Bari Vecchia: Like walking through a film set

Bari, capital of southern Italy’s Puglia region, is a seamless blend of ancient and contemporary, with a vibrant buzz.

The medieval old town, Bari Vecchia, is an astonishing maze of white stone alleys and arches, pristine and well lit.

Strolling around Bari Vecchia is like walking through a film set. At regular intervals, the narrow alleys open onto spacious piazzas with soaring monuments such as the Basilica di San Nicola and the Romanesque cathedral, which features a fascinating underground archaeological area including ancient mosaics that largely date as far back as the sixth century.

There are plenty of outdoor tables from which you can enjoy the atmosphere, along with local wines: perhaps a refreshing white Verdeca frizzante or the increasingly popular, aromatic Minutolo, accompanied by olives or crunchy taralli snacks (traditional Pugliese savoury bites).

The old town neatly fills a rounded peninsula, edged west and east by a 12th- to 13th-century castle and wide city walls that overlook the glittering Adriatic.

A short promenade stroll away is Molo San Nicola, a historic pier where fish is sold fresh from the boats each morning and Bari-style breakfasts of sea urchins and other raw seafood are prepared by the fishermen.

Local heroes: Food and wines to try

Bari is a gastronomic gem

Like the rest of Puglia, Bari is decidedly food-centric and there’s an abundance of street food spots and bakeries selling fragrant speciality focaccia drenched in luscious local olive oil.

On the celebrated Via delle Orecchiette, women make and sell orecchiette pasta outside their homes; try it with ragù or the winter classic, cime di rapa greens.

Bari’s most popular pasta, however, is spaghetti all’assassina, cooked until deliciously charred in a spicy tomato sauce; a local rosé pairs perfectly.

Bari's wines: Reds and rosés

Bari is one of Italy’s top rosé wine areas and all of Puglia’s favourite native red grapes (Primitivo, Negroamaro, Nero di Troia and Susumaniello) are used for fruit-filled rosatos, along with rich, velvety red wines.

Bombino Nero, a red variety here made only as rosé, has a dedicated DOCG around the striking Castel del Monte castle, west of Bari near Andria city, which is also home to creamy burrata.

Meanwhile, PDO-certified mozzarella is the star cheese of the town of Gioia del Colle, about 35km south of Bari, at the heart of Puglia’s vast Murgia plateau, where some of the city’s favourite Primitivo wines are made.

Bari wine tour: Two nearby wineries to visit

I Parieti estate

Matteo Santoiemma’s small I Parieti estate, named for the area’s characteristic dry-stone walls, lies at 400m with stony soils and constant breezes and stronger winds.

Coming from a commercial career with a number of top-tier wineries, Santoiemma has brought a fresh and experimental outlook to his wines. Tastings under the olive trees are memorable, surrounded by wild flowers, herbs and rocks, and overlooking trulli (distinctive, circular dry-stone dwellings typical of nearby Alberobello).

Along with skin-contact Minutolo, perfect with cheese, his wines include a mineral-infused rosé and an elegant red, both from 67-year-old alberello-trained Primitivo vines.

Tenute Chiaromonte

Nearby at Acquaviva delle Fonti, former equestrian pro Nicola Chiaromonte runs Tenute Chiaromonte, having picked up skills from his winemaker mother and olive oil-producing father.

Classical music plays all day at the gleaming white winery, where bedrooms, a restaurant, pool and labyrinthine underground cellars are due for completion in time for the 2026 bicentenary celebrations.

Chiaromonte’s diverse wines range from an exuberant Chardonnay-Minutolo spumante to intense Primitivos with soaring alcohol levels, including award-winning cru Muro Sant’Angelo Contrada Barbatto.

Bari address book: Where to eat, drink and stay in the city

Accommodation

Palazzo Calò

With contemporary design complemented by centuries-old stone, this stylish hotel has 12 spacious bedrooms. Coffee machines and kettles are standard, and some also feature kitchens and balconies. The stunning rooftop bistro is open to non-guests for drinks and dinner, with a menu that features Asian and local specialities.

Eat and drink

Deli delights

Visit Casa.Ro early to watch mozzarella and burrata being made, then book a cheesemaking workshop or enjoy a tasty lunchtime treat. In Bari Vecchia, Nicola Lapesara serves platters of charcuterie and cheeses at his historic Antica Salumeria deli.

Enoteca del Centro

Gianluca De Napoli favours small producers for the 700-plus labels at his wine bar-shop among the smart stores of Bari’s newer centre. The evening menu has gourmet bites such as seafood carpaccio and braised beef.

La Uascezze

An atmospheric corner of Bari Vecchia with stone arches outside and in; the name – dialect for ‘convivial cheer’ – sums up the vibe. The menu features pulses, stews and traditional classics such as potato, rice and mussels. Wines, all from Puglia, include a softly sweet Primitivo amabile – an ideal way to finish your meal.

Mostofiore

An enoteca with an appealing bottle-lined interior, specialising in natural wines. Order what’s available by the glass or ask to try something different. Food includes oysters and slow-cooked artichoke with fried basil.

PerBacco

A member of the Slow Food Cooks’ Alliance, so quality ingredients are fundamental here. Choose from a selection of olive oils and enjoy dishes including twice-cooked octopus and burnt-wheat pasta. The restaurant interior is charming, with doily settings on wooden tables designed by the owner, architect Beppe Schino, who also selects the wines.

Visit

Gioia del Colle

While transport or a guide (try Puglia To Be) is needed to reach the wineries, Gioia del Colle itself is well connected by train. Its castle has superb archaeological finds from nearby Monte Sannace. Bar-restaurant Trattoria Pugliese, opposite the castle, is run by Vittoria, sister of Matteo Santoiemma of I Parieti (see p107) and her chef husband.

Insider's tip: Visiting the beach

Although central Bari is located by the sea, the nearest beach, the oddly named Pane e Pomodoro (‘Bread and Tomato’), is a half-hour seafront stroll away. Facilities are scarce there, so pick up some focaccia from Panificio Fiore and wine to go with it from Enoteca Cucumazzo.

For picturesque seaside scenery, the town of Polignano a Mare is roughly 30 minutes by train.

If Italian wine aficionados were to lay claim to their favourite wine regions in Italy, areas like Piedmont, Tuscany, Sicily and Veneto would easily roll off their tongue.

Yet some of the most character-driven, soulful, and terroir-expressive wines in Italy are produced in Aosta, a region which borders Switzerland to the north and France to the northwest.

Charming, authentic and picturesque, Aosta is Italy’s smallest wine region and as a result, it is also one of its least known. Tucked under the Pennine Alps, between Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn, this small but glorious area has 400 hectares planted with vines.

Compared with neighbouring Piedmont which has around 43,000ha, it’s easy to see how this gem of a wine region is often overlooked.

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Aosta’s rich history

Despite its relative obscurity, Aosta has had a rich history. Though viticulture in the region dates back to the Bronze Age, it was the Romans who first cultivated specialised vineyards, from about the 1st century AD.

During the Middle Ages, Aosta came under the rule of the prosperous and powerful Kingdom of Savoy, which fostered the creation of terraced vineyards and vine propagation, while building the region’s many striking and enduring castles.

Italy unified in 1861 ending much of the Savoyard influence and a series of events common in European vineyard history took hold.

Nicolas Ottin of Ottin Vini explains: ‘At the end of the 19th century, before Phylloxera, there were 4,000ha in Aosta. But by the 1970s, there were almost no vines left. Phylloxera plus the aftermath of two World Wars and Aosta’s challenging growing conditions forced many people to abandon their vineyards.’

But the arrival of the Institut Agricole Régional in 1951 changed the region’s fortunes. By the 1980s, the institute’s work – combined with renewed local pride and improved economic conditions – sparked a renaissance in Aosta’s winemaking.

All this culminated in the creation of the DOC in 1971, which was revised in 1986.

Aosta’s viticultural landscape

Despite its cooler climate – a natural fit with white wine production – red wines are abundant in Aosta, comprising around 65% of the total production. Nicola Abbrescia, president of CERVIM, the Centre for Research, Environmental Sustainability and Advancement of Mountain Viticulture, explains: ‘This was a poor region so red wine was drunk for nourishment.’

Aosta’s wine region is divided into three major sections, encompassing seven different sub-regions, which run northwest to southeast and are divided by the Dora Baltea River.

The terraced banks on the northern side (‘the right bank’) are home to the majority of the vineyards and face predominantly southwest. Vineyards planted on the southern side (‘the left bank’) are generally more rolling or on plateaus, and face mostly northeast.

With its close proximity to the Alps, it is unsurprising that this land was sculpted by glaciers over the centuries. Morainic rock debris and sand are the dominant soils on the well-draining slopes, though there are also small pockets of limestone in the Central and Lower Valleys alongside some clay and gravel in the most southern zones.

These poor soils are capable of creating wines with notable minerality.

Though the entire area falls under Vallée d’Aoste DOC or Valle d’Aosta DOC – a reminder of its bilingual French-Italian heritage – producers can include the sub-regions on the label.

In addition, a number of sub-regions can produce ‘Supérieur’ bottlings, a higher quality category which have stricter regulations for production.

The Upper Valley

The Upper Valley lies southeast of the ski resort of Courmayeur and begins with the sub-region Morgex et de La Salle, named after two villages.

This area has the highest altitude and vines are generally planted at between 900-1,300 metres. It is planted more or less exclusively with Prié Blanc, a fresh and vibrant indigenous white grape that produces mostly light-bodied still and sparkling wines with some occasional ice wines.

Interestingly, there has never been Phylloxera in this zone, so the vines are planted on their own rootstocks, making them among the oldest in the region.

The Central Valley

The Central Valley is the region’s largest and is the home to Petit Rouge, an old Aostan variety which can produce notably fruity yet deep, medium-full bodied wines. It is also the most planted variety in Aosta, comprising around 25% of the vineyard land.

