Wines of Puglia: around wineries in the heel of Italy

Enotourism is becoming a road more and more beaten by travelers. From this point of view, Puglia offers many possibilities. There are many wineries that can affect the beauty of the structure, the landscape in which they are immersed or the village where they arise. We’ll tell you 7 that we had the pleasure of visiting.

Starting from the North:

Forerunners of the Classic Method in Puglia, the three friends and founders of the Cantina d’Araprì, believed right from the beginning in the potential of the territory and its most representative native grape variety: the White Bombino. Today the Capitanata is considered the Spumante district of Puglia. From the streets of the village of San Severo, you will find yourself in the fascinating galleries where the award-winning wines of Araprì remain to refine on the lees, comfortably laid out in the pupitres.

Slightly further south, at the foot of Castel del Monte, where three of the fourare located DOCGs of Puglia, we meet Rivera. Here the story of Frederick II of Swabia intersects with that of one of the most ancient vines of Puglia: Nero di Troia. Precisely one of the most renowned labels of Rivera is dedicated to Federico II: the Falcone.

We descend into the land of Primitivo, not that of Manduria, but that of Gioia del Colle. Here, the Cassano family produces one of the most successful Primitivo di Gioia del Colle: Polvanera 17. We also really appreciated Minutolo, one of the many white natives grown on the farm.

We enter the Valle d’Itria, where, among the cones of the typical Apulian rural buildings, the Trulli, and the expanses of monumental olive trees, the landscape accompanies us towards Martina Franca. The Agricola ifarm Pastinicultivates its vines at the foot offarms Locorotondo, where the railway divides the two.

On one side the oldest nucleus, formed by an agglomerate of trulli, on the other the modern pole of transformation of the grapes. The charm of the structure, the magnificence of the surrounding countryside and the typicality of its wines, make this winery an obligatory stop for enotourists traveling in Puglia.

We change sides and head towards the other Apulian homeland of Primitivo: Manduria. The Consortium of Wines Producers of Manduria is one of the oldest and most valuable for the production of Primitivo di Manduria. Do not miss the interesting and well-structured museum of the Primitivo wine culture, obtained in the old abandoned cement tanks.

Continuing in Salento, we head towards the province of Lecce. In this province we find 10 of the 28 DOC wines Apulian. Leverano, a pretty village surrounded by vineyards, is the territory of the homonymous name of origin.

Several production companies arise in this Municipality. Surely the two not to be missed are the Vecchia Torre Winery and the Conti Zecca Farm.

The first is one of the most important cooperatives in the province, which has more than 1,200 members. Its wines of strong ties with the territory can be tasted in the modern and pleasant dining room inside the company shop.

Conti Zecca, owned by the family of the same name, has always produced quality wines from grapes coming from the vineyards close to the town. The historical core of production was flanked by a modern shop inside a lovely wine shop.