Puglia

Explore one of Italy's lesser-known regions, and discover the winemakers and Puglian wine in our Wine Club


Introduction to Puglia

Puglia is one of the most magical places to visit in Italy, where you feel that everything is so well balanced. Villages are never too large. The landscape is soft and rolling. The seaside is omnipresent. Olive trees look like sculptures, almost anthropomorphic and human-like, some dancing, some hugging, all scattering a glisten of silver into the air. And the trulli! You absolutely must go to the fairyland village called Alberobello. And if you love Baroque, you’ll love Lecce.

Even if you don’t love the full bodied, high alcohol wines, you can’t not love the beautiful and vibrant environment around you.


PUGLIA WINE TRADITION

Most famous grapes:

Red - Sangiovese, Primitivo, Negroamaro, Nero di Troia, Bombino Nero,Montepulciano

White - Trebbiano Toscano, Bombino Bianco, Verdeca



Puglian wines often feature in our wine club collections
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History of Puglia

The Greeks surely had brought over vines as far back as the 8th century BC and the vine has always been linked with this region over the centuries.

It ranks number one for vineyard acres in Italy, yet it ranks 12 of 20 for any quality wine. Here you’ll find a mere four DOCG wines: Castel del Monte Bombino Nero, Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva, Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva, and Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale.

But there is something peculiar here. If you added up all the wine that should be produced here, and how much actually gets sold, the numbers simply don’t add up. In the last several centuries, it was sold off in a hush-hush way to the northern regions where grapes struggle to ripen and achieve saturated colors.

Puglia’s optimal position in the south has always lent itself well to fully mature grapes, especially the Primitivo, which literally means early ripening. Most of the wine is never even bottled, but rather trucked off in tankers.

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Looking for vineyards and wineries in Puglia? Meet all of our Puglian winemakers here:



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Puglia Food & Cuisine

If you’ve even done an aperitivo in Italy, you've likely received the famous crackers which come from here called Taralli, shaped in little loops. One of the other more well known delicacies of the region is the famous burrata and stracciatella.

As mentioned, one of the best and most simple pastas you’ll find here is the orecchiette (little ears) made with cime di rapa, or broccoli rabe - something very particular to this land and not comparable anywhere else! With some of the absolutely stunning EVOO from this zone alongside the cime di rapa, you’ll find one of the most flavorful pastas, which doesn’t need even a dot of cheese sprinkled over the top.

You’ll also find the super light yet savory street food fried panzerotti, or mini-calzones. Typically they’ll be stuffed with mozzarella, tomato sauce and sometimes salami, but they can also be done as a dessert with jam, ricotta or gianduia cream and Montella chestnut compote.

But if I must say, one of my favorites products from this region is the EVOO. The best cultivars: Cellina di Nardò - excellent for vegetables; the Leccina - good for cooking; the very common Coratina - spicy EVOO for robust meat dishes; Nocciara with a high production and yield, very present in the provinces of Taranto and Brindisi; the Ogliarolla with a delicate flavor with a hint of almond; and Piccoline - with a very delicate taste. Overall, they give spicy, fruity yet soft flavors of grass and artichoke. You really can’t go wrong.

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Explore our Puglia wine profiles from past and current Wine Club selections:



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Our recommendations in Puglia



Artisan Wineries in Puglia

When visiting winemakers it's best to have an appointment, as open tasting rooms are rare at artisan winemakers in Italy. For travel purposes, you'll want to have a car or arrange private transfers. Here are some of our favorite artisans to visit:

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Restaurants & bars in Puglia we enjoy:

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Bari

Other restaurants we love:

  • Ristorante Cibus, Ceglie Messapica (particularly for local for local food!) 
  • Cisternino, famous for its macelleria (butcher) where you can sample local meats

Other ideas for what to do:


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Where to stay:



Abruzzo Valled'Aosta Puglia Basilicata Calabria Campania Emilia-Romagna Friuli-VeneziaGiulia Lazio Liguria Lombardia Marche Molise Piemonte Sardegna Sicilia Trentino-AltoAdige Toscana Umbria Veneto

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