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Region · Italy

Puglia

147 bottles

Apulia (Puglia), a long, flat, sun-drenched, fertile strip across the Adriatic from Greece, stretches from the spur of the Italian boot to its heel and for recent years has produced more wine than any other Italian region (and more olive oil, too — nearly half the national total).

Much of it is basic, cheap table wine, but there are very good everyday reds — ideal bargain house wines — and quality is rising as outside investors such as Tuscany's Antinori move in.

The leading grapes are negroamaro (from Latin negro, 'black', and probably amaro, 'bitter'), malvasia nera di Brindisi, nero di Troia (uva di Troia) and primitivo.

Negroamaro is the primary grape of the hot, arid Salento peninsula, where it makes Salice Salentino, one of the most popular low-priced wines on Italian restaurant lists; nero di Troia gives the robust red DOCG Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva.

Primitivo — genetically the same as California's zinfandel and Croatia's tribidrag/crljenak kastelanski, brought from the Dalmatian coast — is made both dry (not unlike a light-bodied American zinfandel) and sweet, the latter being the rare DOCG primitivo di Manduria dolce naturale, made from grapes raisinated on the vine to about 8 percent residual sugar in only favourable vintages.

Key grapes

Primitivo

A few to explore

Subregions

Manduria — Manduria, in the Taranto province, is the stronghold of Primitivo. DOC and DOCG (Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale) rules govern dry and sweet styles. Sandy soils over limestone and a hot, dry climate yield dense, high-alcohol reds.
Taranto — Taranto sits on flat, sandy plains along the Ionian coast. Hot summers and low rainfall concentrate sugars in Primitivo and Negroamaro, yielding high-alcohol reds. The gulf moderates extremes slightly. Few DOC wines carry the Taranto name specifically.

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The WNLQ9 catalogue lists 147 bottles from Puglia, Italy. The selection spans Primitivo, Negroamaro, Zinfandel. Critic scores include: Conti Zecca Primitivo Zinfandel Rifugio IGT (90 pts, James Suckling).

About Puglia: its grapes, sub-regions and bottles

Frequently Asked Questions

What Puglia wines and spirits are in the WNLQ9 catalogue?

The WNLQ9 catalogue lists 147 bottles from Puglia, Italy, including Primitivo, Negroamaro, Zinfandel. Browse the collection: https://wnlq9.shop/explore-map/puglia

Which Puglia bottles in the WNLQ9 catalogue have critic scores?

Critic scores include: Galardi Terra di Lavoro Terra di Lavoro (97 pts, Wine Advocate); Conti Zecca Nero Rosso del Salento I.G.t. (93 pts, James Suckling); Conti Zecca Luna IGP Bianco del Salento (93 pts, James Suckling).