During our August trip to the Salento Peninsula, our hosts organized a tour and tasting at Cantine Cantele, one of the most well-known wineries in Puglia. This was an unintended coincidence based on our post Grape Spotlight: Salice Salentino Negroamaro and review of the Cantele Riserva Salia Salento 2015.

The Cantele family first arrived in the region when Giovanni Battista visited the area and sourced grapes to sell in northern Italy. When his wife Teresa Manara accompanied Giovanni on one of his many trips she fell in love with Lecce and resettled the family in Italy's "Florence of the South". Later, their son Augusto would study winemaking and along with his brother, Domenico and Giovanni would start Cantine Cantele in 1979. Initially, they worked as consultants, and in the 1990s Augusto purchased his first vineyards and began bottling wine with the Cantele family name.  Today the third generation -- two children each from Augusto and Domenico -- have taken over the enterprise's operation and their guiding theme stresses "innovation and tradition are not enemies".  

During our visit, we were lead through a typical tour of their large operation from the pressing area to indoor and outdoor fermenting and aging tanks to their barrel room.  Definitely state-of-the-art equipment. On their pressing area, we learned about their estate harvest techniques where, because of the extreme daytime heat, the harvest begins at 3am. New vines (40%) are picked by machines as they had been planted with enough working space in between with the remaining by hand. 

The grapes are then covered in dry ice and three types of pressure are applied. The first and second presses of each grape are fermented separately whereas the third press is sent to distilleries for grappa or the seeds for grape seed oil. The white wine grape juice is inoculated with vineyard yeast and fermented on their lees. They produce two versions of Chardonnay, one with only four months on lees and pulled for bottling and the second aged one year in barrel. The Negroamaro grapes dedicated to rosé wine are given longer skin contact resulting in a fuller and darker wine. 

After the tour, we proceeded to the Cantele winery and Tasting Laboratory called iSensi. This facility opened seven years ago to showcase their wine and traditional Pugliese cuisine.  There we sampled four wines providing a general overview of their portfolio.

The first wine was their I.G.T. Salento Rohesia Malvasia Bianca where the grapes sourced from Brindisi spent three months on lees in stainless steel. The fragrance was what you would expect from this grape, brilliant floral, followed by sizzling tropical and citrus flavors. Next came the Teresa Manara Chardonnay 2020 named after the family's matriarch. Also an I.G.T. Salento wine, the estate fruit is fermentation using the first crush and is aged in barrique on lees for 8 months. A full-bodied and delicious wine with green apples, pears, and creamy depth without a buttery finish. The Rohesia Negroamar Rosato is also full-bodied from saignée free-run juice aging three months on its lees. Rohesia is an ancient form of the name "Rose" and matches the color and strawberry flavor of the wine.  Fanoi means "Fire" and the Fanoi Negroamaro 2015 ($37) fired us up to lug a bottle home with us. It is produced only during exceptional years, from 60-year-old vines grown in a single vineyard. Expect multiple herbs and spices, a creamy palate, and a lingering approachable finish.  Excellent. 

Fortunately, some of Cantele's portfolio is available in the United States, most definitely through Total Wine.  If you can visit Lecce, great, if not, explore the region through these wines. Cheers. 

Grape Spotlight: Brindisi DOC Tenute Rubino Susumaniello

The Brindisi DOC is a sub-region in Puglia that was created in 1979 and dedicated primarily to the production of Negroamaro wines. Yet the regulations also stipulate that Susumaniello can be made as a second red wine with Chardonnay, Malvasia Bianca, Fiano, and Sauvignon Blanc permitted as white grapes. The DOC is an enclave anchored by the city of Brindisi and spreading out from the Adriatic. 

The region is also both hot and dry. No wonder since Apulia is derived from the Latin phrase "a pluvia" translated to "without rain'". The region enjoys 300 sunny days each year with summer afternoon temperatures regularly surpassing 104 Fahrenheit. As a result, the grapes which grow here develop high levels of sugar which leads to a high percentage of alcohol in the wine.  

Susumaniello is grown almost exclusively in the Salice Salento area with much smaller amounts in the Brindisi and Squinzano DOCs and is ranked among the world's rarest wine grapes. DNA evidence shows that it is a natural cross between a Puglian table grape and the white-wine grape Garganega. Its name is derived from "somarello", meaning "donkey" - maybe because the deep ruby color and dark, baked fruit flavors can carry a heavy load?