Enfer d’Arvier is the first sub-region of the Central Valley. It is named after the dramatic amphitheatre-shaped, terraced hillside which can get very hot during the summer…hence its rather forbidding name ‘Enfer’ (‘Hell’).

Just south of Arvier lies Torrette, which produces some of the region’s grandest red wines.

Also located within the Central Valley, the sub-regions of Nus and Chambave can produce red wines – but they are generally more famous for their whites.

Malvoisie in Nus can be dry or a sweet ‘passito’ dessert wine from dried grapes. Moscato in Chambave takes on a wonderfully savoury character of wild herbs and pronounced salinity in addition to its telltale notes of apricot, peach and lemongrass.

The Lower Valley

In the Lower Valley lie the sub-regions of Arnad-Montjovet and Donnas. Here, Nebbiolo, which is locally called ‘Picotendro’ or ‘Picoutener’, reigns supreme.

However, it is not like the Nebbiolo of the Langhe: this clone of Nebbiolo has adapted to the harsher, colder growing conditions and as a result produces perfumed wines, high in acidity and with a certain lacy, ethereal quality.

International, indigenous & rare

Within the Valley it’s also possible to find other indigenous red varieties such as Fumin, Prëmetta, Vuillermin and Vien de Nus which feature mostly in blends, though some pure bottlings can be found.

International transplants such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gamay, Merlot and Petite Arvine from Valais, Switzerland have also had great success.

Rare, almost extinct varieties are also slowly making a comeback. Didier Gerbelle of Aymavilles has been seeking out and propagating some of these, such as Le Blanc Comun, Oriou Gris and Neyret.

‘I actually found three vines of Le Blanc Comun in my grandmother’s garden. They are the offspring of Prié Blanc and the vines were 100 years old. With Prié Blanc, it is the only white indigenous variety in Aosta, though it is not recognised by the Italian government. It is important to protect our heritage,’ he says.

Though Aosta is incredibly rich in history and tradition, producers are also forward thinking. Nicolas Bovard, the young and dynamic president of the new Aosta consorzio firmly states: ‘We are very proud of our heritage, but we also fully embrace respectful innovation, and our wines reflect this.’

Few regions reward curiosity like Aosta. It’s a land of stark contrasts and delicate balances, while offering warmth, generosity, beauty, tradition and innovation – as well as some of Italy’s most delicious and distinctive wines.

Aosta Valley: Eight to try

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Italy’s incredible wealth of native grape varieties endows it with a special place in the wine world.

It is teeming with local individuality, and nowhere does this express itself more forcefully than in its rarer, less well-known indigenous grape varieties and the wines made from them.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for wines from Susan’s must-try southern Italian grapes

Italy has about 2,000 native grape varieties, with some 350 of these documented and authorised by the Italian government. For the adventurous wine drinker, Italy offers a treasure trove waiting to be discovered.

The 12 grape varieties that follow come from the south of Italy and from the islands of Sardinia and Sicily.

Among them are six whites: Guardavalle from Calabria, Puglia’s Minutolo, Sardinia’s Vermentino; and from Campania, Caprettone, Ginestra and Pallagrello Bianco.

For reds, we feature Gaglioppo from Calabria, Piedirosso from Campania, Puglia’s Susumaniello, and Frappato, Nocera and Perricone from Sicily.

Enticing whites

Calabria, Puglia & Sardinia

Guardavalle

Guardavalle is a rare white variety from Calabria and is one of the most exciting wine discoveries I have made recently. It has the most beautiful combination of floral, fruity aromas, including lime blossom, peach and lilac, with a lovely texture and weight.

The name translates as ‘watch over the valley’ because it is usually planted on hillsides. One of its main champions is Giuseppe Scala, winemaker of Agricola Santa Venere. This estate, organically farmed and located near the town of Cirò, has been owned by the Scala family since 1600.

Giuseppe’s beautiful Guardavalle wine, called Vescovado, is made from 100% organically grown grapes and comes from carefully tended 90-year-old vineyards. The estate’s mission is to make this indigenous Calabrian variety better known and more appreciated in the world.

Minutolo

Minutolo is an aromatic white grape that has been grown in the Itria Valley in Puglia since before the Renaissance.

The Valle d’Itria IGT stretches between the provinces of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto in the long, narrow heel of Italy. Recent research shows that Minutolo is related to Muscat, and this explains its flowery, aromatic qualities.

There are two very different styles of wine from Minutolo, based upon two different clones: one has peach and apricot aromas, while the other is more herbal with higher acidity. The former can be made into sweet or dry wines.

When dry it has pretty, grapey, rose-petal aromas which nicely complement spicy Thai dishes made with lemongrass. Rita Trotti from Cantina Polvanera says of Minutolo and the other indigenous varieties she grows: ‘We wanted to re-evaluate the importance of these varieties and bring them to the attention of the world.’

Vermentino

Vermentino is known as Rolle in the south of France, and Pigato in Liguria (northwest Italy) is a clonal variation of Vermentino. It is also grown along the Maremma coast of Tuscany and in Sardinia, where, as Vermentino di Gallura, it makes the island’s only DOCG wine.

The DOCG status reflects the compatibility of the variety with the local gravel soils, which give the wines a distinctive mineral expression.

Vermentino has become quite fashionable with its sassy, crisp green-apple flavours, its round texture and lively acidity. Its versatility makes it a great partner for fresh seafood dishes such as crispy squid, chargrilled prawns and all kinds of grilled fish.

Campania

Caprettone

Caprettone is a white grape grown on the slopes of Vesuvius, often used to make the romantically named sparkling white wine Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Bianco DOC.

According to Giuseppe Sorrentino, whose family owns vineyards and produces wines on Vesuvius: ‘Caprettone is an historic vine cultivated in the Vesuvian area by the Romans.’

For a long time, it was confused with Coda di Volpe (‘fox’s tail’), and the names of the grapes were often used interchangeably by producers on their labels.

In recent years they have been registered as two distinct varieties; DNA studies have found that Caprettone is in fact related to Ginestra and to the red variety Piedirosso, but not to Coda di Volpe. Caprettone has good acidity with white-flower and citrus aromas, and lends itself well to sparkling wines. It’s delicious with light appetisers or shellfish.

Ginestra

Ginestra is a fascinating white variety that is grown on steeply terraced vineyards, clinging to vertiginous parts of the Amalfi coast in Campania, especially near the towns of Ravello and Amalfi.

Ginestra translates as ‘broom’, and both the grapes and the wine smell of that beautiful wild plant with pretty floral, green aromas.

One complication is that there are several local names for the same grape variety, as is so often the case in Italy: Ginestra is known as Biancatenera or Biancazita, depending on where it is grown. It has the potential to produce some excellent wines, and in the hands of Ettore Sammarco from Ravello, it does just that.

Pallagrello Bianco

Pallagrello Bianco is one of a group of rare grapes (including Asprinio, Casavecchia and Pallagrello Nero) grown in the northern corner of Campania near the town of Caserta, not far from the Tyrrhenian coast. They have an illustrious past, deemed worthy of inclusion in the famous Vigna del Ventaglio vineyard in the Royal Caserta Palace of King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies in the 1700s.

In the early 20th century, they almost became extinct – until a small group of enthusiastic producers helped to revive them. The Alois family, who came originally from France and worked for the Bourbon king, produces a delicious Pallagrello Bianco. Massimo Alois has a passion for the grape that comes from a desire to realise his grandfather’s dream of resurrecting these historically revered varieties.

Exciting reds

Calabria, Campania & Puglia

Gaglioppo

Gaglioppo, a red variety from Calabria, Italy’s ‘toe’ region, is one of the nation’s oldest grape varieties, dating back to a time when southern Italy and Sicily were colonised by the ancient Greeks.

It is the principal grape for wines in the Cirò DOC, situated near the town of Cirò on the Ionian coast, and has recently been shown to be a crossing between Sangiovese and Mantonico, a local Calabrian grape. The wines it produces are sometimes described as similar to a lighter, more savoury Nebbiolo.

Like Nebbiolo, it loses its colour easily and can have a reddish-orange tone. Andrew Johnson of London merchant WoodWinters says: ‘Gaglioppo is simply the most underrated grape variety I know of. Cirò, the main DOC, is often referred to as the Barolo of the south, and when you see a good example, it is plain to see why. Top-quality Cirò now offers the same sort of value you could find in Piedmont 10 or 15 years ago.’

Piedirosso 

Piedirosso – literally meaning ‘red foot’, due to the likeness of the stalks to a pigeon’s foot – is the second most-planted variety in Campania, but it is still not widely known as a single varietal.

It is similar to Sicily’s Frappato in that usually it is blended with other varieties (in this case Aglianico), softening the blend. Piedirosso is also the main grape in the famous DOC red sparkling wine grown on the slopes of Vesuvius, Lacryma Christi Rosso.

It produces lightly coloured red wines with crunchy red-berry fruits, green herbal or olive notes, light tannins, and moderate acidity. A classic combination is sparkling Lacryma Christi with Neapolitan pizza.

Susumaniello

Crossing Italy from Campania to the Brindisi area of Puglia, Italy’s ‘heel’, Susumaniello is a red grape variety with plenty of colour, acidity and alcohol, producing robust, firmly structured wines. In decline until recently, it is now one of Italy’s up-and- coming native grape varieties, and plantings have been increasing.

Traditionally it is blended with the better- known local Negroamaro in robust reds or rosés. However, some producers are making single-varietal Susumaniello; at Agricola Vallone, Giuseppe Malazzini believes that ‘there is market demand for this unique native variety’. He adds: ‘Susumaniello’s strengths are that it has a beautiful combination of fruit and spice, and is well structured with round, enveloping tannins.’

Sicily

Frappato

Frappato is Nero d’Avola’s partner in Sicily’s only DOCG wine, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, in which it is permitted to make up 30%-50% of the blend.

