Why you need to visit the city of Bari, not just the airport!

July 01, 2020 by Callie Foster-Willingham

We arrived into Bari‘s train station late on a warm Saturday evening in early June last year and after dropping our bags at our Airbnb, we headed straight to the ‘centro storico’ (historic city centre), walking through the modern part of town to get there - it’s really quite smart with lots of nice shops and cafés and it seemed the whole of Bari was out in the streets, like in most seaside Italian towns during the summer months.

I had reserved a table for dinner after having been told that restaurants at the weekend get booked up well in advance however in reality we could’ve taken our pick of one of the many restaurants dotted around Piazza Mercantile – it was busy with locals out enjoying their Saturday night with friends and family but there were plenty of options. We enjoyed a meal of traditional Puglian cuisine and then spent a few hours meandering through the old town watching families from the oldest to the very youngest still out enjoying the balmy early summer evening well towards midnight. Walking along the old city walls we came upon an alfresco nightclub that was just getting started with music pumping and lots of young people dressed up for their Saturday night out. If we were ten years younger and not ready for bed we were very tempted to join them to party under the moon and stars! Instead we headed back to our cosy Airbnb for a great night’s sleep and to make the most of our day in Bari the following day.

Of course we have travelled in and out of Bari airport many times on our journeys to Puglia but this was our first time venturing into the centre of Bari. We have also driven around the industrial outskirts of the city on most trips, which don’t look particularly appealing but any seasoned traveller knows that looks can be deceiving! We were delighted with our 24 hours in the attractive heart of the city, wish we had stayed longer (next time!) and believe Bari can easily compete with many other cities for a prospective weekend city break. Here’s why:

The beach

If you love a packed, noisy, vivacious Italian beach as much as I do, easy access to such a beach could be a key reason for making Bari your next city break! In just a 20 minute walk south of the city, you can reach Spiaggia Pane e Pomodoro which is a free for all, golden, sandy beach and another 10 mins on is Torre Quetta which is a pebble beach but more organised. We stopped at the first option and were delighted to find large groups of friends and family gathered together enjoying their Sunday afternoons. We grabbed a couple of chilled beers from the plentiful vendors and joined everyone else, happily people watching for a couple of hours. Truthfully this was one of my highlights from this break in Puglia as we don’t have enough beach time normally when we are in Italy; to have the opportunity of some beach time so close to the city is a real pull for us to return again and again.

Atmospheric centro storico

You can spend a good few hours wandering through the maze of old streets and piazzas watching normal life unfold. The city walls, which amazingly date back to the 4th century BC, are still in place and you can take a stroll along them admiring the view of the sea which surrounds the small peninsular where the old town is situated. Basilica San Nicola is the city’s cathedral which was built between 1087 and 1197, reportedly to house some of the relics of Saint Nicholas (AKA Father Christmas!) from the saint’s original shrine in Myra, in what is now Turkey. The cathedral is therefore an important pilgrimage destination both for Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians from Eastern Europe.

Another impressive building is Castello Normanno-Svevo, a Norman castle which is worth a visit, although there are no viewing opportunities from the fortifications which is a shame. We walked to and from the station and our accommodation through the more modern parts of Bari where we found residential streets which were highly attractive, smart and clean; shopping streets with sparkling marble walkways, beautiful cafes and business fronts. The city feels clean, safe, not overrun with tourists and very welcoming.

The pasta making ladies in Arco Basso

Opposite the castello, is a small piazza, Arco Alta and leading from there is Strada Arco Basso where you can see one of the most popular sights in Bari: ladies making traditional Puglian pasta called orecchiette. It was great to see these highly skilled ladies at work but to be honest (probably because any TV chef who visits Puglia goes to see the ‘pasta grannies’ in Bari) we found the area too busy with tourists so we didn’t linger long however you should definitely try orecchiette while you are in Bari.

The food

This brings me on to another huge draw, of course of all of Puglia … the food, but what is special in Bari?