Tenute Rubino considers itself the "House of Susumaniello" as it helped lead the effort to recover the endangered variety after many Apulian growers were driven to explant their less productive vineyards. In response, Tenute owner Luigi Rubino "chose to stake his company’s fortunes on the rediscovery and promotion of one of Puglia’s most identitarian varieties". Susumaniello is planted in sandy and limestone-rich soil in a 20-hectare single vineyard. This Jaddico estate is located eight kilometres north of Brindisi and resides at sea level directly on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. 

In addition to a few sparkling wines, the primary output for Susumaniello is the Brindisi DOC Rosso Oltremé. This wine is 100% Susumaniello with a dark ruby red complexion and aromas of red berries and cinnamon. On the palate expect dark fruit with rounded tannins and a vibrant mouthfeel. Wish I had brought a bottle home. 

Puglia's Padre Peppe Elixir

Was there any doubt that I wasn't going to purchase the Padre Peppe Elixir  ($20) when I saw it in the DM grocery store? This walnut liqueur has been produced since 1832 in Altamura, a city in Puglia southwest of Bari, and is based on a recipe created by Capuchin Friar Giuseppe Ronchi. It is produced by macerating green walnuts -- that have been stored our years in oak barrels -- in alcohol and then augmenting with botanicals. Some of these botanicals are baking spices that help to lift the sweetness and any bitterness to a lasting finish. Here's the Striccoli family's story of Padre Peppe:

 

The story of Padre Peppe begins at the end of ‘700, when Father Giuseppe Ronchi retired in Puglia with the desire of discovering, in Murgia area, in his woods, fields, water and rocks, a remedy that could heal the illnesses of daily life. According to the monastic tradition, he lived his life trying to help everybody find global wellbeing: mind, soul and body. In Puglia he found a way to extract medicinal juices from herbs and fruit. He also worked them with dedication in the laboratory of the monastery, where the monk could experiment with the therapeutic effects on his companion and devotees.

With the passing of time, a serious problem began to torment the apothecary monk (that’s how monks who worked and healed with herbs were called): storing and maintaining preparations until they would be used. He tried to store them for their medicaments and with time he perfected a healing extract.

According to the tradition, women should pick unripe wanuts that should be used to produce the magic liquor… Barefoot, they should also dance around the tree in order to instill vigour to the plant and to the people who will taste its fruits. Everything happens on the shortest night of the year when light wins over dark. Even today on that night we pick the green and unripe walnuts. They are processed and then stored for 4 years in old oak barrels where they release the same unique flavour of 200 years ago, maintaining the mahogany colour and the walnuts and underground herbs aroma. Striccoli family has kept with care and dedication the book written by the monk. In there he explained and codified all the formulations created in the laboratory of the monastery and the steps to prepare the precious elixir.

 

Grape Spotlight: IGT Puglia Marchese de Borgosole Fiano

It's been fascinating to read the history of Puglia and the Salento peninsula with the constant state of occupation and settlement throughout the last 2.5 millennium.  There were the ancient Greek colonies, the Romans, the Goths, the Byzantine Greeks, German Lombards, Muslim Saracens,  the 2nd Byzantine re-colonization, the Normans (before William the Great's invasion of England), the Angevins, the Aragonese Kings, the Spanish, the French Bourbons and the Neapolitan Republic, and finally, unified Italy. Each successive generation surviving the new "liberator". The main constants through this period were the cultivation of olives and vines

In November 1995, these vineyards were organized into the Puglia IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), a region-wide appellation for the Puglia region: the easternmost region in Italy, a long, narrow peninsula, bordered by two seas, the Ionian and Adriatic, with the longest coastline in the Italian peninsula.  This coastline is bordered by plains rising steadily up into low-lying mountains and is characterized by scrubby, sunbaked limestone soils, cooled down on summer evenings by fresh breezes from the Mediterranean. 

Puglia IGT regulations allow for 50 grape varieties with an even split between red and white wine grapes. Northern Puglia favors Italian classics such as Sangiovese and international varieties such as Chardonnay and Syrah. In contrast, southern Puglia favors the region's traditional varieties: Primitivo, Negroamaro and Uva di Troia for reds and Falanghina, Fiano and Muscat for whites. 