One of Sicily’s oldest varieties, cultivated in a small area between Vittoria and Siracusa, Frappato is likely a sibling of Calabrian Gaglioppo. I have been impressed by single-varietal Frappato wines I have tasted for the sheer pleasure and enjoyment they provide: they are light, fruity, amenable wines with a delightful aroma and flavours of fresh strawberries and herbs.

Nocera 

The red grape variety Nocera is found in the northeast corner of Sicily and is one of the components of Faro DOC wines. These wines are hard to come by, but are super-fashionable among wine critics.

In the past, Nocera was used as a bulk wine to perk up blends, as it has a lot of acidity and colour as well as some astringency.

But, remarks Planeta’s chief winemaker Patricia Tóth: ‘What we love in Nocera is that it has all the qualities in one.’ She says the tannins are firm but soft and velvety, and it has interesting black cherry, tamarind, salty, iodine notes that reflect the place it is grown. ‘I am quite sure it’ll be one of the very important grapes in the future of Sicily,’ she adds.

Perricone

Perricone comes from western Sicily, where it was once much more widely planted under the name of Guarnaccia. At one time most farmers produced some Perricone, cultivating it for home consumption during the winter. It was popular because it ripens late and is disease- and drought-resistant.

Fabio Sireci of Feudo Montoni says that when young the wines are full of tannins – it can make them ‘grumpy’ in character. ‘The work we do at Montoni is to tame the tannins, to make them more elegant, and better integrated.’

Sireci’s dedication to Perricone is partly because his father, Elio, was fond of it and used to call it ‘the true king of Sicily’. Perricone produces robust wines that go well with slow-cooked lamb braised with tomatoes, red wine and warm spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon.

Journey to the past

These wines offer a rewarding and exciting opportunity to experience something quite different. Wine has the magical ability to transport us to another place enriched with the history and identity of the people who created it.

For the producers, the importance of these rare indigenous varieties is even deeper: the powerful desire to preserve these vines is a link to their parents, their grandparents and the history of their region.

The dedication shown by Italy’s producers in reviving them is an act of deep love and respect for the long history and traditions they have come from.

Cultivating these rare native varieties is, as Sireci says, ‘like taking a journey into the past, into the essence of my land and my people’.

Updated 16 February 2021 to specify that Pigato is a clonal variation of Vermentino.

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Southern Italy: What’s hot right now

Tuscany tends to dominate the horizon when it comes to finding vineyard estates for sale in Italy, but there are also interesting options further south in the country.

Diletta Giorgolo Spinola, head of sales for central and southern Italy at Sotheby’s International Realty, recently told Decanter.com that Sicily was becoming an interesting area to watch for prospective vineyard property buyers, for example. Ever thought of trying to make wine on the volcanic soils of Mount Etna?

There are many different landscapes and wine styles to consider across southern Italy, of course.

Puglia, the region that stretches along the coast at the heel of Italy’s ‘boot’, has in the past been touted as the ‘new Tuscany’, although that perhaps does a disservice to the region’s own long history – including in wine production.

‘Puglia has had a thriving wine industry for centuries, always out-producing Tuscany and nearby Campania,’ as Adrian Mourby noted in his recent Decanter travel guide on the region.

Top grape varieties include Primitivo and Negroamaro, known for their fuller-bodied red wines.

On the opposite side of the country is an entirely different proposition; the steep slopes of the Amalfi coast need little introduction and can provide a stunning-if-challenging location on which to make wine.

A commercial wine project is not to be undertaken lightly, of course, but then other prospective buyers might envisage a ‘lifestyle’ or ‘hobby’ vineyard that can be tended more casually.

Here are some examples of different types of vineyard estates for sale at the higher end of the market, to provide some inspiration.

Organic winery and vineyard estate in Puglia, listed for €2.98m

Lying near to Bari on the Murge plateau at 270 metres above sea level, this organic winery has working cellars in-place.

You’ll also find 10ha of vines, planted to a range of grape varieties – including Nero di Troia, Bombino Nero, Aleatico, Negroamaro, Malbec and Fiano.

The estate is capable of producing 55,000 bottles of wine per year, according to the listing by Christie’s International Real Estate, in partnership with local agency Romolini.

There’s also a six-bedroom, 19th century villa from which to mastermind your wine project. The vineyards have been farmed organically since 2009 and were certified in 2016, according to the listing.

Remote island living on Pantelleria, listed for €3.8m

If you can tear yourself away from the infinity pool overlooking the Mediterranean then this property on the tiny island of Pantelleria also has 800 vines to tend as part of a small-scale hobby project.

There are also 250 olive trees and 100 caper plants, according to the listing by the Italy division of Sotheby’s International Realty – not to mention a nine-bedroom villa built into the landscape.

Pantelleria lies around 85km off the southern coast of mainland Italy and is home to a vine-growing technique that gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 2014.

The head-trained bush vines can be used to produce Passito di Pantelleria, a sweet wine made from dried ‘Zibibbo‘ grapes, also known as Muscat of Alexandria.

‘Agritourism’ estate with 30 hectares of land, listed for €2m

Back in the Puglia area and offering something completely different, this large estate in Castellana Grotte could be an interesting farming and tourism project.

There is a two-hectare vineyard with 7,500 vines. ‘Production consists of Primitivo di Gioia DOP e Aglianico dei Borbone, with a production ranging around 1,300 bottles of wine per year,’ said the listing by Christie’s International Real Estate, in partnership with Romolini.

You’ll also find olive groves and a fruit orchard, encompassing cherries, figs, apricots and pears.

There is a ‘private home’ and also seven holiday homes spread across the estate, which is 20 minutes by car from the coast, according to the listing.

Organic winery project perched on the Amalfi Coast, listed for €3.5m

Not one for those suffering from vertigo, perhaps, but this organic winery built onto terraces on the slopes of the Amalfi Coast consists of six hectares of vines, plus two hectares each of olive and lemon groves.

Vineyards are south-east and south-west-facing and planted to Falanghina, Piedirosso, Biancolella, Ginestra, Aglianico and Tintore.

There are several buildings requiring restoration work, but the cellar is described as in excellent condition, according to the listing by Christie’s International Real Estate, in partnership with Romolini.

Alongside wine, the estate also makes Limoncello and a wild fennel liqueur.

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Decanter World Wine Awards 2020 judging began just one week ago on 1 August, and for 28 consecutive days more than 115 expert wine judges will taste over 16,500 wines under safe, socially distanced conditions to carry out the world’s largest and most prestigious wine competition.

One week in, and the Southern Italy panel is now five days into tasting wines from Puglia, Sardinia, Campania, Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily. ‘We’re judging a massive variation and diversity of wine styles, grape varieties, almost cultures actually’ says Anthony Rose, Regional Chair for Southern Italy. 

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Rose continues, ‘I think we kind of know that the classics in Italy are in Piemonte, in Tuscany and in Veneto, and perhaps Southern Italy gets less attention from real wine lovers than it would otherwise get – but increasingly deserves – given that in pockets within each region of Southern Italy there are real attempts to change the game, to move up the quality and to highlight the style in particular with indigenous varieties.’

Looking back to DWWA 2019 results, Campania and Sicily were Southern Italy’s two standout regions, both receiving two Platinum and three Gold medals each. Campania, in particular, performed exceptionally well where 86% of wines entered from the region received a medal, a 26% increase from 2018 entries.

Cenatiempo’s 2017 ‘Kalimera’ from the island of Ischia in Campania made headlines as one of just five ‘Best in Show’ wines from Italy.

‘With Kalimera we want to express the authenticity of our island,’ explains Cenatiempo. ‘It is made from 100% Biancolella, the variety which over time has best adapted to the Ischia terroir. The terraced hills have great sun exposure and ventilation, and through the grapes the wine reflects the influence of the sea, the mountain scrubland and the volcanic soils.’

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The DWWA 2020 Southern Italy panel is feeling very positive about the wines being tasted this year with Anthony Rose mentioning ‘some really nice surprises from Campanian whites’ and panel judge Andres Ituarte looking to Sicily.

‘Sicily is the big one’ says Ituarte. ‘It’s got the altitude, it’s got the sea, it’s got the volcanic soil. There’s so much interest there and so much more to play with for the winemakers.’

Now his fourth year on the Southern Italy panel, Ituarte continues, ‘You can see the development of the regions… when I first started there were so many over-extracted, over-oaked, oak-chippy wines. There’s a real change to drier styles and freshness and balance that wasn’t necessarily there before.

‘Puglia is probably the best example with the Primitivos and Aglianicos, but there’s still a lot there. There’s big traditions with these wines, but then, there seems to be more and more drier styles every year. More restraint, more un-oaked styles, and in my opinion I think that’s a good thing.’ 

Find out if wines from Campania and Sicily receive Southern Italy’s highest scores again, or if other regions stand out at the 2020 competition this 22 September when results are announced on Decanter.com.

Southern Italy: DWWA 2019 top-scoring wines from Campania & Sicily

For stockists and additional wine details, select the wine of interest below

Campania

Cenatiempo, Kalimera, Ischia, Campania, Italy, 2017

97 points, Best in Show

100% Biancolella

An astonishing breakthrough this year for this wine, one of a small and dwindling number of ‘heroic’ whites produced against dissuasive physical odds on the island of Ischia in the Bay of Naples. It’s made from the indigenous Biancolella grape variety which few of our judges had ever tasted before – but its golden colour, almost spritzy style, haunting aromas of wild flowers and fragrant scented hay, and its mouthfilling, complex flavour which seem to hint at celery and fennel as well as quince and captivated everyone who tasted it. A unique, cultural wine of memorable, stealthy charm. Drink 2019-2021

Cantina Sanpaolo di Claudio Quarta, Riserva, Taurasi, Campania, Italy, 2013

97 points, Platinum

100% Aglianico

A dazzling array of fragrant black cherries, violets and tobacco leaf with a warming liquorice, clove and vanilla core. Intensely concentrated and full of character with luxurious tannins, a fresh, succulent acidity and a mouthwatering finish.