You have to try the focaccia – there are lots of ‘bread oven’ shops where you can buy this cheap and tasty snack but we got ours from Panificio Fiore on Strada Palazzo di Città and it was amazing (it went down so quickly I forgot to take a photo!). You can also find other street food such as sgagliozze which is fried polenta and popizze, fried pizza dough.

While we were in Bari the theatre, Museo Teatro Margherita, looking out over the marina, was showing an international photo-journalism competition which was absolutely fascinating and the shelter provided a respite from the midday heat. I’ve since learnt that outside the back of the building, next to the fish market, is the best place to eat fresh seafood every lunchtime, which explains the huge groups of families enjoying their Sunday lunch alfresco!

Crudo (raw seafood) is one of our favourite indulgences and Bari is not short of places to indulge! Some ambitious venues are trying out new ways of serving crudo (think poke bowls and seafood/fish panini) and we loved our stop at Pescobar on Lungomare Araldo di Crollalanza for a blast of fresh, zingy seafood!

Bari is the gateway to Puglia

So hopefully I have convinced you to consider Bari for your next city break or at least to stay a night or two before exploring the rest of Puglia. Getting there from the airport is super easy – there is a train station right next to the airport, literally 10 steps from the arrivals lounge, the journey takes 17 mins, the ticket is €5 per person and trains come every 20-30 mins – simple! The train station is 15 mins walk to the centro storico, and any accommodation is likely to be closer. We hopped on a train back to the airport to pick up a hire car before continuing our holiday and this superb train service makes that an ideal plan. From the airport you are straight onto the SS16 road if you’re heading on to Ostuni and the north coast of Puglia or onto the E843 if you’re heading down to Taranto and the south coast of Puglia. In fact, a day trip to Taranto would be a fab option to add to your stay in Bari – it’s just over an hour by train and you can read my next blog post to hear about the delights of Taranto!

Please message me directly if you’d like any tips on travelling to and around Bari or Puglia - I’d be more than happy to help!

The food of Puglia – ‘cucina povera’

October 07, 2017 by Callie Foster-Willingham

Wherever I am in the world, including at home, I always try to eat seasonally and locally. It just makes sense to me to eat food that is fresh, which hasn’t added to global warming by travelling thousands of miles to reach a supermarket and to give my money to someone who is working hard to produce good food, locally to where I’m eating it. Most importantly, it normally tastes better too!

Of course the Italians have always eaten this way, this is one of the many reasons I love them and their food. Puglian cuisine is as unique to the region as in most other parts of Italy, but perhaps not quite so well known. Southern Italians endured centuries of hardship and poverty which led them to be super creative with vegetables and wheat, as well as olive oil. Often referred to as Cucina Povera (literally ‘poor kitchen’), indicating the resourcefulness of the local’s approach to food, it actually means that Puglians have always used the local bounty of what the land and sea produces for them. Puglia is therefore a great destination for non-meat eaters and, never being far from the ocean, fresh fish and seafood is always on offer. Puglians are very proud of their cooking and traditions and I am so pleased that the food of the region is becoming a big draw for visitors from all over the globe, as it really is world class cooking.

Here are some highlights, examples and favourites of mine…

*Pure di fave with cime di rapa at Bell’Italia*

On our latest trip to Puglia, I was desperate to try fava (broad) bean puree (pure di fave), as I had never tried it before and it is a very traditional Puglian (and much of Southern Italy) dish. We had it a few nights into our trip, at Ristorante Bell'Italia in Cisternino, and I was not disappointed! It looks a bit bland but the flavour is so smooth, rich and interesting; this was just a starter and disappeared in minutes!! Broad beans are native to Puglia and have been grown there for thousands of years.

The greens in the photo are cime di rapa, the unofficial vegetable of Puglia, which is in the broccoli family and tastes a little bitter but is absolutely delicious! This vegetable is very common and usually served with pure di fave. Another one of the most famous dishes of Puglia is orecchiette con cime di rapa where the tenderest shoots of the plant are combined with anchovies and plenty of olive oil and added to the orrechiette pasta; another icon of Puglia.

