Featured glass wine for our Puglia Dinners will range from $9 – $11

A consistently hot and dry region, the grapes of Puglia are most often very ripe and high in alcohol. And while Puglia is not one of the prized wine-producing regions of Italy, like much of southern Italy viticulture, it has more recently begun to evolve in interesting ways.

For Puglia, the grape of the moment is Primitivo, genetically related to American Zinfandel. Primitivo is juicy and soft, with low acid and tannin and lots of spice. We will be pouring 2008 Primitivo di Manduria produced by Vita during the Martina Franca and Il Frantoio dinners. Also gaining popularity in the region is Salice Salentino, a blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia nera. We will pour 2006 Salice Salentino Riserva made by Leone de Castris, the oldest Puglian winery in operation. Personally, I prefer Uva di Troia, a grape native to the region that is a bit lighter and more aromatic. Uva di Troia is grown further north where it is not quite as hot. We will pour Torre Quarto’s Uva di Troia, 2008 during the Polignano a Mare and Martina Franca dinners. Generally, in Puglia, wine is meant to highlight the flavors of the food on the table. Uva di Troia compliments Puglian food, possessing moderate acid, medium body, slight tannin, with some nice fruit and spice.

Puglia produces very little white wines, so we will pour a delicious fish friendly white from Campania during the Poligniano a Mare dinners. La Sibilla’s Falanghina is grown in sandy volcanic soil, producing a light, crisp wine with distinct minerality.

In lieu of white white, Puglia produces some extra delicious Rosato, which is commonly consumed along the coast as well as inland. Most of the rosé in Puglia is deeply colored and slightly spicy like the reds, and can stand up to thick fish stews without being overpowering. We will be pouring Torre Quarto “Guappo” throughout the Puglia dinners. A blend of Uva di Troia and Primitivo with lots of red berry fruit flavor and a peppery finish, this wine will pair extremely well with the food as well as the recent warm weather.