Wines of the Salento
We recently returned from a trip to Punta Prosciutto in Puglia. We brought our tandem and did some lovely rides to Gallipoli and up the coast and spent a lot of time at the beach swimming, snorkeling, and relaxing in the sun.
This area of Italy , the Salento, is known for its rich, fruity red wines such as Primitivo, Negroamaro, and Salice . These are some of our favorite “everyday wines’, They are extremely affordable here. In Umbria they are normally between €4 – €6 euro, and in Puglia they are often even less expensive. One of the brands we normally purchase at the grocery store is Notte Rossa.
Primitivo is like Zinfandel. It can sometimes be described as jammy, with red fruit, or plummy flavors. Negroamaro may have more of a dark berry flavor profile. Both Primitivo and Negoramaro are often described as tannic, but I don’t find them overly tannic, acidic or bitter. In fact, while both are great with pastas with red sauce or red meats, they are also great to have as an aperitif with some olives, bruschetta, or taralli, (which I personally find addictive)
Last year we discovered cantina Vecchia Torre located in Porto Cesareo. They produce an excellent Primitivo, Negroamaro red, and Negroamaro Rosé. This year we also purchased some of their chardonnay which was bright and didn’t have any of the vanilla or butteriness found in many US Chardonnays. In addition to the 20 bottle of wine we purchased this year, we also bought four jugs of sfuso, two red and two rosé
What the heck is Sfuso???
Sfuso is everyday wine. Bulk wine, if you will. It is often sold in large containers that can be returned and refilled. At home, you pour it into a normal sized bottle for the table At some cantinas you can bring your own bottles and they will fill them. It is a bit like a gas station. The first time you see this, you might think, “this cannot possibly be good wine”. You would be wrong. So far we have been delighted with all of the sfuso we have tried. It is perfect summer wine.
Primitivo is one of my favorite wines!
All the more reason for you to come down and see us this year!!!!!
I love the concept of a “wine gas station”!!! 😍🍷