About Puglia Italy
Apulia, is a flat and fertile peninsula that its' southern portion forms the characteristic
heel of the Italian "boot". The region does have mountains in the north
and central territories. The main industry in Apulia today is still farming, from
grapes to livestock, while the fishing industry is active on both of its coasts along
the Adriatic and in the Gulf of Taranto.
Apulia produces more wine than any other Italian region, usually making more than 17% of the national total. It also competes with Sicily for first place as grape producer, for years much of this grape harvest was sent to France to give structure to French wines when the local harvests were either poor or insufficient.
In recent years, Pugliese vintners have changed their views and tastes and are pursuing wines that effectively balance sweetness, acid, alcohol content and density. This change has been rapid as Italian and European subsidized co-operatives have dried up their assets, forcing the Pugliese vintners to focus on quality, branded, bottled wines. Apulia counts 25 DOC wines, that include Primitivo di Mandura and Salice Salentino varietals.
The Primitivo di Manduria, is a red named after the grape that has the same DNA as the prize winning California grape, the American Zinfandel. Salice Salentino is a powerful red produced in the Lecce Province. It is made primarily with Negro Amaro and has gained an enthusiastic following abroad because of the excellent ratio of quality to price.
