Apulia wine region

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Vineyards in Apulia.

The Apulia wine region is located in southern Italy, near the Adriatic Sea. The area is home to vineyards and multiple types of wine. The region is notable in Italy for its large production and the amount of DOC, IGT and DOCG wines manufactured there.[1][2][3][4]

History

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The cultivation of grapes in Apulia started before the emergence of Phoenicia, possibly prior to 2000 BCE. Phoenicians imported new varieties of grapes and created improved methods of wine-making, which continued to evolve in Ancient Greece, particularly in Magna Graecia.[1][2][4] Apulia wines were valued in Roman society. An account by Pliny the Elder[which?] referenced certain varieties of wine grapes, including Malvasia Nera, Negroamaro and Uva di Troia. Historically, the commune of Manduria was notably described as being viticulosa or "full of vineyards".[2]

Following the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, wine production in the region temporarily reduced, and monasteries took over the vineyards. During the 13th century, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II ordered an increase in vineyard production and the import of new types of grapes from near Campania.

During the 19th century, a significant amount of Apulia wine was exported to the rest of Europe, particularly France. A phylloxera infestation in Apulia in the early 1900s decreased wine production, later resolved as vintners grafted locally-grown grapes, such as Negroamaro and Primitivo, on American rootstocks.[1][2][4]

Grape varieties

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Mostly red grapes are produced in the area, in over 80% of vineyards.

Certain grape varieties grow better in specific regions: Negroamaro is mainly grown in the south, Uva di Troia in the north, and Primitivo in central Apulia.[2][4]

Geography and climate

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Apulia has about 89,000 to 105,000 hectares of vineyards, or 10–11% of Italy's total vineyard hectarage.[3][4] The region's landscape is predominantly flat. Soil types range from clay to rocky.[1][2][4]

Apulia has a Mediterranean climate, characterised by hot, dry summers, and mild, wet winters. The region receives intense sunlight, favourable for grape production.

The main areas of Apulia include:

  • Daunia (Foggia): growing Trebbiano, Toscano, and Bombino Bianco white grapes, and Uva di Troia, Montepulciano, Sangiovese. DOC include Moscato di Trani and Rosso di Cerignola.
  • Murgia (Bari and BAT): growing Gravina, Gioia del Colle, Locorotondo wines, grapes Nero di Troia, Bombino Nero, Malvasia Bianco. Around Castel del Monte they make DOCG like Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva.
  • Taranto area: Primitivo, Negramaro, Bianco d'Alessano, Malvasia, Verdeca. DOC like Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale.
  • Brindisi and north Salento: DOC wines Brindisi, Ostuni, Squinzano, Martina Franca. Grapes Bianco d’Alessano, Fiano, Impigno, Malvasia Bianca, Aleatico, Negramaro, Ottavianello.
  • Salento and Lecce: red and rosé from Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera. DOC include Salice Salentino, Terra d’Otranto, Leverano, Copertino.[1][2][4]

Wines

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Apulia produces four kinds of wine: red, white, rosé, and dessert. The major wines include:

  • Red: Primitivo di Manduria, Rosso di Barletta, Salice Salentino Rosso, Cacc’e’ Mmitte di Lucera.
  • White: Locorotondo, Gravina, Castel del Monte Bianco, Salice Salentino Bianco.
  • Rosé: Salice Salentino Rosato, Leverano, Squinzano, Nardò.
  • Dessert: Aleatico, Primitivo di Manduria Dolce Naturale.

The rosé wine from Salento is popular in US, Belgium, France, and Germany.[1][2][4]

Production and economy

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Around 11,000 vineyards and 600 wineries operate in Apulia. Annual production is roughly 9 million hectoliters, 20% of Italy's total production.[1][2][3][4]

Tourism

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Wine festivals such as Cantine Aperte, Calici di Stelle, and Cantine Aperte a Natale offer vineyard visits and wine tasting sessions or workshops.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Anna Maria Ciardo (10 November 2022). "La viticoltura e i vini della Puglia". Puglia.info (in Italian). Archived from the original on 16 September 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Redazione Quattrocalici. "Il Vino nella Puglia". Quattrocalici (in Italian). Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Regione Puglia (2020). "Vitivinicol> o". Filiere Agroalimentari Regione Puglia (in Italian). Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Redazione Tannico. "Vini pugliesi: caratteristiche e denominazioni più importanti". Tannico (in Italian). Retrieved 16 September 2025.