Puglia Wine Guide: Grapes, Appellations & Producers

Sun-drenched Primitivo

Soil: Red iron-rich soils over limestone near the Ionian coast, baked by relentless sun.
Style: Rich, ripe, high-alcohol Primitivo (genetically Zinfandel) — black jam, sweet spice, soft tannin.
Top sites: Primitivo and California’s Zinfandel are the same grape; Manduria is its richest Italian expression.
Vintages: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Producers: FellineMorella

Tip · Puglia is Italy’s sun-baked value powerhouse — generous Primitivo for everyday joy.

Value pick

Felline Primitivo di Manduria · ~$18

Plush, spicy, generous Primitivo — crowd-pleasing value.

Collector pick

Gianfranco Fino "Es" · ~$70 · 2020

Old-bush-vine Primitivo of cult status — concentrated yet balanced.

Savoury reds & rosato

Soil: Flat, windswept Salento peninsula between two seas — limestone and red earth.
Style: Negroamaro reds (Salice Salentino) — dark, savoury, bittersweet — and Italy’s historic rosato.
Top sites: Negroamaro means "black-bitter"; Salento is the cradle of Italian dry rosato.
Vintages: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Producers: ValloneCastello Monaci

Tip · Salice Salentino and Negroamaro rosato are Puglia’s savoury, sea-cooled side.

Value pick

Cantele Salice Salentino Riserva · ~$15

Dark, savoury Negroamaro — bittersweet depth at a bargain.

Collector pick

Vallone "Graticciaia" · ~$55 · 2017

Appassimento Negroamaro — rich, complex and age-worthy.