If wine is the Puglia ambassador, Primitivo is certainly the grape variety that best represents it.
For this reason, in our journey along the wine roads in Puglia, we have chosen not to miss a really important stage: Manduria.
The magnificent "cradle of the Messapians" is an ancient land and the crossroads of the three Apulian provinces of Taranto, Lecce and Brindisi, which still preserves the treasures of past eras, including the magnificent Messapian necropolis which today has become the "Archaeological Park of the Messapian Walls".
Manduria, however, is also known for being the homeland of PDO Primitivo di Manduria wine, an ancient wine that has crossed national borders and become famous all over the world for its excellent organoleptic qualities.
And so it was essential to us to go and visit the winery of those who we can gladly consider the masters of the Primitivo wine: the winery Produttori di Manduria. It is a group of winemakers who in 1932 founded the so-called Consorzio Produttori Vini e Mosti Rossi superiori da taglio per la zona di Manduria (a consortium for the production of superior red wines and musts for the area of Manduria). The winery now boasts 1000 hectares of vineyards, half of which are grown with the traditional sapling system. The importance of these farms has prompted the University of Bari and the CNR to start important research projects on the Primitivo wine.
A historic company, that is the spokesperson for the quality of the Apulian Primitivo wine, could not fail to tell the story of a highly respected wine. And so, during our visit to the Produttori di Manduria, we discovered how much they invested to set up a wonderful wine museum within the same winery: the Museum of Primitivo Wine Civilization.
This museum of rare beauty has ethnographic and documentary relevance in testifying to the millennial link between Manduria, agriculture and the art of making wine. The exhibition itinerary, open to both wine tourists and schoolchildren alike, led us on an exciting journey into the past to discover the sensational world of wine, from grape cultivation to final production.
The museum is immersed in a fascinating play of light and shadow and characterized by wonderful late 19th-century star vaults on the top. Visitors can choose between two itineraries: the social anthropology one is characterized by objects of everyday life and peasant work tools; the industrial archaeology one testifies to the evolution of winemaking techniques. On the ground floor, the ploughs and waggons evoke the atmosphere of a peasant civilization that you do not want to lose track of, highlighting the great cultural and property value of handcrafted practices that still survive today, although in different forms.
There are also several documents, images and writings relating to the world of agriculture and wine, including an edict of Ferdinand of Bourbon from 1823. But the most extraordinary part of our journey to the museum was the descent into the ancient underground tanks of the winery, where various thematic settings have been set up and various presses and containers for must and wine are placed among other tools.
Our fantastic experience ended in the best way possible, tasting the best wines produced, which express all the strength and character of this magnificent land. Furthermore, by contacting the staff, the Produttori di Manduria winery offers the opportunity to have lunch and savour the most authentic dishes of the local tradition.
An exceptional discovery and a journey into the memory of the past that you can do without!
N.B. Guided tours and tastings are available by appointment only.
Visit the website for more details:
www.primitivowinetour.it
Contact us:
pwt@cpvini.com
info@museodelprimitivo.it
tel. (+39) 099.2233022
Please specify the day, the number of participants and a telephone number.
