To those unfamiliar with Italian geography, Apulia’s location can easily be remembered as the “heel of the boot”. Very flat and fertile, Apulia has long been the grain belt of Italy and is the main producer of the three staples of the Italian diet—bread, olive oil, and wine. Puglia has long battled it out with Sicily for the title of Italy’s most prolific wine producing region. Just like in Sicily, only a small percentage of its wines are bottled and given a classification. Another similarity to its island competitor is the dramatically increased investment in the region’s winemaking by seasoned outsiders in hopes of it becoming one of the next hot spots for Italian wine.

Like other southern regions that typically experience extreme heat year after year, Apulia is best known for its red wines. In fact, here at In Vino we currently don’t carry any white wines from the region—the closest we have is our rosé, made from Negroamaro grapes and perfect for a hot night. For reds, there are three dominant grapes: Uva di Troia, Negroamaro, and Primitivo. Also, Negroamaro can often be found blended with Malvasia Nera in the traditional Salice Salentino blend. Wines made from all three have palates with varying degrees of earthiness and spice, along with dark, licorice-like fruits.