The Puglia Wine Region of Italy

As we’ve explored the wines of Italy, we’ve learned about the regions of Tuscany, Piedmont’s red wines and white wines, Sicily, Veneto, Valpolicella, Soave, and Montepulciano, Italian grapes such as Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, and the non-traditional red blends designated “Super Tuscans.”

As we continue learning about the wine regions of Italy, we now move to the “heel” end of the boot that forms Italy’s shape and learn about Puglia. This is a lesser-know region that has traditionally been home to a lot of grape growers, rather than wine producers. But, there are now winemakers producing quality wines. And, in addition to all this grape growing, Puglia produces nearly half of Italy's olive oil.

Puglia is home to more than thirty DOCs (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and six IGTs (Daunia, Murgia, Salento, Tarantino and Valle d’Itria). Puglia is divided into three viticultural areas, which correspond to its administrative provinces: Foggia in the north, Bari and Taranto in the middle and Brindisi and Lecce in the south.

Puglia once produced more wine than any other region in Italy but has, in recent years, focused on quality instead of quantity.

Red grapes grown in Puglia include:

Bombino Nero - Used to produce both red wines and rosés

Montepulciano - Used to make Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Negroamaro - Grown on the Salento peninsula, these grapes are a dark-skinned, tannic and used in the production of Salice Salentino and Brindisi as well as rosés (rosatos in Italian)

Nero di Troia/Uva di Troia - Named after the Puglian town of Troia, this grape is used in some single-varietal wines as well as blended with Bombino Nero, Montepulciano and Sangiovese.

Primitivo - Also known as Zinfandel, this is one of the most planted grape in Puglia

Sangiovese - Italy’s most famous grape is Puglia's most planted grape

Puglian white wine grapes include:

Bombino Bianco - A high-yield varietal with a neutral flavor that is most often used in blends

Chardonnay - Not an Italian grape, but Chardonnay is grown for bulk distribution

Trebbiano Toscano - This is another high-yield, acidic white grape that is most often sold in bulk to produce blended wines

Verdeca - Typically blended with Bombino Bianco and Trebbiano Toscano.

So, don’t overlook Italy’s Puglia region. Not only can you find some great wines, but you’ll also find them to be great values. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Scaia Corvia

2018 Scaia Corvina ($14)

The Scaia project was launched by Tenauta Sant’Antonio in 2006 with the aim of creating wines with a modern style outside the restrictions by Italy’s denomination system. And, this is a fine example of working just outside of those restrictions.

The grapes for this wine are from the eastern part of the Valpolicella region in Italy. But, to be labelled as a Valpolicella, it would need to be comprised of 45 to 95% Corvina. This wine is 100% Corvina, so does not meet the law for a Valpolicella and so it’s labelled as a Corvina varietal.

This Scaia Corvina was fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks to retain the bright fruit flavors. It underwent Malolactic conversion and then spent six months in the bottle before going to market.

This wine is pale purple in color and very light on the nose with just hints of red fruit aromas. On the palate it remains light with sour cherry flavor, light tannins and nice acidity on the finish.

If you love the cherry flavors of Valpolicella or Chianti, you’ll love this wine. And, at this price, it’s another great fit to be a Behind the Cork™ wine of week. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Katherine Jarvis, The Jarvis Communication Team

The Four Styles of Valpolicella Wine

Valpolicella (val-polla-chellah) is an Italian wine region that covers 95 square miles across the western part of the Veneto region.

There are four primary styles of Valpolicella. In the order from least to most intensity they are: Valpolicella, Valpolicella Ripasso, Amarone della Valpolicella and Recioto della Valpolicella. These wines are all made with the same grapes (Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara) but the wine-making techniques is what differentiates them.

So, here’s a brief overview of each style.