Quintodecimo, Vigna Quintodecimo Riserva, Taurasi, Campania, Italy, 2014

98 points, Platinum

100% Aglianico

An outstanding example of Aglianico! Enticing layers of black cherry, dark chocolate and liquorice underpinned by finely interwoven tannins, a glossy texture and a velvety, fruit-driven finish. Very long with a great freshness running throughout.

Marisa Cuomo, Fiorduva, Costa d’Amalfi, Campania, Italy, 2017

96 points, Gold

40% Ripolo, 30% Fenile, 30% Ginestra

Refined layers of honeyed toast, nuts, red apple and peach with a bright, elegant acidity, a beautiful fruit purity and a mouth-filling texture. Wonderfully long and lingering.

San Salvatore, Gillo Dorfles Aglianico, Paestum, Campania, Italy, 2015

95 points, Gold

100% Aglianico

A stunning intensity of succulent plums, cherries and vanilla opening up to a full, fleshy, richly textured palate with silky, velvet tannins and a long, powerful finish.

Tenuta Scuotto, Oi nì Fiano, Campania, Campania, Italy, 2015

95 points, Gold

100% Fiano

A captivating blend of ripe tropical fruit, savoury bread and honeyed nuts, with a warm, rich texture and a lush, mouthwatering acidity. Concentrated, decadent and long.

Sicily

Colosi, Secca del Capo, Salina, Sicily, Italy, 2018

97 points, Platinum

100% Malvasia di Lipari

Enticing tropical fruit and delicate mineral characters give way to an explosion of vibrant citrus and succulent stone fruit; understated and elegant with a beautiful acid backbone, a superb freshness and a very long, intense finish.

Donnafugata, Ben Ryé, Passito di Pantelleria, Sicily, Italy, 2016

98 points, Platinum

100% Zibibbo

More of an experience than merely a wine! An exotic blast of ripe stone fruit and sweet spice unfold to reveal honeyed layers of mandarin zest and sumptuous apricot. Creamy and luxurious with a superb acidity and captivating finish.

Baglio del Cristo di Campobello, Laudàri Chardonnay, Sicilia, Sicily, Italy, 2017

96 points, Gold

100% Chardonnay

A fabulous blend of intense tropical fruit and smoky, nutty vanilla aromas, with a wonderfully structured, rich sunny palate underpinned by a beautifully fresh mineral character and a long, classy finish.

Di Legami, Berlinghieri Grillo, Sicilia, Sicily, Italy, 2018

95 points, Gold

100% Grillo

Bewitching aromas and flavours of ripe stone fruits, honey and orange zest. Complex, crisp and long, this is a very nicely made example of Grillo. Great development potential, too.

Torre Mora, Scalunera, Etna, Sicily, Italy, 2018

95 points, Gold

100% Carricante

Layers of stunning citrus, apple and delicate florals with a delicious mineral core; crisp, fresh and salty with a mouthwatering, succulent acidity and a delightful honeyed floral finish.

See all DWWA 2019 results

The future for Aglianico looks promising. This ancient grape is the signature red variety in the rugged, beautiful regions of Campania and Basilicata, and wine quality is on a steep upward trajectory. It should be on every wine lover’s radar.

Aglianico is sometimes called the ‘Nebbiolo of the south’, but this really doesn’t do the grape justice. Like Nebbiolo, wines made from Aglianico have inherent quality and a remarkable ability to age, with many examples showing alluring floral aromatics when young, and developing spice and herbal nuances with time in bottle. The wines will almost certainly differ in colour (Nebbiolo has thin skins, whereas Aglianico is thick-skinned), while both share high acidity and plentiful tannins – the latter characteristic sometimes makes Aglianico a difficult choice for consumers.

However, times are changing, and exciting wines are being produced across Campania and Basilicata as winemakers get to grips with the challenges the grape variety brings, producing distinctive, fragrant, terroir-specific wines, and often giving amazing value.

Many leading commentators are strong advocates for Aglianico. Jancis Robinson MW notes: ‘There are some grape varieties that, like Cary Grant and Catherine Deneuve, exude class. Aglianico is one of these.’ Renowned Italian wine expert Ian D’Agata goes further, stating: ‘Aglianico is one of the world’s dozen or so great grape varieties.’

What is undeniable is Aglianico’s ability to age – leading producer Mastroberardino holds stocks dating back to the 1950s, which have the freshness of a wine produced in the past two or three years. But allied to this, producers are now finding ways to express the finesse of the Aglianico grape while enhancing its ability to emphasise individual terroir characteristics. Highly respected consultant Riccardo Cotarella observes: ‘Aglianico is an outstanding marker of the territory. It’s able to express where it comes from like few other vines.’

Ancient soils

Aglianico can be found across southern Italy in Molise, Puglia, Calabria and Sicily, but it is within Campania and Basilicata that it reaches its finest expression.

Campania is the home of two DOCGs, Aglianico del Taburno and Taurasi. The latter was southern Italy’s first red DOCG classification in 1993; Taburno achieved the same status in 2011. Basilicata, an even more remote but beautiful region to Campania’s south and east, is renowned for Aglianico del Vulture, and a DOCG for Aglianico del Vulture Superiore was created in 2010.

Volcanic influences can be seen in many, but not all, of the key Aglianico areas. However, the type (and timing) of volcanic activity is markedly different across Campania and Basilicata. Taurasi lies in Irpinia, 50km northeast of Naples, with vineyards in the Apennine hills of Avellino.

Taurasi is influenced by its proximity to mount Vesuvius, with deep wind-blown ash from relatively recent eruptions having a marked impact on soils, in turn accentuating smoky, mineral characters. Taburno, in the province of Benevento, is a mountain rather than a volcano, although the eruptions of the super-volcano Campi Flegrei, some 15,000-39,000 years ago, left a marked influence here.

White Falanghina grapes are most commonly grown on volcanic earth, with Aglianico vineyards situated high on Taburno’s steep slopes, on ancient clay-limestone soils.

In contrast, on the coast south of Salerno, the newly emerging areas of Cilento and Paestum have no volcanic influence, but are dominated by proximity to the sea.

In neighbouring Basilicata, the finest vineyards are located on the steep eastern flanks of the ancient Mount Vulture, a volcano extinct since the Pleistocene era.

Taurasi DOCG must contain 85% Aglianico, but is occasionally blended with Piedirosso, Barbera and Primitivo. Taurasi wines tend to be full-bodied with high tannins and acidity; they have black- and red-berry fruit flavours, and black-olive and herbal notes when young; and they develop spice and smoke characters when aged. The best examples can be astonishingly long-lived.

Aglianico del Taburno DOCG must also be 85% Aglianico and is often a touch lighter than Taurasi, with red-fruit notes and slightly less prominent tannins, all balanced with higher acidity. Wines from coastal Cilento and Paestum, without the influence of volcanic soil, display an alluring floral, fragrant and refined edge with the cooling influence of sea breezes evident.

Basilicata

The Basilicata region’s only DOCG, Aglianico del Vulture Superiore requires 100% Aglianico, and in the past it gained an unwarranted reputation for firm, tannic and intense wines. The reality is very different. Ian D’Agata believes that Vulture wines display ‘the most intense fruit aromas and flavours’ with rich plum and mineral notes dominating. Fertile soils with high mineral content are found here, lying over ancient layers of lava and lapilli (small volcanic stones), which cover impervious clay soils beneath. As a result, soils drain well while retaining water – an important characteristic in an area where high summer temperatures are common.

Basilicata is a rugged, sparsely populated countryside which seems to belong to previous centuries. On my recent visit I was held up several times by shepherds driving flocks of hundreds of sheep across the country roads. However, winemakers here have definitely moved with the times. Elena Fucci is a renowned producer in Barile, and has focused all her efforts on a single wine (Titolo) at her winery since 2000. With 6ha of vines, at 600m above sea level, Fucci is driven purely by quality and regularly produces at 50% of the permitted yield. Refinement is her primary objective, with a subtle influence of oak and restrained tannins. As with most modern producers of Aglianico, a delicate approach in the winery is key. Fucci de-stems but avoids crushing grapes on arrival at the winery to minimise bitter flavours. She notes that ‘with Aglianico, it is very important to press very softly’. Fucci has experimented with amphorae but has some concerns over the higher porosity, so now uses smaller barriques with extra thickness to reduce gas transmission.

At the other end of the production scale in Basilicata, one finds the cooperative of Cantina di Venosa, the largest producer of Aglianico in the region. Founded in 1957, the co-op has 400 members and more than 800ha of vineyard land, producing a wide range of Aglianico wines, from sparkling to rosé, to light- and full-bodied reds. Commercial

director Antonio Teora explains the balance between power and freshness which is achieved in Vulture as being down to a combination of altitude and very high potassium levels in the soils. Although very different to the Fucci wines, the Cantina’s wines share similar fruit profiles, subtle oak ageing and finesse, all at competitive prices.

Campania

Close to the Campanian coast, Cilento and Paestum have emerged as sources of refined, elegant, ‘new-wave’ Aglianico. Jack Lewens, ex-sommelier and co-owner of Leroy in London’s Shoreditch, has set up the Vigneti Tardis co-venture with Bruno De Conciliis of Viticoltori De Conciliis, making delicate Aglianico wines (and Aglianicone, a distinct and ancient variety which shares similar acidity and tannins to Aglianico, though perhaps with a touch more fruit and a little less spice) from low-yielding vines with a hands-off, minimal intervention, low-sulphur approach. Lewens says: ‘We’re trying to emphasise the freshness in the wine, and the high levels of potassium in the area give a lovely saline freshness to the palate.’

Luigi Maffini is another Cilento producer who has strong views about the tough, tannic and robust Aglianicos of the past. Maffini emphasises the importance of balancing yields to get the most out of the grape: ‘Higher yields equate to less ripe tannins. Aglianico is richer than Nebbiolo and needs lots of work. It’s very important to take care in the vineyards.’

