The wines of Apulia: Puglia's best wines at unbeatable prices

Apulia is a region in Southern Italy that boasts 105,000 hectares of land dedicated to viticulture. Characterised by a territory that is half hilly and half flat, it has been considered since antiquity a flourishing and ideal land for the cultivation of vines. It is no coincidence that its wine-growing history is all uphill: when the Phoenicians arrived, they found a wine-making activity already well underway that they improved by introducing innovative techniques. Thanks to the Greeks, wine production expanded even further until it reached the height of its fame with the advent of the Roman Empire. In the 19th century, production continued to grow until the present day with ever-increasing demand. Undoubtedly, there is a prevalence of red grape cultivation with Primitivo and Negroamaro vines followed by Sangiovese, uva di Troia, black Malvasia and black and white Bombino. Thanks to xtraWine, you can choose your favourite bottle of Apulian red wine with the certainty of finding products that have received important awards from Bibenda, Gambero Rosso and AIS. Apulian red wines are all characterised by a dark colour and an enveloping, warm, sometimes bitterish flavour, especially with regard to Primitivo wine or Negramaro wine. You can count on the presence of the best Salento wineries such as: Antinori, Ognissole, Polvanera, San Marzano, Tormaresca (Antinori) and Tenute Rubino and wines from the best vintages.

Apulian Wines: Intense and Sunny Soul

A Mosaic of Grapes

Apulia, a long and narrow region, offers an infinite variety of cultivated grapes and local specialities. In addition to indigenous grape varieties, international varieties such as Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot and others are also successful, but the trend is to increasingly emphasise excellent local varieties. The best known Apulian wines are Primitivo and Negroamaro, exuberant, intense and rich in substance. These include Primitivo di Manduria in both dry and sweet versions, Primitivo di Gioia del Colle and the vigorous Salice Salentino.

The Vineyard Heirs

In the Daunia and Gargano areas, Nero di Troia is widespread, a spicy and expressive red wine, exalted in the Cacc'e Mmitte di Lucera denomination. In the Tavoliere, the D'Araprì winery produces excellent Metodo Classico sparkling wines based on international grape varieties and Bombino Bianco. In the Murge, alongside the famous autochthonous varieties, we find Aglianico, Bombino Nero, Fiano Minutolo and above all Moscato for the sweet Moscato di Trani, both passito and fortified. Other widespread grape varieties include Malvasia Nera, Sussumaniello and Verdeca, capable of producing expressive and pleasant whites.

Historical Viticulture

The link between Apulia and oenology has ancient origins. For centuries, the abundance of production favoured the export of bulk red wine to northern Italy. Today, the situation has changed with richer quantitative and qualitative production. Producers focus on enhancing the typicality of the territory, making their wines of excellence known throughout the world. Apulia benefits from abundant sun and colour and the Mediterranean climate favours sustainable viticulture.

Peculiarities and Pairings

Apulian wines can be paired with various dishes or appreciated outside of a meal. The great reds based on Primitivo and Negroamaro go perfectly with structured dishes, while Mediterranean whites such as Bombino Bianco, Fiano Minutolo, Verdeca and Moscato Secco are ideal with fish dishes. The rosés of Salento prefer more structured dishes or tasty cheeses. The regional cuisine offers different combinations: orecchiette with turnip tops, baked rice Bari style, spaghetti with sea urchins, and much more. With the younger reds, horse meatballs and Murgia sausages, and with the more intense ones, barbecued red meats. Among the cheeses, Pallone di Gravina, mature ricotta and pecorino are recommended.

Explore the Selection on xtraWine

If you are a lover of good food and good drink, or you want to surprise your friends with a special bottle, discover the vast selection of the best wines of Puglia on sale online and on offer on xtraWine. Compare labels and choose the one best suited to every occasion.

Production area
Apulia
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Apulia

Country name Italy
History In ancient times some peoples who populated these lands were called Apuli, from which the Apulia area took its name. Subsequently they changed to Puglia. In Roman times the Augustan order gave the name to these lands with Apulia and Calabria, because at that time the Salento Peninsula was still called Calabria.
Perc hill 45
Perc mountain 2
Perc plain 53
Perc red grape 70
Perc white grape 30
Soil and climate The climate is typically Mediterranean with good weather and stable for long periods. Winters are mild and barely rainy, although it is in this season that the rare rainfall is concentrated. Summers are hot, well ventilated and dry, but in some areas, as in the Tavoliere, they can be torrid, while in the higher ones they are cooler. The annual and daily thermal excursion increases by going from south to north and from the coast of the interior. Puglia is exposed to the action of hot winds, which condition temperature and humidity.
Surface area 19366
Typical dishes Agriculture is the most important sector for the Apulian economy, with great production of sugar beets and cereals, in particular wheat and oats, followed shortly by olive-cultivation, with over 2 million hl id oil . Puglia produces about half of the extra virgin olive oil of all over the peninsula, with the DOP Hills of Brindisi, Dauno, Terre di Bari, Terra d'Otranto and Terre Tarentine. The undisputed queens of the first courses are the very famous orecchiette, or copitelli as they are called in the Murge, small pieces of durum wheat pasta, as large as the imprint of the thumb of a hand, seasoned with turnip tops, garlic, oil and anchovies, with eventual addition, at the end, of hard grated ricotta, or with the rolls or with the sauce. Among the cheeses, the burrata di Andria, made with spun dough and stuffed with minced mozzarella and cream of milk, with a sweet-salty taste and fresh taste, is the Caciocavallo silano, a DOP product shared with other regions of the peninsula.
Typical products In Puglia, the heel of Italy, in recent years, are produced several good wines with an excellent quality / price. The dominant grape varieties are: in the Salento the Negro Amaro which gives beautiful red and rosé wines, the Aleatico black vine which gives a natural sweet wine and the Primitivo (the same as the Zinfandel of California), which can give dark, dense wines. , alcoholic and very rich. From the DOC Castel del Monte area, the Il Falcone di Rivera reserve and the Salice Salntino DOC come from several good wines such as Negro Amaro and Malvasia Nera. Among the best producers we find Candido and Taurino that, with the advice of the pioneer Saverino Garofano, make remarkable Negro Amaro red wines. A very good Primitivo is produced by Felline.