Apulia

Geography and climate of Apulia

Geographically, Apulia forms the spur, heel and heel of the Italian boot. Unlike other areas of southern Italy, the region has few mountains. Incidentally, the famous octagonal Castel del Monte, the legendary castle of the Staufer Emperor Friedrich II, also known as the "stone crown of Apulia", is enthroned on one of them.

Instead, flat land and plateaus dominate. The climate is hot and dry, precipitation is only in small amounts, so that partly even artificial irrigation is necessary. However, the soils - mainly limestone, sandstone and clay - are very fertile and produce wines that are convincing on the one hand because of their fruity maturity, but also because of their freshness. The latter is ensured by maritime breezes; after all, Apulia is largely surrounded on three sides by the Mediterranean.

The topography of Apulia makes it possible for the vines to be grown in rows on field-like areas. Typical of southern Italy is the Alberello, a form of stockbreeding and one of the oldest methods of propagating wine. A shoot of the vine is bent into the soil in such a way that the tip sticks out again. The underground part of the shoot then takes root and produces a new vine.

Apulia is Italy's largest wine producer

The Apulian winegrowers produce the most wine on the boot in terms of volume on about 100,000 hectares of cultivated area, which is why the region is also called the "Wine Cellar of Italy". Quality wines, however, only make up about 10% of the wines produced in Apulia. Most of the harvest is pressed into simple bulk wine or goes into the distillation of industrial alcohol.

The quality wines are divided into four DOCG, 28 DOC and six IGT areas. The four DOCG wines are:

• Castel del Monte Bombino Nero
• Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva
• Castel del Monte Nero di Troia Riserva
• Primitivo Dolce Naturale

VINELLO offers you a representative selection of DOCG, DOC and IGT wines from Apulia, among which, in addition to Primitivo and Negroamaro, there are numerous interesting wines and producers to discover.

Apulia Grape varieties 

By far the best known grape varieties are the Primitivo, known throughout the Salento peninsula as Primitivo di Manduria, and the Negroamaro. Both are red grapes with a strong and fruity aroma. The Negroamaro is one of numerous autochthonous vines, which are cultivated and cared for with special dedication in the Apulia wine region. The grape was probably introduced to southern Italy by the Greeks more than 2,000 years ago. It forms the supporting framework for many wines of Salento - the peninsula in the southern part of the region.

The Apulia Primitivo originally comes from Croatia and has probably been native to the region for 150 or 250 years. Good qualities show themselves fully and powerfully in the taste, without missing a certain elegance and freshness.

Red grapes make up about three quarters of the area, white grapes the rest. Among the most remarkable red varieties are still the most important ones:

• Uva di Troia or Nero di Troia
• malvasia nera
• Aglianico
• Bombino Nero
• cabernet franc
• cabernet sauvignon
• Sangiovese
• Montepulciano
• Merlot

The most common grapes for white wine Apulia are:

• Bombino Bianco
• Fiano
• Impigno
• Greca di tufo
• malvasia bianca
• Falanghina
• Verdeca
• Moscato di Trani
• Chardonnay
• Pinot Bianco and Grigio
• blanc sauvignon

Order Apulia wines online at VINELLO

Have you got the desire to put together your own discovery tour of Apulia? Just browse through our product range - VINELLO has many wonderful classics and exciting new discoveries in its program. Discover the variety of wines and also benefit from our sommelier advice. Secure purchasing and guaranteed prompt delivery ensure that your journey of enjoyment can begin quickly and lead you directly to the pleasure of wine.