Valpolicella - This wine is fresh and fruity and the lightest style. It typically has bright aromas and sour cherry flavor that is so typical of many northern Italian red wines. It should be slightly chilled and enjoyed with lighter fare or simply as a refreshing fruity wine on a warm afternoon. Wines labelled as Valpolicella Classico come from the original Valpolicella zone. To be labelled as Valpolicella Superiore, the wine must be aged a minimum of one year in wood and have a minimum alcohol level of 12%

Ripasso - This style is just a bigger version of Valpolicella. It gains it added flavor because it is produced using the Ripasso method of wine making. It starts with the basics used in making the Valpolicella wine, but adds a second fermentation that takes advantage of the pomace - the leftover grape skins that remain after the grapes are pressed for the Amarone and Recioto styles that are described below. By doing this second fermentation with the dried pomace, this style of wine has raisin-like notes that give it a fuller, richer flavor.

Amarone - Amarone may translate to “big bitter” but don’t let that fool you. This style has concentrated flavors of dark fruit and raisins. This is achieved by drying the grapes on mats, racks (see photo) or hanging them from rafters for extended periods (weeks or months) after harvest. Known as the appassimento process, the dried fruit concentrates the flavors and sugars. The result is a wine with big flavor and alcohol levels that can reach up to 17% ABV.

Recioto - This is a dessert wine made from dried grapes. Similar to the process for used for Amarone, this fruit is dried for up to 200 days. This further concentrates the flavors and sugars. The dried grapes are then used to produce this wine but the fermentation is halted before all of the sugar is converted to alcohol. This results in a very sweet wine that still retains its natural acidity.

Behind the Cork™ - Scaia Garganega / Chardonnay

2019 Scaia Garganega / Chardonnay ($14)

The Scaia project was launched by Tenauta Sant’Antonio in 2006 with the aim of creating wines with a modern style outside the restrictions by Italy’s denomination system. In Veneto dialect, the word “scaia” means a chip of stone, chalk, limestone. So, their name is a tribute to their soil, where a line of unique young wines is produced.

The vineyards for this wine are located in the eastern part of the Valpolicella region, near the Soave region - both of which are in the north-eastern part of Italy.

The wine is produced from 55% Garganega (gar-gah-neh-gah) and 45% Chardonnay. Garganega is best known as the white grape variety used to make Soave and Gambellara in Italy’s Veneto region.

Post-fermentation this wine received batonnage once a week under cold stabilization until it was bottled. It was aged in stainless-steel tanks to preserve it bright fruit flavors, did not undergo Malolactic conversion and spent three months in the bottle before going to market.

This Scaia Garganega/Chardonnay is pale gold in color and has aromas of bright, fresh fruits including yellow apple, tangerine and hints of green herbs. On the palate, the bright fruit flavors of the Garganega shine brightly yet are moderated by the Chardonnay. There are flavors of lemon zest, grapefruit, pineapple and good acidity on the finish with just a touch of saline.

This wine from Scaia is a great value for a tasty wine which is the perfect fit for a Behind the Cork™ wine of week. Chill this one to 50 degrees F and enjoy! Cheers!

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Disclosure of Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Katherine Jarvis, The Jarvis Communication Team

The Veneto Wine Region of Italy

The Veneto wine region is located in the north-eastern part of Italy between Milan and Venice. Its geography includes the foothills of the Alps to the north, Lake Garda to the immediate west and the Adriatic Sea to the east. While it is smaller than the wine-producing regions of Piedmont, Tuscany, Lombardy, Puglia and Sicily, it produces more wine than any of them.

The region of Veneto is known for Pinot Grigio and Prosecco. But other wines from the region include Valpolicella, Amarone, Soave and Bardolino. Geographically, Veneto is split into three primary areas — Bardolino, Valpolicella and Soave.

Bardolino is a cooler climate that is influenced by the Alps. It produces fresh, crisp white wines under the Bianco di Custoza and Garda titles. Bardolino is best known for its light red wines that are a blend of Corvina, Rondinella and up to 20 percent Molinara.

Just east of Lake Garda and north of Verona is Valpolicella. It is second only to Chianti in its wine production. There are four key styles of wine produced here - Valpolicella, Valpolicella Ripasso, Amarone della Valpolicella and Recioto della Valpolicella. All are made with Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara grapes with each using its own unique wine-making technique.

To the east of Valpolicella is Soave, home to the dry white ‘Soave’ wines that are among Italy's most famous.

Next time we’ll dive a bit deeper into the various styles of Valpolicella. Until then, Salute!