*A pasta dish made using orrechiette (photo by Italian Food Forever)*

The word orrechiette translates as ‘little ears’, which indeed the circular pasta shapes look like, as well as the conical roofs of the Trulli houses of the region! The shape is great at soaking up all the juices of a sauce and as the pasta is part made with semolina, they have a more unusual texture.

*Two sizes of taralli plus bread and olives*

A firm favourite savoury item that normally comes out with drinks at most bars in Puglia are taralli; circular crackers made from durum wheat flour, white wine, fennel seeds, salt and extra virgin olive oil and completely addictive! Too many of these before dinner and you definitely won’t be managing the Italian four courses of antipasti, primi, secondi and dolce! They last for ages as they are boiled before being baked which makes them a great take home or holiday gift from Puglia.

I have already covered how Puglians use a lot of vegetables in their cooking however there is also a huge abundance of sweet, delicious fruit! On this trip, we were in the height of the cherry season and it was wonderful to see the ruby red jewels growing on many trees and to be able to buy them so cheaply in markets everywhere for a healthy sugar boost!

On our day trip to Matera, (an incredible place, not actually in Puglia but in neighbouring Basilicata, which I will write about in a future post), I was very excited to try for the first time lampascioni, which are the bulbs of the grape hyacinth. They are a delicacy over much of Italy but very common in Puglia as they are more plentiful where there are lots of grapevines. They can be eaten in many ways (but must be cooked) and we had them fried as part of an antipasti selection and really loved their pungent, slightly bitter taste.

Seafood, ah seafood! Puglia is surrounded by the sea and therefore ultra-fresh seafood is plenteous; it is so fresh that you can often find lots of it raw. Gamberi rossi, our favourite, plump, juicy, creamy absolutely delicious raw scarlet prawns, can be found all over Puglia (and much of Sicily as we found on our first trip there last year) and you cannot beat a plate of them for a super-healthy starter! You will also find raw tuna, swordfish, squid, bream, bass - please do not be squeamish, get stuck in and enjoy fish and seafood at its freshest (even better accompanied by a crisp glass of vino bianco or frizzante (semi-sparkling wine)!

Of course not limited to Puglia is the excellent gelato which you can find all over Italy! We recently discovered mandorla (almond) flavour, which has that frangipane, almost perfumed flavour, so moreish and quite often flecked with pieces of the precious nuts which grow all over Puglia. We frequently skip dolce in restaurants and move to a bar where we order café al banco and one scoop of gelato or sorbetto and take in the conversations and activities of the other people in the bar.

At the bottom of the picture above, you can spy some pasticciotto – traditional pastry/cakes from the Salento region of Puglia which are perfect for breakfast. They are made from a light shortcrust pastry and filled with either custard (quite often lemon flavoured) or ricotta – yum!!

Another favourite tradition of ours is to stop for ultra-strong espressos at service stations when driving around; they are busy social meeting hubs, like the pubs of Italy, and there is often a huddle of interesting looking local people and you can always get an excellent, strong and cheap coffee to keep you going!

Some other favourite dishes and foods of ours are burrata, which has understandably become quite popular in the UK as it is a more creamy and decadent than the more widespread mozzarella. It has a mozzarella casing but as you cut in a light, creamy cheese oozes out which actually has a curiously cleansing and faintly acidic taste which is delightful. Burrata was created relatively recently, in the 1920s, in the northern Puglia province of Andria by Lorenzo Bianchino Chieppa – remember that name next time you are bursting a burrata open in your local Italian restaurant!

We are also completely obsessed with carciofi (artichokes) which are grown throughout southern Italy, producing 50% of the world’s artichoke crop! During their harvest season, through autumn into winter, they are everywhere and become a key ingredient in many dishes in Puglia, rather than just a token component of antipasti.