In the winery, Maffini restricts the amount of time his wines spend in oak for ageing, and minimises the use of new barrels. He sees a big difference between the coastal wines and those from Taurasi and Vulture, stating: ‘The style of wines coming out of Cilento is much more delicate, with fine tannins – this allows the fruit to shine.’

Since the 1980s, Taburno has established itself as another key area for Aglianico. Elevation is a significant factor here, with the region seeing very different climatic conditions to nearby Taurasi. The La Guardiense cooperative, founded in 1960, has close to 1,000 members and is the biggest producer of (white) Falanghina in the world. Marco

Giulioli is winemaker at La Guardiense, where he has worked for many years with consultant Riccardo Cotarella. Giulioli has seen vinification techniques improve in the past decade, in particular learning to adapt to the requirements of the specific Taburno biotype Aglianico Amaro (‘bitter Aglianico’). Giulioli expresses a personal preference for cooler vintages where he sees a very different tannic profile, but warns: ‘You need to talk about hours, not days, for skin contact. Gentle extraction is the key.’

Modern outlook

Mastroberardino is almost certainly the most famous name and influential producer of Aglianico in Campania. The family-run estate was created in the 1750s, and Piero Mastroberardino represents the 10^th generation to run the business.

Mastroberardino is a huge advocate for Taurasi Aglianico, believing that the area shares many similarities to Burgundy, with a patchwork of different sites, soils and mesoclimates. Taurasi is cooler than the coast, largely down to the significant altitude (which ranges from 200m-900m above sea level), and the presence of volcanic ash over colder clay, or clay-limestone/sand soils.

Mastroberardino demonstrates how Aglianico ages, proudly showing off vintages dating back to the 19th century in its newly created museum. Of Mastroberardino’s range, the Radici (and Radici Riserva) wines are perhaps the most impressive and classical in style. These are wines that merit at least one, if not two or three decades of ageing in

bottle to reach maximum potential. The Radici, Taurasi 2015 is elegant and has great fruit purity, with fine tannins suggesting a drinking window of 2025-2060. However, Piero is also developing new, more modern styles such as Stilèma Taurasi, a wine with short, low-temperature maceration accentuating leafy, lifted red-cherry characters. Mastroberardino is also pushing the boundaries of Aglianico further with its floral IGP white Neroametà; the vibrant

Lacrimarosa Rosato (fresh, strawberry fruit and a salty finish); and Anthères – a rare sweet red made from botrytised grapes.

Another top producer in Irpinia is Feudi di San Gregorio, run by the irrepressible Antonio Capaldo. The current winery was built in 1986 after the devastating earthquake of 1980, and the stylish buildings and tourism facilities are a long way removed from many of the region’s more traditional producers. Capaldo notes that Aglianico was planted in the area 200 years ago, and that this is one of the keys to the variety: ‘The grapes are very able to balance themselves. We don’t green harvest and it’s important not to force them.’ The wines of Feudi di San Gregorio run the whole gamut from intense metodo classico sparkling Aglianico Brut, through to fresh, crisp and briary reds such as Dal Re, to intense Taurasi and single-vineyard bottlings.

Within its upper range, Aglianico imparts power, longevity and purity of fruit, but with remarkable finesse. Oak and tannins are always in the background, with balance being the key word. Feudi’s top wines are Serpico (10,000 bottles, very old vines, 12 months in new barrel followed by five years in bottle) and a range of single-vineyard wines (Contrada Rosamilia and Contrada Candriano), which emphasise their individual sense of place.

Stock your cellar

Modern-day Aglianico from Campania and Basilicata is a variety that surprises as well as excites. For many consumers, previous experience suggests that Aglianico will be sturdy, tannic and need many years of ageing before becoming approachable.

However, winemakers across both regions have adapted their methods and are now allowing Aglianico’s inherent quality to shine. Greater focus on the vineyard and a gentler approach in the winery are yielding floral, fine wines that have great terroir character, yet manage to retain Aglianico’s remarkable ageing ability.

When one considers the quality available for the price, these are wines that should be on every wine lover’s shopping list.

Howard’s pick: 12 top Aglianicos

The Antinori family is indelibly associated with Tuscany, but for decades it has also owned properties elsewhere, such as Piedmont and Napa Valley. In 1989 they ventured into Puglia by purchasing two estates: Bocca di Lupo in Castel del Monte and Masseria Maime, south of Brindisi and close to the Adriatic.

Bocca di Lupo had been owned by the Gancia family, and most of the vines planted were white varieties destined for sparkling wine. The white wine is still produced in the form of the lightly oaked and relatively inexpensive Pietrabianca, a Chardonnay with a dash of Fiano. But there were also some Aglianico vines that had been planted in the mid-1980s, which Antinori’s head winemaker Renzo Cotarella decided to vinify. He liked what he tasted and planted more Aglianico, which was the source for the wine called Bocca di Lupo. In 2001 Cotarella blended in a little Cabernet Sauvignon, but found it dominant and distracting, so dropped it from subsequent vintages.Cotarella explained: ‘There are three main areas where Aglianico flourishes: Campania, especially in its flagship appellation Taurasi; Vulture in Basilicata; and Castel del Monte. They are all different. Vulture is on volcanic soils, but here in Puglia it’s grown on calcareous tufo soils that give considerable finesse.’

Nonetheless, Aglianico remains a tannic variety. ‘If the bunches aren’t fully ripe, the skins and especially the seeds will give you ferocious tannins. What wasn’t always realised is that phenolic ripeness occurs some seven to ten days after sugar ripeness. There were vintages when we over-extracted, especially by fermenting at temperatures higher than we would employ today.’

Winemaking decisions here vary according to the vintage character. There is no formula, but in general Bocca di Lupo is picked late, not overripe, fermented at up to 28C with a maceration of 15 to 18 days, and then aged in small barrels for around 15 months. In recent vintages Cotarella has been moving from barriques to French barrels of larger capacity such as 300 or 500 litres. He is vague about such matters as the proportion of new oak or toast levels. ‘We often don’t transfer the wine to barrels until January after the harvest, so we have plenty of time to assess the character of the wine before we need to order the barrels. So there’s flexibility when it comes to deciding on the kind of barrels we want for this wine.’

‘By 2010,’ he continues, ‘I knew the style of Aglianico I wanted from this site. I want intensity but not excessive muscularity. I can accept some austerity – that comes with the variety – but not rusticity.’

In 2012, Cotarella changed the vinification method, installing small conical steel tanks that allow him to ferment at lower temperatures. During fermentation, the seeds can drop to the bottom of the tanks, and about half of them are removed. This minimises the extraction of harsh tannins from those seeds. ‘This technique gives us earlier drinkability – I want our wines to be accessible once they’re released – but we can also retain a firm structure that gives an ageing potential of up to 20 years.’

This is in line with the Antinori house style, which never delivers blockbuster wines. Bocca di Lupo is more polished than many wines from neighbouring Vulture, but there is no lack of richness or power.

Tormaresca Bocca di Lupo: Tasting seven vintages

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Calabria is one of southern Italy's most exciting wine regions for indigenous grape varieties, says Walter Speller, who picks several wine producers to know about.

These producers first appeared in the regional profile of Calabria in the May 2018 issue of Decanter. Decanter Premium subscribers can read the full article here. 

Six Calabria producers to know

’A Vita

Francesco de Franco is one of a handful of young Cirò producers who strictly adheres to organic protocols. Due to their highly original expressions of the red Gaglioppo grape, these producers have been dubbed ‘Cirò Revolution’. De Franco makes complex, long-lived wines that defy the region’s undeserved label of rustic and tannic – a reputation that led to a controversial change of rules to allow the blending of international varieties. His complex Riserva, which stays on the skins for 40 days, clearly shows the fallacy of that change of rule.

Ferrocinto

No newcomer, Ferrocinto (pictured top) was founded in 1658, but the estate’s potential has only been revealed since 2000 with the replanting of its vineyards, located in the Pollino Mountains at 600m above sea level, with a strong focus on indigenous varieties – notably Magliocco Dolce. Research in its experimental vineyard has unearthed a further 20 local varieties that are completely unknown and potentially interesting. Winemaker Stefano Coppola makes blends of Magliocco Dolce and the more rustic Magliocco Canino, while cask samples of pure Magliocco Dolce show huge class.

Giuseppe Calabrese

Agricultural college drop-out Giuseppe Calabrese planted his first vines at the age of 10. He took over old vineyards from his grandmother in 2007 and only started to bottle under his own name in 2013. The tiny plots, scattered around the Pollino Mountains – several of which still have alberello-trained vines – have been tended organically, and the approach in the cellar is completely hands-off. Calabrese’s pure Magliocco Dolce is energetic and a little wild, while his finely chiselled tannins call to mind Nebbiolo.

Librandi

No one has done more for Cirò than the historic estate of Librandi. The release in 1988 of Gravello, an award-winning Gaglioppo-Cabernet Sauvignon blend, paved the way for wider international recognition of the winery’s Duca Sanfelice Riserva Cirò, which helped shine a spotlight on the denomination. Librandi was also trailblazing in its research into local grape varieties, planted in its experimental vineyard, and was one of the first producers to realise the potential of Magliocco Dolce, evidenced by the release of Magno Megonio back in 1998.

Serracavallo

A newcomer to wine, Demetrio Stancati planted French grape varieties on his family’s estate in 1995, because, as he admits, this attracted the attention of journalists at a time when very few people had heard about this wild corner of Calabria. The vineyards of his Serracavallo estate are situated in the windy hills of La Sila, a rugged nature reserve, where large diurnal temperature differences render wonderfully supple wines. Several Serracavallo wines are blends of Magliocco Dolce and Cabernet Sauvignon, but the most original rendition is pure Magliocco Dolce.

