Postcard from Puglia
(There’s more to Puglia than Primitivo!)
A very short post today as I’m briefly in the Salento region of Puglia, making up for lost time (I should’ve been here for the month of May) and trying to spend as little of those precious moments on my computer as possible.
Meet Gianpaolo, a sommelier who has been running his own wine shop for the past 15 years. In the heart of Gallipoli’s centro storico, La Cantina del Salento is one of those endlessly tempting (at least, to me) cellar-style enotecas that smells of cork and the angel’s share. Gianpaolo only works with small-scale wineries from the Salento region: in other words, those with a production of less than 20,000 bottles per year that come solely from the part of Puglia that’s south of Ostuni and Taranto were you to draw a line across the heel of Italy’s boot.
Gianpaolo understands one very important point about wine sales that I've written about here before: when people try, they will buy. And so during my day trip to Gallipoli, I stopped in for a look around the enoteca and ended up tasting almost a dozen different wines. Here’s what I came away with:
Omo Verdeca, Tenute di Donna, Puglia IGP 2024
Puglia isn’t known for its whites, but it makes an exception for Fiano and Verdeca. This wine is made from the latter (not the be confused with Verdicchio or Verdejo grapes) and is as fresh and inviting as the Salento coast’s turquoise sea. Its crunchy apple, almond and herbal aromas would go well with the local seafood.
Heliodor Moscatello Selvatico, Villa Amoris, Puglia IGP 2023
What was that I was just saying about Fiano and Verdeca being the only white grapes in Puglia? Ok, this is Italy – clearly that’s nonsense. Translating as “wild little Muscat” (although not actually the same as Muscat), Moscatello Selvatico is one of the oldest native grapes of Puglia that was almost extinct but has seen a mini-revival in recent years. I’d never heard of it, but was won over by this aromatic wine that’s delicate and floral on the nose but strangely honied and creamy on the palate. (Although it tasted nothing like a Torontés, it had something of the same effect, if that makes sense.)
Stillarosea, Cantina Sampietrana, Salento IGP Rosato 2024
I tried to steer away from Primitivo on this trip – not because I don’t like it but because it’s the one Puglian grape that seems to be widely exported, so I wanted to focus on wines I’d struggle to find back home. I made an exception for this rosato, however, which is bold and full-bodied and tastes boozier than it is. The nose is all roses, wild strawberries and Mediterranean herbs; the palate is caramel and strawberry jam but still retains a lovely, swimming pool-worthy acidity.
Cupone Riserva, Feudi di Guagnano, Salice Salentino DOP 2019
If you sometimes find Primitivo too sweet, you might prefer Negroamaro – which literally translates to “black bitter” and is Puglia’s second most famous red grape. Salice Salentino is known for its premium wines, and this Cupone Riserva – based on Negroamaro but with 10% Malvasia Nera in the blend – is proof of the Puglian pudding: smooth, beguiling, darkly fruited and oaky but not jammy. Like slipping on a pair of suede gloves.
Related reading:
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