I hope this has given you a brief snapshot of why we love the food of Puglia so much and what to look out for when you travel there. As always in Italy, you can’t beat a fresh plate of spaghetti alle vongole, with a glass of vino bianco for a beachside lunch – a photo of another happy memory to finish with!

Please do get in touch if you have any questions about Puglian food or if you would like some restaurant recommendations for your trip to Puglia. Happy eating!

Our perfect Puglian wedding

August 29, 2017 by Callie Foster-Willingham

I have been meaning to write a short post about our Puglian wedding and as it is our three year anniversary today, I thought it would be a good opportunity! From the moment James proposed in Venice, we knew we wanted to be married in Italy – our first holiday together was in Rome and we had travelled many times to our favourite country both together and separately. While researching possible venues, all over Italy, it wasn’t until we were in Puglia and asking around that we heard about Masseria Salamina and went to visit before catching our flight home. The moment we met Filippo and Chiara and explored the Masseria in the early October sunshine, we were completely enchanted and to seal the deal, we found a picture outside the bridal suite of the exact location in Venice where we became engaged. We realised it was definitely meant to be!

*Painting of our special place in Venice*

Getting legally married in Italy can be difficult – yes there is a lot of paperwork and things take time but if you find a good wedding planner who is used to dealing with the process, and you are organised, it’s a breeze! We didn’t want a very complex or traditional wedding so were happy to go with the fabulous suggestions that our friends at the Masseria made. The area we took most interest in was food and wine and we enjoyed a wonderful evening trying lots of delicious Puglian food and wines to agree our feast! We were also lucky to have on board Lesley Lau, who not only found our wonderful photographers, Brushfire Photography, who came all the way from the US to work with her, she also created the simple but very evocative flowers and decorations to fit in with the landscape and feel of the Masseria. Their work was published on Once Wed shortly after our return to the UK: https://www.oncewed.com/real-weddings/organic-outdoor-wedding-in-italy/). We also decided to have a classic Italian car to transport us from the Masseria to Ostuni and back, which we hadn’t originally planned but was actually a lovely touch and she was a hit parked outside the town hall while we were getting hitched!

*Our wedding car in the centre of Ostuni*

We had a simple service which was conducted in Italian by the Mayor of Ostuni, and translated by our wedding planner with a town hall official standing by. It was really special, if a little comical due to our lack of italian and knowledge of the customs, and it was so sweet when the Mayor wanted his photo with us and our wedding certificate afterwards! I think our guests enjoyed the opportunity to spend a few hours in the centre of Ostuni, enjoying drinks and gelato in the piazza, before heading back to the Masseria where we were all staying for three nights in total.

*Just married with Ostuni cathedral in the distance*

Since our wedding, the one piece of advice I have given to anyone I know who is planning their day – make sure you have some time, even only ten minutes, just to yourselves to really take in the day, realise that this has actually happened and enjoy sharing your love and joy together without any interruptions. We had some time back at the Masseria to do this, after some photos, and that short time is one of my favourite memories of the day

Our wonderful friend Hannah (#whilstjudesleeps) created our table plan and place settings, as well as other stationary and we were so delighted with how magical the central courtyard looked set up for our wedding breakfast. The Masseria is completely stunning in its own right, there was no need for anything more fancy than some flowers and olive branches picked in the fields and candlelight - just what we wanted!

After some stunning harp music over antipasti and drinks, our super, talented friends Jane and Darren performed ‘Summertime’ which brought the house down and made many of us rather teary!

We then headed for some hard core eating which didn’t finish until gone 11pm, in the Italian style, with everyone needing to loosen their belts/change into something more comfortable before proceeding to the outdoor pool area for more drinks and of course dancing. We finally fell into bed at 5am the next morning (another perk of getting married abroad!), exhausted but delighted after such a wonderful day, in the perfect location in our favourite place in the whole world!