Terre del Gufo

Eugenio Muzzillo is fast advancing as a Magliocco Dolce specialist. All 5ha of vineyards on his Terre di Gufo estate, which sit at 500m altitude, have been planted with this variety. As one of the very few winemakers located here, the production of Muzzillo’s Magliocco keeps the tiny, historic Donnici denomination alive. So far, he has been unable to label his Magliocco Dolce as such because – due to a bizarre quirk of fate – only the rustic Magliocco Canino has been officially registered in Italy’s national register of grape varieties. Apparently, official correction is underway – not least because of Muzzillo’s work.

Premium members can read full Decanter magazine articles online here

Find out about our Decanter World Wine Awards 2014 Southern Italy judging panel with biographies of the Regional Chair Jane Hunt MW plus Alessandro Torcoli, Antony Moss MW, Charles Curtis MW, Daniele Cernilli, Jean Reilly MW, Luciana Lynch, Margaret Rand, Nick Bielak, Peter Nixson and Sebastian Payne MW.

Regional chair: Jane Hunt MW

Hunt’s 40-year career in wine has spanned sales, marketing, buying, education, writing and PR. She moved from Italy to the UK in 1977, and became a Vintners’ Company Scholar in 1981 and a Master of Wine in 1985. Hunt now runs Hunt & Coady, which organises trade tastings and the annual Argentina Wine Awards competition in Mendoza. Hunt spends several months of the year in Italy, where she produces olive oil at her renovated farmhouse in Umbria.

Judges

Alessandro Torcoli

Alessandro Torcoli is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Italian wine magazine Civilta del Bere. In his time as editor, he has organised wine tastings and events around the world, with these including Vino Vip Cortina, the biannual summit of the best Italian wines. Torcoli has been writing about wine since 1998, studied public relations, and achieved the sommelier certificate from the Associazione Italiana Sommelier (Italian sommelier association). The recipient of many awards for this writing, Torcoli was awarded Best Young Italian Wine Journalist by the Comitato Grandi Cru d’Italia in 2009, and he appears regularly on TV as well as contributing to Italian newspapers.

Antony Moss MW

Antony Moss MW is director of strategic planning for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET). His current role covers long-term business planning and new product development, and he was previously responsible for the WSET’s textbooks and other education materials. Moss has worked for the company since 2004 and was the author of Wines & Spirits: Looking Behind the Label. Moss joined the wine industry in 1998 as a part-time sales advisor for S.H. Jones in Leamington Spa, and completed his WSET diploma in 2003 while working for Sainsbury’s supermarkets. He won the Austrian wine marketing board’s prize for both his WSET diploma and MW, and he is now a member of the education committee for the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW), supervising one of their two European second year residential programs.

Charles Curtis MW

Charles Curtis MW is an 18-year veteran of the wine trade and has held a variety of posts over the years, but his professional career began as a chef, trained in Paris, after which he worked in restaurants around the world. In October 2004, Curtis became the 22nd Master of Wine in the United States and he has held the role of head of wine for Christie’s in both the Americas and Asia. Curtis writes regularly for the Chinese version of La Revue du Vin de France and he has been a contributing editor to books and magazines on wine, as well as a featured speaker at dozens of wine and food festivals. Curtis currently advises on fine wine to private, trade and institutional clients through his company CurtisMW.

Daniele Cernilli

Daniele Cernilli was born in Rome and graduated with a masters in philosophy. In 1979 he began his career in the wine trade at Vini & Liquori, a monthly magazine, before going on to co-found what would become the annual Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia in 1987. Cernilli has held various editorial positions, including editor-at-large of Gambero Rosso magazine and Wine Travel Food, and in 1988 he was named editor-in-chief of Vini d’Italia (also published in English as Italian Wines), where he directed the tastings of wines entered from all over Italy – from a few hundred in the first edition to over 18,000 in the 2010 edition. In 1999, Cernilli started writing for Rai Sat/Gambero Rosso Channel and, in 2009, he was made editor-in-chief of the programme. Cernilli has consulted for the Associazione Italiana Sommelier and the Worldwide Sommelier Association, and is currently working on his own Italian and English web magazine, DoctorWine.it. In 2013 he began cooperating with ONAV (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori di Vino), Spirito di Vino, Sette (weekly of the Italian leading newspaper Corriere della Sera) and Pagina99 (weekly magazine for art & culture).

Jean Reilly MW

Jean K Reilly MW has over a dozen years experience in the wine industry. She has traveled to more than 60 wine regions across four continents. Reillycurrently works as a public speaker and a purchasing and private label consultant to retailers. In the past, she has run the purchasing operations of JJ Buckley Fine Wines, Morrel & Company and the Morrell Wine Bar & Café. In 2010, Reilly became the fifth American woman to earn the Master of Wine title. Her dissertation on US Sommelier Opinions of German Riesling won the Quinta do Noval Award for Outstanding Dissertation. Reilly appears frequently on television and radio speaking about wine and writes for a variety of publications, including Beverage Media, Fortune and American Airlines’ Latitudes magazine. Reilly is also a professional skydiver, having made over 800 jumps. She recently completed a qualification which will allow her to fulfill her dream of parachuting into famous vineyards and iconic wine events around the world.

Luciana Lynch

Luciana Lynch held senior positions at companies including Hedges & Butler, Findlater Matta, Remy Associés and Enotria before setting up her own business and consultancy in the late 1980s. Her entire career has seen her engage in selling and sourcing wines, especially from Italy, although she has also been involved in wine education and journalism. She is now retired, after a wine career spanning 35 years.

Margaret Rand

Margaret Rand is a past editor of Wine Magazine, Wine & Spirit International and Whisky Magazine. She now writes for World of Fine Wine, Drinks Business, Decanter and the FT among others, and is general editor of Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book. She is working on a new edition of Grapes and Wines, and in 2013 won the Louis Roederer Feature Writer of the Year award.

Nick Bielak

After several forays to Italy, Nick Bielak emigrated in 1996 and inevitably became involved in wine, working for a Puglian winery until 2003. He then returned to London to work for Bibendum as an Italian specialist. Since 2006, Bielak has had the privilage of working with Nicolas Belfrage MW at Vinexus, with whom he roams Italy’s vast expanse of DOCs and DOCGs, consulting with producers and enologists. He currently spends half his time in Italy, and half in London and has recently embarked on MW studies.

Peter Nixson

Peter Nixson joined British Airways as an airline steward in 1973 – having never drunk a glass of wine in his life. Through his job he visited places including California, South Africa and Australia at the time when their wine industries were starting to become established. His interest in wine grew and, in 1982, he began to take courses at the WSET and earned his diploma with honours in 1986. The following year, he joined BA’s newly created wine department taking over its management in 1989. For the next 20 years he was responsible for the selection of all BA’s wines – over 450,000 cases a year – including the Concorde cellar. Nixson left BA in 2009, worked for Vinum, a specialist importer of Italian wines and currently owns wine consultancy firm Airline Wine Consultancy.

Sebastian Payne MW

Sebastian Payne MW joined the wine trade in 1970 at Fred May, a shipper specialising in the wines of France, Germany and Hungary. Three years later he joined The Wine Society as promotions manager, responsible for publications, and in 1977 he passed his MW. Payne was appointed chief buyer in 1985, has travelled to all of the world’s major wine regions, and is a Chevalier dans l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole. In 1995, he served as chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine, and in 1996 he was chairman of the Masters of Wine examiners. Having stepped down as chief buyer, Payne remains an integral part of The Wine Society’s buying team and currently sources its Italian, German and Eastern European wines, as well as writing for the Society List and website.

Written by John Abbott

This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for Red Southern Italy over £15 went to Duca di Salaparuta, Duca Enrico, Sicilia 2009 (14%)

Tasted against:

• Quintodecimo, Vigna Grande Cerzito Riserva, Taurasi 2009

Profile:

When this trophy-winner was first made 30 years ago, it was the first wine in Sicily produced from 100% Nero d’Avola, marking a significant step in the grape variety’s development, and a realisation among the island’s producers that it could form the basis of truly fine wines.

Duca di Salaparuta was founded in 1824. The dukes were the first Sicilians to study winemaking in France, and the first to bottle their own wine. Today it produces one million bottles a year, of which Duca Enrico comprises just 15,000.

The grapes come from the Suor Marchesa Estate in Butera, southern Sicily, with the vines growing at at altitudes of 200m to 300m on calcareous-siliceous soils. Duca di Salaparuta believes that it is this altitude, combined with the southern exposure, high temperatures and cooling, disease-eradicating winds that help Nero d’Avola shine here.

Once the grapes have achieved optimal ripeness, the bush-trained, low-yielding vines are harvested by hand. Following malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged for at least 18 months in fine-grained oak barrels, and then has a further 18 months in bottle before release.

Written by Decanter

The Decanter Interview: From Canada through California, Texas and Slovakia, winemaker Mark Shannon has made his home in Puglia, southern Italy. BRIAN ST PIERRE meets the man behind Italy’s world-famous award-winning brands, A Mano and Promessa

Puglia is the heel of Italy’s boot. Yet this is the region that is traditionally trodden under foot. To the prosperous northerners of Italy, Apulia is a shrug, a minor interruption. Yet, to the exasperation of the southerners, the rest of Italy eats their abundant vegetables and fruit, nibbles their smooth mozzarella, liberally pours their excellent olive oil, mops its up with their bread, and washes it all down with wines that were traditionally ‘corrected’ by blending in the liquid sunshine of the south, all the while looking the other way and murmuring of other things. Still, one man’s anonymous backwater is another’s peaceful haven, as it is for winemaker Mark Shannon. For him, Puglia is where opportunity flourishes as abundantly as the grapes that brought him here from California, to a way of life that made it easy to put down his own roots in its rock-strewn, oxblood-coloured soil.

