After our most recent trip to Italy we have now visited 110 different wine producers in Southern Italy. These meetings provide us insights as to the winemakers’ farming practices (biodynamic/organic/sustainable/conventional) and cellar practices (100% natural/natural-low intervention/low intervention/organic/conventional – the difference between natural – low intervention and low intervention is that the former uses indigenous yeasts during fermentation and the latter uses selected yeasts during fermentation). In addition we discuss the history of the winery, the challenges associated with marketing wines from a relatively new wine production area and the future of farming in light of climate change.
There is one constant with our meetings with winemakers – they all make wine the correct way, but no two make it the same way. They are passionate in the pursuit of their craft. There is room in the wine world for all different of type of producers: large ones to small ones and natural to conventional. They all serve a consumer need. The large conventional wine producers make good wine available at a reasonable price, which is attractive to those who may be starting out on a wine journey. As one progresses in his/her journey he/she may decide to try some of the smaller craft made wines. These wines taste profiles will vary year to year as they are subject to yearly climate/environmental factors unlike wines from larger producers that strive for yearly consistency. But, not all consumers will decide to go the route of exploring small craft made wines, in fact a small percentage will. This is why large, medium and small producers all serve a purpose in the wine market.
For a list and map of the 110 wineries we have visited over the past twelve years please follow the link. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?hl=en&ll=40.475245530599956%2C15.772657798598598&z=10&mid=1r8Jfh7JI9Ai5aKRaqDnwCHDfEqg
On this trip for the first time we visited the Salento area and with the assistance of Stefano Spagnolo of Salento Wine Tours https://salentowinetour.com/en/ we visited six wineries in Salento, five of which were first time visits. We also visited two other Puglia wineries outside of Salento; one for the first time; located in Mottola, TA, which is the mid point between the two most renown primitivo DOC – Primitivo di Manduria and Gioia del Colle. The other is in Gioia del Colle; we visited the vineyard for the first time (we had visited the cantina six years ago). In total, we visited eight different wineries in Puglia; six for the first time and two we toured their vineyards for the first time. Due to the favorable climate of Salento and Gioia del Colle all eight of the producers adhere to either biodynamic or organic farming (one is certified organic), but the cellar practices range from 100% natural to conventional.
With the assistance of Sarah Pompei of Authentic Irpinia https://www.theauthenticirpinia.com/experience-irpinia we met with seven different wine producers in Irpinia; one of whom we met for the first time and two of whom we toured their vineyards for the first time. Two of them adhere to organic farming and natural/low intervention in the cellar (add only a trace of sulfites at bottling), whereas as the other one is organic in the vineyard and 100% natural in the cellar; nothing added in the cellar.
With the assistance of Simona De Pisapia of Si-Wine https://www.si-wine.it/pages/chi-siamo we met with three wine producers on the Amalfi Coast and one producer in Cilento. Two of the four are producers that we met for the first time. Both of them adhere to organic farming and are low intervention in the cellar.
With the assistance of our driver Giovanni Vitiello we visited for the first time a winery at the base of Mt. Vesuvio. This winery adheres to organic principles in the vineyard and is100% natural in the cellar; nothing added. Also with the assistance of Giovanni we visited an Irpinia producer a second time (we had visited the cantina last year), organic in the vineyard and 100% natural in the cellar and a Vulture producer for the seventh time, organic in the vineyard and natural/low intervention in the cellar.
The following is list of the wine producers that we met this year for the first time or visited their vineyard for the first time:
Puglia
Cantina Pantun – Mottola, Taranto, organic in the vineyard; natural – low intervention in the cellar – spontaneous fermentation, no filtering/fining, no additives except for a trace of sulfites at bottling; a small producer of less than 15,000 bottles per year.
Azienda Agricola Luca Attanasio – Sava, Taranto, organic in the vineyard and low intervention in the cellar – no filtering/fining, no additives except for a trace of sulfites at bottling; a small producer of about 15,000 bottles per year.
Azienda Agricola Morella – Manduria, Taranto, biodynamic in the vineyard and natural – low intervention in the cellar – spontaneous fermentation – no filtering/fining, no additives except for a trace of sulfites at bottling; a small producer of about 30.000 bottles per year.
Antica Masseria Jorche – Torricella, Taranto, organic in the vineyard and conventional in the cellar, except for the use of amphorae for aging some of the wine; a medium size producer of about 130,000 bottles per year.
Cantina San Donaci Soc. Coop Agricola – San Donaci, Brindisi, organic in the vineyard and conventional in the cellar, a cooperative of about 250 farmers that produce between 300,000 to 400,000 bottles per year which represents only about 30% of the overall annual production as the balance of the production is bulk wine sold to the farmers and local establishments.
Feudi Di Guagnano srl – Guagnano, Lecce, organic in the vineyard and conventional in the cellar; a medium size producer of about 300,000 bottles per year.
Cantina Paololeo – San Donaci, Brindisi, organic in the vineyard and conventional in the cellar; a large producer of about 6,000.000 bottles per year.
Azienda Agricola Plantamura – Gioia del Colle, Bari, AIAB certified organic in the vineyard and low intervention in the cellar – no filtering/fining or additives except for small traces of sulfites at bottling; a small producer of about 45,000 bottles per year.
Campania
Azienda Agricola Fabio de Beaumont – Castelvetere sul Calore, Avellino, organic in the vineyard and natural- low intervention in the cellar – spontaneous fermentation – no filtering/fining, no additives except for a trace of sulfites at bottling; a small producer of less than 10,000 bottles per year.
Azienda Vitivinicola Di Pietro – Melito Irpino, Avellino, organic in the vineyard and natural – low intervention in the cellar – spontaneous fermentation – no filtering/fining, no additives except for a trace of sulfites at bottling; a small producer of about 6,000 bottles per year.
Tenuta Vincenzo Nardone – Venticano, Avellino, organic in the vineyard and 100% natural in the cellar – spontaneous fermentation – as there is nothing added, including no sulfites added; a small producer of about 35,000 bottles per year.
La Cantina di Enza – Montemarano, Avellino, organic in the vineyard and 100% natural in the cellar – spontaneous fermentation – as there is nothing added. including no sulfites added; a small producer of about 20,000 bottles per year.
Cantina Tagliaferro – Tramonti, Salerno, organic in the vineyard and low intervention in the cellar; no filtering/fining, no additives except for a trace of sulfites at bottling; a small producer of less than15,000 bottles per year.
Azienda Agricola Rossella Cicalese – Eboli, Salerno, organic in the vineyard and low intervention in the cellar; no filtering/fining, no additives except traces of sulfites at bottling; a small producer of about 17,000 bottles.
Cantina del Vesuvio Winery Russo Family – Trecase, Napoli, EU certified organic in the vineyard and 100% natural in the cellar – spontaneous fermentation – nothing added, including no sulfites added; a small producer of about 60,000 bottles.
The following are the wineries/vineyards that that we have visited in the past and met with this year. Information on the wineries may be found in earlier blog posts – type the name of the winery at “Enter Keyword”
Le Vigne di Raito Azienda Agricola Biologico
Azienda Agricola Reale
Azienda Agricola Michele Laluce
Societa` Agricola Antico Castello
Il Canceliiere Azienda Vitivinacola Pizza Rita
Cantina del Barone
Azienda Agricola Dell’Angelo
Azienda Agricola Boccella