I am NOT a wedding planner but I have plenty of contacts and am happy to chat about getting married in Italy – please do drop me an email if I can help! If you are thinking about getting married in Italy, or anywhere abroad for that matter, I know one of the biggest concerns about doing so can be the logistics of getting your guests there and asking them to travel so far. This was the same for us but as long as you give everyone a lot of notice and provide clear instructions and help along the way, we found most people made a holiday out of the opportunity to travel to the sunshine and - we hope - they all very much enjoyed and will remember for ever our special day!

All photos by Brushfire Photography http://brushfirephotography.com/

The Wonderful Wines of Puglia

August 09, 2017 by Callie Foster-Willingham

I am sure you already have your favourite Italian wine … maybe a deep, velvety Barolo for special occasions; a chewy Chianti for accompanying steak, a light Soave as an aperitif and of course a glass or two of prosecco to celebrate a big occasion or the end of the working week! You may also already know that Prosecco has overtaken Champagne as the fizz of choice in the UK. However you might not know that Italian wines in general have surpassed French wine sales to make Italy the world’s largest wine producer. Our familiarity with the wines I have listed above from the more northern regions of Italy, belies the fact that Puglia is actually Italy’s largest wine producing region yet there are no familiar, big-hitting names to be seen! The good news is this is already starting to change. While much of Puglia’s wine has generally not left Italy until recently, as the rest of Europe looks to find a wider variety of wines and to find bottles of something they may have enjoyed on their travels, we can expect to find more and more Puglian wines in shops and restaurants in the UK.

On my recent trip to my treasured Puglia, I wanted to learn more about what we have been missing out on and why we should all be seeking out the seriously good wines of the region.

Cantine Carpentiere – passionate and progressive

*The vines and cantine of Cantine Carpentiere, with Castel del Monte in the background*

Meeting Luigi Carpentiere at his cantine in the heart of the Alta Murgia National Park, under the gaze of the Castel del Monte, was a real breath of fresh air. His small, family run, operation, producing around 60,000-70,000 bottles per year, is all about producing unique, quality wines using traditional Puglian grapes and making the most of the vineyards’ position 500m above sea level, within sight of the coastline. Buying up surrounding vines, nearly centuries old, which had been worked literally by one man and his dog, and growing grapes alongside the most beautiful roses and cherries (so many gorgeous jewel-like cherries like I’ve never seen before!), Luigi and his brother Enzo rely on the natural terroir to produce organic wines full of character and life.

The creative and distinctive bottle labels are even designed by an old school friend of Luigi’s and the history of the land on which the vineyard sits is fascinating. It was once an ancient ‘jazzo’ – a technically brilliant summer hotel for sheep when, through history, they were brought south to avoid the winter’s snow in the north of Italy and to avoid paying taxes during the reign of Emperor Frederick II in the 13th century. So much thought seems to go into everything at Cantine Carpentiere – the jazzo and its ancient dwellings have been lovingly restored and are an important part of any visitor’s tour of the place. The grounds are beautifully kept; Luigi is clearly very proud of his Puglian heritage and of living in the Alta Murgia with all its nature and history. This passion is transferred to his wines and the cantine – he won’t sell to supermarkets (or host weddings!), he wants to purely focus on the wine and he takes such delight in sharing the traditions and history of the region.

We had had the pleasure of enjoying Cantine Carpentiere’s most unique wine, Come d’Incanto, a few times before – it’s a white wine made from the Nero di Troia (RED!) grapes. There is nothing I like more than drinking a wine which tastes unlike anything else I’ve ever tasted – a complete surprise of textured citrusy richness but still with a mineral freshness. And with my favourite wine label ever!

