Apulia

Apulia (Puglia, it. Puglia) – elongated coastal region in the South-East of Italy, forming the heel of the “boot”, which we see Italy on a map.

The heel is a Peninsula of Salento, the most important wine area of Apulia, different both geographically and culturally from the Northern part of the region. What is noticeable in his style of wine. The North is more hilly and more closely related to the traditions of Central Italy. The South is mostly located in the plains, and it is obvious its Greco-Roman past.

What unites the North and the South of Puglia is the variety of crops: olives and grapes. In that order. It produces almost half of all Italian olive oil and wine country map Apulia – bubbling fountain source (mostly red), which seriously affected the reputation and economy of the Puglia region winemaking: in the background of the increasing requirements to the level of wine in the world market of the region known mass blends middling, were on the sidelines.

If earlier it was a nice place to live, pouring rivers of hard cheap wine, going to blend and vermouth, in the late 20th century consumer of steel to prefer quality to quantity. Especially that there are good alternatives available from the New world: Australia, Argentina, Chile.

Answer of Puglia was the reduction frustratingly relaxed standards of production and a revision of approaches to winemaking in General. Many wineries have turned to so-called “flying winemakers” in an effort to set the right focus on their industries.

The appellations and winemaking

15 years ago only a small part of the wines of Puglia corresponded to the level of DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata). Since then, their number is growing steadily. Increasing the number of zones DOC.

In 2010 the region got its first DOCG – Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale. A year later, three DOCG selected from Castel del Monte DOC.

The wine area of Apulia is represented by three territorial entities, in exactly the appropriate administrator:

• Foggia in the North
• Bari and Taranto in the centre
• Brindisi and Lecce in the South

“The real Puglia” is the region’s South, below the Brindisi-Taranto, in the South section of the Appian way. Here make wine out of virtually autochthonous varieties.

But in the North is dominated by varieties typical of Northern and Central Italy, such as Sangiovese and Montepulciano.

The most full-bodied wines of Puglia – of the varieties Negroamaro and Primitivo, of course. But verdeca (Verdeca) is the only notable white representative in this hot Italian family.

Mainstays Primitivo is Manduria (Manduria) and Gioia del Colle (Gioia del Colle). Here’s his powerful, rich samples name mirr test, i.e. “hard wine” in the local dialect politcom.

Negroamaro is more widespread. This variety represents the most red wines of southern Puglia. This DOC such as: Alezio, Matino, Galatina, Copertino, nardò, Leverano, Lizzano, Salice Salentino, Squinzano and Brindisi.

The coastal town of Ostuni (Ostuni) delineates the Northern border of the clusters of the most characteristic areas of Puglia with its white wines based on the varieties of impegno (Impigno cross bombino Bianco Bombino Bianco and Quagliano qualano) and rose from ottavianelli (Ottavianello, also known as Cinsault).

In the heart of Apulia – accumulation DOCов around Barletta, Cerignola and the Castel del Monte, where there is a grade of UVA di Troia (Uva di Troia). This low-yielding red grape took its name from the nearby towns and has nothing to do with legendary Troy of Homer. Only recently it began to be perceived as standing grape, able to produce interesting wines.

Sweet wine Moscato di Trani (Moscato di Trani, on the basis of Muscat) and Gravina (Gravina, on the basis of Greco Bianco, Greco bianco) make a variety of sea regional red. Their zones are adjacent to the above mentioned.

Terroirs

Terms of terroir, Puglia has a wide Arsenal that is conducive to the active cultivation of the vine. The hot Mediterranean climate, plenty of sun and periodic sea breezes create almost perfect conditions for viticulture.

Local soils prone to the formation of chalky limestone rich in iron under the Quaternary deposits, the most pronounced around the hills Colline Joniche Tarantine and near Martina Franca and Locorotondo in Valle d’itria (Itria).

Today Apulia shakes off reputation as a supplier of hard flat wines for cheap blends and demonstrates the ability to offer the world of wine concentrated, densely colored wines that challenge the best examples from Australia and South America. A particularly interesting conversation with a California Zinfandel in an attempt to realize the potential of Primitivo.