Two stories illustrate its pull, he says. ‘I was driving around and got lost one day, so I stopped to ask directions, in my halting, self-taught Italian. The guy I was asking jumped into the car and told me to drive – he scared the daylights out of me, until I realised he was showing me how to get where I needed to go. That’s the way people are here. ‘Later, after I’d contracted with various grape growers, they would call and say, “I’ve got to see you,” but wouldn’t say what about. So I’d drop everything and race over there, and we’d have a cup of coffee or two, and chat about the weather, and that was it. When they said, “I’ve got to see you,” they meant, “I’ve got to see you.” It’s a tactile business here, based on respect, courtesy and trust. A generous land, and generous people.’

The award-winning wines he makes, under brand names A Mano (‘by hand’) and Promessa (‘promise’) are from native grape varieties – Negroamaro and Primitivo. My spell-check keeps trying to render the latter as ‘primitive’ and, to be fair, this was its image for a long time. The name is actually derived from the word primaticcio, or early, Shannon explains: ‘Around here, they say it’s the first child to wake up, as it ripens early and quickly.’ (The length of the harvest can be 7–10 days.) It’s also the grape that became Zinfandel in California.

Home from home

We are standing in the middle of a small vineyard, surrounded by waist-high clumps of old vines, grown in a method known as alberello, or ‘head-trained’, as they say in California. ‘Remind you of anything?’ Shannon chuckles. ‘The first time I saw these vines, I thought, this could be Lodi, this could be Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma in the old days. I’ve come a long way, but full circle!’

Born in Canada and raised in Los Angeles, Shannon aimed at being a doctor all through adolescence. When he was accepted into medical school, he suddenly realised it wasn’t for him. All those science courses hadn’t gone to waste, though; he had become a home winemaker, and enjoyed it enough to go to UCD (University of California, Davis). He was working as a fisherman on the Sacramento River to pay his way through university when he was offered a job at Bogle Winery, a pioneer of grape-growing in the river’s delta region.

https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/los-angeles-times-shaw-dies-96793/

After a decade at Bogle, Shannon became a consultant and supervised the start-up of TV actor Fess Parker’s winery in Santa Barbara. There followed a winery in Texas, and one in Slovakia at the behest of the US State Department, helping privatise the country’s wine industry after the collapse of communism (‘the grape growers and wineries had only ever talked to bureaucrats in ministries, never to each other’).

After all that, a winery project in Sicily sounded easy. When he joined a small team there, he met his partner, Elvezia Sbalchiero, a consultant on packaging and marketing. Originally from Friuli, she didn’t know much more about southern Italy than he, but as their employer was developing (and over-extending) projects in several places, they learned together. Puglia got ‘under their skins’, as they cheerfully admit, and when the deal collapsed they decided not to let a good business plan, and relationship, slip away. With credit cards and high hopes, they launched A Mano in 1997.

‘My lab equipment was dropped at the airport on arrival, and some of it broke,’ recalls Shannon. ‘It was right before the harvest, no time to replace it, so I had to make the wine the old-fashioned way, without a lot of technical analysis, mostly by sensory evaluation. It was liberating. I’m basically non-interventionist anyway, and Primitivo and Negroamaro both announce what they want to become, so I let them talk. After all, terroir is the taste of fruit from a specific place, and there is a specificity here. So I just try not to get in the way, not to compromise it.’

Back then, there were only a few wineries, and very little bottled wine sold. Now the pace of change is rapid, he says, with quality expanding widely and the previous brawny rusticity of the bulk-wine business fading. Regional prejudice was so extreme six or seven years ago that he and Sbalchiero didn’t plan to sell the wines in Italy, concentrating instead on the US, UK and northern Europe. ‘We would go to Vinitaly and tell people that if they came to our stand and tasted the wine, we’d give them a bottle of our olive oil,’ she says.

Shannon and Sbalchiero live and work in a considerably renovated masseria – a farmhouse several hundred years old which had been abandoned for 10 years and was so rundown that the estate agent refused to accompany them to see it. The small winery, also considerably modernised from an earlier incarnation, is nearby. All the grapes are purchased, from numerous growers with small, low-yielding old vineyards. In the past, growers had little choice but to bring their grapes to the local coop and wait until the spring or even later to be paid. Shannon and Sbalchiero paid sooner and better. And reaped quality produce in return.

‘The piazza is a very small place,’ says Shannon. ‘Word got around. We showed respect by setting criteria and standards, and never telling them what to do. We only deal with Puglian varieties, just Primitivo and Negroamaro. We won’t look at Merlot or other international varieties. Right now I can inspect every grape that comes into the winery. We’ll keep growing till I can’t, then we’ll stop.’ Besides the two varietal wines, Shannon also makes a blend – Rosso Salento – and in very good years sets aside a few barrels for Prima Mano, his version of a reserve wine. The next extension, after more tinkering and tweaking, will be a rosé. ‘It will be wonderful,’ he says with the grin of a man who has drawn a hand full of aces. ‘It will be legitimate Puglian. It will not be an apologetic wine.’

https://www.decanter.com/wine/grape-varieties/negroamaro-red-52410/

We go to dinner in town, in Gioia del Colle, which is neither joyous nor hilly, but has a cheerful restaurant and enoteca – Il Santo Bevitore – where Shannon and Sbalchiero are greeted like long-lost relatives. The antipasti consist of 10 vegetarian dishes. It’s an astounding, richly flavoured array, a snapshot of Puglia’s abundance. This may be cucina povera (the food of the poor) but they’ve made the most of it. The lightly floral top notes of the 2001 Negroamaro, with its distinctive fruit and suppleness, dance cheek to cheek with most of the platters. Then we switch to the firmer, vibrant 2001 A Mano for the equally perfect match of fried black olives and charcoal-grilled lamb.

The dinner isn’t a bad analogy to what they’ve done here, putting their lives and wines together. ‘One day we’ll make a profit!’ adds Shannon. Sbalchiero, slightly more serious, asks: ‘Do you think we’re crazy to have come here, to have done this?’ The only thing crazy is the question.

Brian St Pierre is the author of Vino Bravo: The Italian Wine-Lover’s Cookbook, available in late 2004 from Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

Southern Italy is fighting back against the dominance of the north with a wealth of delicious red wines from native and international varieties. PAUL FRANSON reports.

LONG overshadowed by northern Italy’s reds, the red wines of Southern Italy Mezzogiorno are increasingly stepping into the spotlight. The area long supplied mostly forgettable wines sold locally from spigots or shipped north to beef up weak vintages, but more and more southern wineries are joining the few pioneers who have made notable wines in the past.

These wineries, both new and revived, seem to have taken much inspiration from the New World – to exploit their natural gift of sunlight, they’ve made massive improvements in viticulture and winemaking to produce fresh new wines with the prominent fruit flavours so popular with wine drinkers everywhere.

These changes are particularly apparent in Puglia and Sicily, already two of the largest wine-producing regions in Southern Italy. There, outside investors, new blood at old wineries and local entrepreneurs are revolutionising their local wine worlds.

Northern wine companies are among those changing the south. Many companies have bought land in the southern Italy to reduce costs – Puglian grower Giovanni Cantore says land in his region costs t15,000 per ha (hectare), compared with t250,000 in Tuscany – but they are also bringing in expertise and attention.

Antinori bought 100ha in the hilly Murgia DOC near Castel del Monte in 1998 for its Tormaresca venture, then 500ha south of Brindisi on the coast in 1999, in order to produce both value wines and stars. Likewise, Verona’s Pasqua bought 100ha in Manduria and has also partnered with Fazio Wines to produce wine in western Sicily. Feudo Principi di Butera in southwestern Sicily is a promising new venture from Vicenza’s Zonin wine empire, which also owns Masseria Conte Martini Marissimo in Puglia.

But many of the most important innovators in southern Italy are local. The latest generation of local wine families, educated and widely travelled, are investing in new planting and equipment and hiring respected wine consultants such as Riccardo Cotarella and Severino Garofano to produce vastly improved wines. Examples include Tenuta Rapitalà and Dei Principi di Spadafora in Sicily, and Accademia dei Racemi, Taurino and Candido in Puglia.

Other innovators include wealthy entrepreneurs with no wine heritage emulating the ‘California’ model to make excellent wine by investing in vineyards and consultants. They include Luigi Rubino, whose new Tenute Rubino in Puglia boasts 160ha of new vines and a modern winery. Giovanni Cantore first planted 300ha of vines and is now making wine, an unusual progression in Puglia. Another newcomer is California winemaker Mark Shannon of Fusione, whose A Mano wine has received worldwide attention.

Even traditional cooperatives like Settesoli Winery in Sicily and Agricola Pliniana and Cantina ed Oleificio Sociale di Manduria in Puglia are making better wines and bottling it instead of just selling it in bulk. Calatrasi in Sicily, which was a coop until it was bought by the Micchichè family, has even hired three Australian winemakers. It also owns land and a winery in Puglia.

Wineries in Campania, one of Italy’s most populous regions, produce some of southern Italy’s best and best-known wines, many from traditional grapes. Cantina del Taburno, for example, is a coop that produces exceptional wines including Bue Apis from 180-year-old Aglianico vines.

By contrast, neighbouring Calabria and Basilicata produce much wine, but little has attracted international attention. Among the few wines that have are Paternoster’s Aglianico del Vulture from Basilicata and Librandi’s Gravello from Calabria.

Regional confusion

Southern Italy is divided into many, mostly unfamiliar, wine-producing areas. Though many wines are classified into DOCs (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), that alone gives little indication of quality. There’s only one DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) – Taurasi in Campania – and some of the best wines are IGTs (Indicazione Geografica Tipica).

One source of ongoing controversy is whether wineries should plant international varieties such as Cabernet and Chardonnay, or stick to the grapes that have grown there for thousands of years.

Many producers offer international varieties to appeal to a wider audience, and many blend these grapes into local varieties for the same reason. ‘Introducing international varieties was a way to avoid risk,’ notes (Ms) José Rallo, from Sicilian winery Donnafugata.