We really enjoyed drinking more rose on this trip to Puglia and the Bombino Nero DOCG, produced from these traditional Puglian grapes from vines which are over 70 years old, is deliciously light with hints of cherry. Though with only 4,000 bottles produced per year, you would be lucky to find a bottle outside of Puglia! If you love your reds fruity and fresh, look out for wines made from the Nero di Troia grape. Cantine Carpentiere produces two excellent varieties; Colle dei Grillai DOC, named after the local birds of prey which have watched over the hills of the Alta Murgia since ancient times, blended with Merlot grapes to produce a wine which tastes like a summer pudding and the Pietra dei Lupi, an aged pure Nero di Troia wine, the grapes harvested at the end of October ensuring perfect ripeness to produce a wonderfully elegant wine with aroma and taste of roses, which I loved! Again, the name of the wine is tied to the location of the vines –referring to the stones (pietra) which kept the wolves (lupi) from entering the aforementioned jazzo and attacking the sheep.

*All the wines and their imaginative labels!*

It was such a pleasure to spend several hours with Luigi in the Puglian sunshine and a great introduction to Puglian grape varieties. You can read and view more about Cantine Carpentiere on their website here: http://www.cantinecarpentiere.it/

Cantine I Pàstini – tradition and modernity

*Looking from Locorotondo towards Martina Franca - Cantine I Pàstini is there somewhere!*

Our next stop was in the heart of the Valle d’Itria, slap bang between the stunning cities of Martina Franca and Locorotondo (blog post to come on these two beauties!), where we met Gianni Carparelli, owner of Cantine I Pàstini. History and tradition is also rooted in this family run winery, with even the name taken from the Latin word Pastinum for hoe which of course was a vital tool for planting vines in times gone by. There is also a trulli farm house complex dating back to the 16th century which is a very charming part of the vineyard tour, crossing the local railway line to do so which is fun!

Gianni studied viticulture in Florence for five years before returning to his home town to use modern wine making techniques to produce wines from ancient vines, with first production in 2003. He has converted an old store room into a gorgeous wine tasting ‘chapel’, shading visitors from the Puglian sunshine and providing a small stage for him to show off his delicious wines. It was a delight to try a Puglian sparkling wine, a Spumante Classico made from Verdeca grapes, which was fresh and floral and very drinkable! Verdeca is a grape which is native to Puglia, although probably imported from Greece (like many things in the region) hundreds of years ago. It is a popular grape for making white wines in Puglia and I Pàstini also produces a Verdeca white wine called Faraone which is very dry, again with floral notes and would be great with fresh seafood. The limestone soil in the local area is great for growing white grapes. Similarly to Cantine Carpentiere, the height of the land here too (resulting in more windy conditions) means there are very few insects therefore the vines do not require any nasty chemicals which is always good to hear. Gianni also continues to grow fava beans (a Puglian staple, more to follow on this in a post about local food) amongst his vines as they act as a natural fertilizer, putting helpful nutrients back into the soil. As in earlier times, they hand pick their grapes at harvest time at I Pàstini which ensures the selection of only the best, most ripe grapes – a long process considering they produce around 100,000 bottles per year!

*Gianni in his tasting room with a ‘pastinum’*

Gianni is proud that I Pàstini was the first vineyard to produce a wine with the ancient Minutolo grape, which grows only in the Valle d’Itria region and at one point was almost completely extinct. Rampone is a delicious white wine with a lychee/peach aroma and quite an imposing, acidic taste – really quite unusual and if in these parts you see a bottle of Minutolo on a wine list – try it! Another unusual grape variety, used to make the wine Verso Sud (Sud indicating the more southerly vineyards where this grape is grown) is the Susumaniello. These vines originally came from Dalmatia, where they were given the Italian name for donkey because the young vines produce a lot of fruit and are heavily laden, like a donkey! I thought this red wine was really quite unusual; almost a smoky/tobacco taste (probably due to 6 months aging in an oak barrel) and with a dark fruit aroma.