Although Fiano is better known through the neighboring region of Campania, the grape was first mentioned in text in the 13th century and widely planted until the late 1800s. Then came the devastation of the phylloxera epidemic as well as WWII and the grape was largely forgotten until it was saved from extinction by the Mastroberardino family 60+ years ago.  Today it thrives once again in Campania within the Fiano di Avellino DOCG, Sicily, and in Puglia within the Martina Franca DOC and IGT Puglia. The grape is a late ripener and thus resistant to rot in rainier areas and also favors heavy clay and volcanic soils. 

Marchese de Borgosole is a brand from Casa Vinicola Botter that highlights the unique history of the region. According to Botter, "in the 19th century, with the surrender of King Francesco II to Garibaldi and the fall of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the province of Lecce was annexed to Piedmont. A group of noble adolescents escaped from the raging of battles by taking refuge in the Serre Leccesi helped and covered by the father of one of them. Hidden by the enchanting hills, immersed in an almost fairytale landscape, it was these young people who founded the small BorgoSole.."

Bottled by A.D.V. in Fossalta di Piave, Venice, Veneto the Marchese de Borgosole IGT Puglia Fiano 2020 ($12) is available through Total Wine and the creative packaging is an eye-catcher.  The wine starts with a strong citrus and lemongrass aroma before transitioning to steely minerality. Think New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc meets Sardinian Vermentino. Works well with grilled fish. 

Grape Spotlight: Salento IGT Torcicoda Primitivo

"When I came to America in August 1958, I saw vineyards around Chateau Souverain and I was interested to know which grapes were grown there. They told me Cabernet Franc from France and Zinfandel, but no-one knows where those grapes came from.  .... These Zinfandel grapes reminded me of the Plavic Mali grapes from my homeland in Croatia. ... I contacted Dr. Carole Meredith to tell her that I believed Zinfandel, Italian Primitivo, and Croatian Plavic Mali were the same grape. "  Miljenko "Mike" Grgich addressing the First International Conference on the Tribidrag Variety

Grgich's instincts were close. American Zinfandel, Italian Primitivo, and Croatian Crljenak Kastelanski aka Tribidrag (a parent of Plavic Mali) are genetically identical. See Grape Spotlight: Croatian Tribidrag (Crljenak Kaštelanski, Pribidrag, Kratošija) aka Zinfandel for more more detailed information. 

This variety was introduced in Apulia at the end of the 1700s with the name “Primativo” by a priest named Francesco Indellicati. He selected this grape variety because it was the earliest to ripen. It then spread throughout southern Apulia thanks to the dedication and hard work of the Benedictine monks. 

Primitivo is a dark-skinned, early ripening grape known for producing inky, tannic wines. The grape arrived in Puglia obviously from coastal Croatia and thrives in the Salento IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) -- a regulation that covers the Salento, the limestone-based peninsula that divides the Adriatic Sea from the Ionian Sea and forms Italy's heel.  The Salento peninsula enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters and long, hot, dry summers favored by its geographical location and direct contact with the Adriatic Sea. 

According to wine-searcher.com, "the Salento encompasses Puglia's three southernmost provinces, Taranto (also covered by the Tarantino IGT title), Brindisi and Lecce. Thus, the viticultural area covered by the Salento IGT title stretches 180 kilometers (100 miles) north to south. It runs from the white beaches of Leuca, past the port town of Taranto, past the Gravina di Laterza canyon, and right up to the border with Basilicata.

Salento IGT Rosso, Rosato, and Bianco blends may contain any proportion of any varieties permitted within the growing zone. Varietal wines must contain at least 85 percent of the variety on the label. Dual-variety wines must contain 50-85 percent of the first variety and 15-50 percent of the second. The same rules apply to passito rosso or bianco, late-harvest wines, and spumante bianco and rosato".

The regulations allow 50 grape varieties from international varieties to those associated with northern and central Italy such as Sangiovese and Montepulciano. In addition, Salento is also known for wines from full-blooded Puglian grapes such as Negroamaro, Primitivo, and Verdeca.

Tormaresca is a producer that owns an estate in Maime, Upper Salento in the province of Brindisi. This Masseria Maìme estate extends along the Adriatic coast and covers an area of about 500 hectares, 350 of which are planted with vines and 85 with olive groves. The most prevalent grape varieties grown are a mixture of indigenous and international:  Negroamaro, Primitivo, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. And one of these releases is available through Total Wine -- the Torcicoda Primitivo Salento IGT 2016 ($23).

