Apulia

Apulia is the second largest Italian region in terms of vineyard planting: vines grow here on 105,000 hectares. The hot climate with little rainfall benefits mainly local red grape varieties such as Primitivo, Negroamaro, Nero di Troia, Malvasia nera or Susumaniello, which predominate here. Among the white varieties, international ones were previously widely represented, but in recent years Apulian winemakers have been moving away from them and, in an effort to find regional identity, are returning to native varieties such as Bombino bianco, Malvasia bianca or Verdeca.

The most famous wine regions are located in the far south, around Salento and Manduria. Manduria is home to the flagship of the entire region, Primitivo di Manduria. Apulian wines are very fruity, dense, but easy to drink and mainly intended for early consumption. The exceptions are some wines from old vineyards, which are more structured, fresher, and more complex. Apulian rosé wines are also very distinctive, with local winemakers having started to work on them intensively as early as the 1940s.