I Pàstini is another vineyard run by a passionate family and steeped in tradition and history – using ancient vines and techniques combined with modern ideas and motivation. You can arrange your own guided tour and tasting and learn more about the vineyard at their website: http://www.ipastini.it/

Cantine San Marzano – innovative, important and impressive

*Grape pickers in 1936 (Photo from Cantine San Marzano)*

Having travelled further south into the Salento region of Puglia, we could hardly believe we were at the right place when we approached Cantine San Marzano – huge wine vats and thousands of bottles towered about us and, after visiting the previous two wineries, where the settings were picturesque and very different, I have to admit we were a little disappointed. HOWEVER, once inside and talking with Luca Maruffa, San Marzano’s Communication Manager, we learnt (not for the first time, especially in Italy), not to judge a book by its cover! San Marzano was set up in 1962 as a cooperative whereby 19 local wine growing familiesclubbed together to jointly produce wine from their grapes, thus saving time, effort and meaning they could actually make money from their vines. This continues today and well over 1,000 of the very best vine growers in the D.O.P. area of Primitivo di Manduria send their grapes for processing at Cantine San Marzano, combining to produce around 11million bottles per year; around 20% of the wine produced in the D.O.P of Manduria, which are sent all around the world. This has enabled San Marzano to really open new markets for the small wine producers of this region and they have played a huge part in slowly starting to put Puglian wines on the international map. Yes, they have a team of internationally experienced scientists who work to produce the best wines possible, yes they have a huge processing area and barrels larger than I have ever seen and yes their tasting room was more like a chemistry lab but at its heart, this is a young and dynamic operation which is working for the good of the local community, to promote the best of Puglian wine on a world stage.

And wow, the wines are amazing! We had been lucky enough to actually have one of their signature bottles, F, served as the red wine at our wedding three years ago, so we knew the standard on offer! The F is a real walloper of a red wine – jammy, rich, full of tannins – they call it a meditation wine, which it certainly is! It is made from the Negroamaro grape and if you like your red wines deep and strong, do look out for wines made from this grape – they are slowly creeping into shops and restaurants in the UK. We tried a rose wine called Tramari, made from Primitivo grapes, which was absolutely delicious – light, strawberry aroma, elegant and just perfect as an aperitif in the sun. It is not traditional to make ‘rosato’ from Primitivo grapes but they have created a high quality wine which is so drinkable and we actually preferred it to the Primitivo reds.

The Primitivo red is certainly the Puglian grape most well established in the UK market, which San Marzano has definitely played its part in achieving, being from the heart of the Primitivo producing region. Primitivi are normally lighter, fruity, easier drinking red wines and which this area of Puglia is renowned. The vines pictured above are over 60 years old and were used to make the Sessantanni, (sixty years in Italian if you didn’t know!) a Primitivo di Manduria DOP, created for San Marzano’s sixtieth birthday. You can see how red the earth is; this is characteristic of this DOP region due to the iron oxides present, creating a wine which is clean, fruity and elegant.

Finally, we tasted a very unusual wine called Edda (the Salentino word for Lei or She), which had the most beautiful label and was created in 2015 to high acclaim. It is a new style of Puglian wine, a mixture of traditionally Puglian and well known grapes, created using a popular method and the mix of grapes changes each year to create a unique balance; the bottles for 2016 have 60% Chardonnay, 15% Moscatello Selvatico, 15% Minutolo and 10% Passulara, a very unusual Italian grape variety. It is like a clean chardonnay; floral and even herby with an elegant and mineral taste.

*The Edda bottle – striking and feminine*

Visiting Cantine San Marzano was fascinating and taught me a lot. They really care about the wines of Puglia and about creating excellent, world-standard wines, the sale of which in turn will help to raise the profile of all wines from the region. You can read more about Cantine San Marzano and its wines here: http://www.cantinesanmarzano.com/

I hope you have gained a flavour of the wonderful wines of Puglia and have a sense of the passion and pride all of these winemakers have for the history and traditions of this region of Italy. They very much want to make the world take notice of their world-class wines; whether they are centuries old recipes, old vines used to made imaginative and unique wines or something new altogether. I hope you will be inspired to seek out Puglian wines in the future and do let me know what you think!