April in Puglia--My Wine Tour of Italy Continues

This month I'm headed to Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot, to drink some fresh seaside whites and some zesty reds. (photo by psd)

Known in ancient times as Apulia--a name you will still see used for the region today--it's a region that remains largely unknown to outsiders and remains close to its agricultural roots. Olives, almonds, and grapes are some of the crops grown in Puglia. It may be a lesser-known region, but it is a productive one. Puglia makes more wine than any other region in Italy and ties with Sicily for the most grapes grown in Italy.

Where does all that juice go? It used to be that Puglia's grapes went into Vermouth. Lately, Puglia's growers have been saving more of the juice to make regional wines. Notable among them are wines made with the native Primitivo di Manduria--which we call Zinfandel here in the US. But that's not the only red produced in Puglia. One of my favorite grapes, Negroamaro, is also grown here. And Puglia makes white wines too, including bottlings that use Malvasia, Trebbiano, and Chardonnay. (photo by Andrea Rinaldi)

If you've familiar with the wines of Puglia, I hope you leave a note here with recommendations and accounts of your experiences. And if you're new to the region's viticultural bounty (like me) why not look for a wine from Puglia to go with your next pizza or pasta dinner? I've got two red wines (one Primitivo, one a Primitivo/ Negroamaro blend), as well as a white wine to share with you. As always, I'll try to get some regional recipes to go with them but this is usually the thing that falls off my to-do list!