PUGLIA 4

PUGLIA  4

19/03:  Because of taking diner in our hotel the night before, we had a good nights sleep and ware ready for the next and last stage of the tour in Puglia.

Today we went to the region of Messapia and Valle d’Itria.

The absolute protagonist over here are without any doubt the grape variety Primitivo of which Primitivo di Manduria excels.

We also will visit the “Messapia” with its countryside and their typical “Trulli”.

For the first stage we ended up in Manduria at the “Fellini winery”, part of the “Racemi winery”.

This winery started only in 1997 and is fully committed in the valorisation of promoting the grape variety Primitivo as in its original concept.

Also they try to preserve and protect the commercial possibilities of making wines with original ancient grape varieties such as the almost forgotten grape varieties as for example  “Susumaniello” and “Ottavianella”.

Thanks to a young and motivated staff and international consulting, they gave back the original “tasting memory” to their wines.

First of all we took a tour around the estate to discover the difference in soil, from the “white” soil, nearest to the sea, to “red” and the “black” soil further away from the Ionian sea.

Also we saw new plantations being made aside the plants for the “Favo” beans, as solution for making biologic wines.

Then we came back to the estate to taste some wines.

• Felline Primitivo di Manduria 2012 (coming from the red soil): very deep red colour, good ripe fruit, strength and roundness, long aftertaste, velvety.
• Giravolta, Primitivo di Manduria 2011 (coming from  the black soil): ruby red with violet reflex ions, intense fruity, velvety and long aftertaste.
• Sinfarosa, Primitivo di Manduria 2011 (coming from alluvial soil): deep ruby red colour, rich and complex with cherries, chocolate and spicy, intense taste with great melted tannins, beautiful wine.
• Dunico 2010,  Primitivo, (coming from the Ionian coast in the zone of Manduria): dark red, dark red and black fruit, blackberry’s, bit balsamic, very complex and aromatic and spicy, good wine.
• Sum 2011, 100% Susumaniello: Ruby red with violet reflections, very nice fruity nose and spicy, full complex attack of ripe fresh fruit, modern made wine with great possibilities, not to “southern” as the Primitivo can be.

Great tasting, I like to come back here.

It was time to go to the next stage to Leporano, near Taranto, for our next visit and lunch.

We ware welcomed at Varvaglione, Vigne e Vini  by Marzia Varvaglione, daughter, and export sales director Fabio Cascione.

The winery is situated in the hart of “Magna Grecia” and represent an perfect example of successfully mixing tradition and innovation with the help of the latest vinification techniques.

We started the tasting immediately.

• Moi, Verdeco del Salento 2013: Nice and fresh wine with impressions of apple and flowery. Nice refreshment.
• 12 e mezzo, Malvasia del Salento 2013, rosé: Nice but to sweet.
• 12 e mezzo, Negroamaro 2013: good basic wine, lack of fruit and content, basic.
• 12 e mezzo, Primitivo del Salento 2012: has been put in American oak for a wile, light fruity, tobacco, vanilla, good content of young fruit and length, although not one of my favorites.
• Tatù, Primitivo Tarantino, Primitivo with adding of 10 % Aglianico, tobacco, leather and castagne, good complex and velvety wine, good length.
• Papale, Primitivo di Manduria: Very nice and complex nose, a bit smoked, good attack in the mouth, complex with nice fresh hint and ripe velvety tannins, great length, great wine.
• Papale, Linea Oro, Primitivo di Manduria: Great wine in any sense.

After this nice tasting we could take a buffet lunch with a number of wines. Everybody happy.

And to work of the lunch we took the tour in and around the estate where they are building new wine making facilities.

It was time to go and visit the region of the “Valle d’Itria” typical “Trulli” houses. We did take a little tour around in this typical village. But it was high time to go to the city of Fasano and visit the historical city center. We took a tour around the historical city where we discovered the elegance of the architectural perspectives as for example the typical “Casa alla Fasanese”.

There was some festivity going on called "La Quuarantana" , (le quarantane), with hanging dolls in the streets, recalling in the name the forty days between the end of carnival and Easter day in the catholic tradition, a sort of witch-hunting,  and we could try some local specialties. Nice music and ambiance on the main square. 

Late again, it was time to go to Carovigno for diner.

There we had one of the finest diners in a long time (personal) in the starred restaurant of “Già sotto l’Arco” , a marvelous diner together with the owner of the wine house Ognisole.

Because after all this visits, lunches, wine tastings and tours around Puglia, everybody was quit tired and nobody took to much attention on the wines. It must be said, the first wines ware not so interesting because of the way they ware made, and the presentation of the bottles we could call them rather touristic, later came some better wines, they ware good but not great, we had better, but thanks anyway to the winery for the opportunity and generosity.

So again quit late we went to bed for a last night stay and a good rest because the next day it was time to say goodbye to everybody.

I have to thank the organisation of “Movimento Turismo del Vino Puglia” for the marvelous organisation, even with some late appointments, but this is normal in Italy.

Thanks also to the authorities of the beautiful medieval city of Fasano, their generosity and the welcome we experienced.

Thanks to Daniele and Laura for their company and patience with some of us;

Thanks also to the owners of all winery participants, the local authorities, and also our “home” Masseria Coccaro.

I have to say, I hope there will be a follow up with tastings not only for the professionals but also for the wine “connoisseur / amateur”, because it is necessary to let people experience the wines of Puglia.

I hope I can convince some friends to book a holiday in Puglia and at the same time visit some winery’s.

I (me and my wife) surely will do so.

Goodbye, till next time. (soon).