The winery describes this Primitivo as having "strong ties to the rustic and rural countryside where it is produced. It was also a symbol of fertility and wealth for the local families, and in a not-too-distant past and it was even given as part of young brides’ dowries when they married. “Torcicoda” on one hand indicates an instrument that farmers once used to take care of their horses while on the other hand, it represents the coiling, luxuriant nature of the shoots and leaves of its vines, also called the vine “of three harvests” due to its abundant growth. 

This wine is intense and luscious, a red wine for these June nights which are dipping into the 50s.  Spices integrate with chocolate, tobacco, and dark fruit from start to finish. Expect texture and approachable tannins followed by rising acidity the keeps the finish active. Excellent.

Why is Saint Nicholas the Patron Saint of Brewers?

St. Nicholas giving dowry gold
© Elisabeth Ivanovsky

And that is not a rhetorical question, I honestly do not know why Saint Nicholas is considered one of the many patron saints of brewers? Today, December 6th is the feast day for this Greek saint who eventually morphed into the Nordic Christmas legend. Nicholas was born in the Greek city of Patara in the late 3rd century to wealthy parents and was raised in Myra - a port city now known as Demre, Turkey. Tragically his parents died during an epidemic and Nicholas was raised by his uncle - the Bishop of Patara.

The youngster vowed to distribute his inheritance through works of charity and his most well-known effort led directly to his reputation for giving gifts and indirectly to a possible claim for being the patron saint of brewers. Here is Catholic Online to describe the traditional story of the Gift of Gold for the Three Daughters.

An opportunity soon arose for St. Nicholas and his inheritance. A citizen of Patara had lost all his money, and needed to support his three daughters who could not find husbands because of their poverty; so the wretched man was going to give them over to prostitution. Nicholas became informed of this, and thus took a bag of gold and threw it into an open window of the man's house in the night. Here was a dowry for the eldest girl and she was soon duly married. At intervals Nicholas did the same for the second and the third; at the last time, the father was on the watch, recognized his benefactor and overwhelmed Nicholas with his gratitude. It would appear that the three purses represented in pictures, came to be mistaken for the heads of three children and so they gave rise to the absurd story of the children, resuscitated by the saint, who had been killed by an innkeeper and pickled in a brine-tub.

Saint Nicholas
© Elisabeth Ivanovsky

Afterward, Nicholas would be ordained a priest and be elected Archbishop of Myra where he was tortured, exiled, and imprisoned by the Romain authorities. He was eventually freed with other Christians when Constantine converted to the faith and Nicholas served the remainder of his life as Archbishop of Myra. During that time so many miracles and good deeds were attributed to his intercession that he became known as the Wonderworker. After Nicholas passed on December 6, 343 he was buried in Myra's cathedral church where a unique relic, called manna, formed in his grave. According to the St. Nicholas Center, "this liquid substance, said to have healing powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas". For close to 750 years his remains served as a pilgrim destination. But, depending on your point of view, on May 9, 1087, his relics were stolen or rescued after Constantinople fell to the Saracens. The thieves or liberators were sailers from Bari. In that Italian city, Nicholas' relics were buried in a new church: the Basilica di San Nicola.

From Bari, both the factual and legendary stories surrounding Nicholas spread throughout Europe. The resuscitation myth led to paintings of Nicholas surrounded by children which in itself led people to conclude he was the patron saint of children. And combined with his gift-giving, St. Nicholas Day became an early advent fixture in European countries where behaved children's boots were filled with candy and toys. On the other hand, naughty children received a visit from the Krampus and a literal tongue lashing. In America, the Dutch Protestants of New Amsterdam turned the saint into the Nordic magician - Santa Claus.

Great story, but what about brewers? None of the classical authors associate Nicholas with beer or brewers. One modern discernment concludes that the images of Nicholas shown with a barrel led people to conclude that he was the patron saint of brewers. Flimsy. Maybe even too flimsy to raise a beer in his honor. Instead, sip a Turkish Arak, the distilled spirit made from grapes and aniseed or a glass of wine from Puglia perhaps the Gioia del Colle DOC. In any case, cheers to Saint Nicholas.