In a similar vein, Pasqua is growing both local and foreign grapes in Puglia. ‘We came here for the indigenous varieties,’ notes oenologist Giancarlo Zanel, but he adds that some international varieties perform better in Puglia than in Northern Italy. ‘Chardonnay grown here is more like California or Australia.’

Making a compromise is Antinori’s Tormaresca venture in Puglia, which blends Merlot into Negroamaro for its basic Rosso Puglia, and adds Cabernet to Aglianico for international-style Boca di Lupo.

Other wineries believe indigenous varieties excel in their climates and shun foreign varieties, even those from other parts of Italy. Many prefer to make distinctive wines that taste nothing like the hundreds of Cabernets and Merlots made all over the world.

Mastroberardino in Campania, which has planted indigenous varieties alongside the ruins of Pompeii, is an advocate for using local grapes, and president Fulvio Filo Schiavoni of coop Il Consorzio Produttori Vini in Manduria has even published a book on his beloved Primitivo.

Just as local varieties are grown together with imported vines, grape growing is also in transition. Many vines grow in traditional bushes, but recent plantings reflect worldwide trends to vertical espalier training, dense spacing and careful canopy management as well as matching rootstock to varietal and location.

Likewise, most older cellars include vast concrete tanks, but the newer ones include temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. Few traditional wines used to see significant oak, but many southern winemakers now age their best wines in small oak barrels.

Puglia

Though many producers make excellent wines in Puglia, perhaps most interesting is Accademia dei Racemi, a collection of six estates owned and managed by Gregorio Perrucci and his wife Elisabetta Gorla. Their winery sits side by side with his family’s large bulk winery, but makes only fine wines under such brands as Felline, Sinfarosa and Pervini. Felline Vigna del Feudo is one of the stars of the south, a blend of Primitivo and Montepulciano with a little Cabernet and Merlot. Perrucci was the first to label some of his wine as ‘Zinfandel’ and join California’s Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP) association. His Sinfarosa Primitivo di Manduria/Zinfandel is widely praised.

Some of Puglia’s large, long-established wineries are also being upgraded. Taurino produces some of Puglia’s best wines from 150ha of vines, mostly Negroamaro with Malvasia Nera. Severino Garofano is the winemaking consultant. Its production is about 150,000 cases, including Taurino Patriglione and Notarpanaro of traditional blends. Francesco Candido is also one of Puglia’s largest producers at almost 200,000 cases. Founded in 1959, it owns 160ha in the Salice Salentino DOC. Blending Montepulciano or Cabernet instead of Malvasia Nera into many of its Negroamaros, it makes modern oak-aged wines as well as traditional types.

Agricole Vallone near Brindisi is owned by two sisters, Maria Theresa and Vittoria Vallone. They have expanded the property they inherited to 660ha and have taken steps to produce high-quality wines. Their big Graticciaia is produced from late-harvest grapes that are slightly dried and has been compared to Amarone.

Leone de Castris, a big producer of Salice Salentino, is noted for its Donna Lisa Riserva. Owned by the same family since the 17th century, it makes 300,000 cases from its 380ha of owned vines and bought fruit. The winery is best known, however, for its Five Roses rosé.

Campania

As in other parts of southern Italy, winds of change are blowing across historic Campania, site of Naples, Capri and the Amalfi Coast. Since the area was once a Greek colony, it’s not surprising that the leading red grape is Aglianico. The best-known wine is Taurasi DOCG from Irpinia northeast of Naples, the traditional location for the best red wines.

https://www.decanter.com/wine-travel/italy/decanter-travel-guide-coastal-campania-406477/

Aglianico is also a key component of many other leading wines such as Feudi di San Gregorio’s Serpico, which includes a bit of Merlot for balance. It’s a wine as big as any from California. The winery, regarded as one of the south’s best producers, also makes Merlot Pàtrimo and a small amount of a Syrah called Syriacus with the help of winemaking consultant Riccardo Cotarella.

Cotarella also works with Villa Matilde, Fattoria Galardi, as well as with photographer Silvia Imparato at Montevetrano, whose tiny production of Colle di Salerno has achieved a cult status. The Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Aglianico is similar to the best from Tuscany.

Villa Matilde, owned by a brother and sister team, makes, among other wines, intense but balanced Vigna Camarato of pure Aglianico from a vineyard sandwiched between the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Galardi produces small quantities of its intense Terra di Lavoro from Aglianico and Piedirosso, another indigenous grape that lends fruitiness to the austere Aglianico.

Mastroberardino, a leading producer of Taurasi, is dedicated to preserving indigenous grapes while Terradora di Paola is owned by another branch of the Mastroberardino family. Both make exceptional Taurasi, Mastroberardino Radici Taurasi and Terredora Fatica Contadina.

Sicily

Though surprisingly, Sicily produces more white wine, its reds of primarily Nero d’Avola are generally more interesting.

https://www.decanter.com/wine/wine-regions/sicily/

The traditional leaders are Tasca D’Almerita, which has made wines at its huge Regaleali Estate since 1830, and Duca di Salaparuta, which produces Corvo. The latter is now being revived by a new owner, Illva Saronno, while Tasca D’Almerita remains one of Sicily’s best producers of both value and high-end wine from vineyards at 300–700m in the coldest area of Sicily. Its Tasca d’Almerita Rosso del Conte of Nero d’Avola and its Cabernet Sauvignon are among the island’s best wines.

The biggest excitement in Sicily, however, is among boutiques, many run by young generations of wine families focusing on quality. Sicily’s hottest winery is Planeta, a marketing-oriented firm run by three young cousins. Its Santa Cecilia Nero d’Avola has been described as ‘squeezed Sicily’, while its Merlot has confounded those sceptical that the variety could excel in southern Italy. Likewise, the ancient Abbazia Santa Anastasia on the north coast is producing exceptional wines including Litra, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Nero d’Avola.

Though they’re new to many, southern Italian wines are worth a try. Some are great value, others truly great wines, and they’re just the beginning. Chances are the south will one day make an even bigger impact as consumers discover the wines’ appeal.

Paul Franson is based in the Napa Valley, and writes about wine, food and travel.

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK

Puglia hasn’t yet been discovered, and that’s not too surprising. It’s hot in the summer, and not as scenic as many other parts of Italy. That said, it contains a wealth of history in areas like Manduria, which was a thriving city before Rome became important.

Masseria Bosco is a friendly agritourism inn in a restored rural farming complex near Manduria. The town has an interesting archaeological park, and nearby Oria features a castle built by Frederick II in the 13th century. Tel: +39 0999 704 099. Fax: +39 0999 704 190. www.masseriabosco.it

La Fontanina is a four-star hotel with a gourmet restaurant near Ceglie Messapica. It’s 12km from the Adriatic Sea, and half an hour from the historic port of Brindisi, from Castel del Monte, and from Alberobello and its magic ‘Trulli’ houses with their cone-shaped stone roofs. Tel: +39 0831 380 932. Fax +39 0831 380 933. www.lafontanina.it

An outstanding restaurant featuring local food is Trattoria Pantagruele in Brindisi. Its English-fluent owner can guide patrons through local dishes featuring seafood, fish and vegetarian specialities. Tel: +39 0831 560 605

Campania, of course, features some of the world’s greatest holiday destinations, including Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. All are crowded in the summer, but fine off season. Capri, though very popular, is pleasant even during the season after tourists depart on the last ferry at about 7pm. It’s also uncrowded away from the centre of town since the island doesn’t allow visitors to bring cars and most tourists won’t walk far.

One recommended hotel on Capri is La Canasta just a short walk from the piazza. Via Campo di Teste. Tel: +39 0818 370 561. Fax: +39 0818 376 675. Email: canasta@capri.it

Locals can recommend restaurants that won’t be overrun with tourists; one delight on the way to Tiberius’ villa is La Savardina serving its own wines from pitchers. A little out of the way but popular with Italians is Da Paolino, set in a citrus grove. Tel: +39 0818 376 102. Fax. +39 0818 375 611. Email: dapaolino@capri.it

BEST REDS OF SOUTHERN ITALY

Southern Italy is best known for its wine values. But it also produces some exceptional wines worthy of comparison with those of any region. Here are some consistent standouts.

Puglia

Agricole Vallone Graticciaia Felline Vigna del Feudo Leone de Castris Salice Salentino Donna Lisa Riserva Sinfarosa Primitivo di Manduria/Zinfandel Taurino Patriglione and Notarpanaro

Campania

Feudi di San Gregorio Pàtrimo and Serpico Fattoria Galardi Terra di Lavoro Mastroberardino Radici Taurasi Montevetrano Colle di Salerno Terredora Fatica Contadina Villa Matilde Vigna Camarato

Sicily

Abbazia Santa Anastasia Litra Planeta Merlot and Santa Cecilia Tasca d’Almerita Rosso del Conte and Cabernet Sauvignon

SOUTHERN ITALY’S STAR RED VARIETIES

Aglianico (Hellenic) is one of the many grapes brought to the area when it was a Greek colony. It’s the primary grape in Campania and in the Castel del Monte area in central Puglia. It makes a big, long-lived wine.

Negroamaro (black bitter) is grown in the southern Salento Peninsula, the favoured grape in Salice Salentino. It makes a dusty-tasting wine with notes of leather and earth, even the barnyard, on the nose and palate. These can dominate the fruit, and so the grape is often blended with fruity Malvasia Nera.

Nero d’Avola (black from Avola, an ancient city near Syracuse) or Calabrese, is a chameleon that can produce anything from light rosés to intense, ageworthy wines. In its most characteristic, it offers rich blackberry flavours with touches of demerara sugar and cinnamon.

Primitivo (early) excels around Manduria near Taranto. The DNA-identical relative of California’s Zinfandel is typically high in alcohol with intense dark plum and spicy flavours. It is made in styles from fruity table wines to sweet dessert versions.

Written by Paul Franson