“Salento” is “the hell of Italy”, the latest ramification of the peninsula on the east side. It is a land divided between rocky landscapes and stunning sandy beaches of both the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.
The territory is clayey and calcareous but mostly it is flat. The Murge plateau, the homeland of the precious stone from Lecce, is the backdrop to the whole landscape.
Salento belongs to the province of Lecce but covers also wide areas that belong to the following provinces: Taranto and Brindisi.
Salento boasts the highest concentration of DOC wines in Apulia.
Negroamaro is the “Salento grape” par excellence insomuch as some municipalities that belong to the “high Salento” have created a park “Parco del Negroamaro”.
Regarding the origin of the name “Negroamaro” there are no doubts.
Primitivo derives from the combination of the latin word “niger”; black and “maru”; bitter (from greek).
This term perfectly synthesizes the characteristics of this wine.
Made also “pure”, this grape variety is used to produce important red, white and rosé wines of the same area.
Especially the rosé wines, oft considered as second-class wines, have found in Salento an excellent production area.
“Aleatico”, “Malvasia nera di Brindisi” and “Malvasia nera di Lecce” are also, like Negroamaro, representative grape varieties of this land. Especially from “Aleatico” is made a very sweet wine considered as an excellent meditation wine.
The production area of this D.O.C. wine covers the entire regional territory. The minimum percentage of “Aleatico” is 85%; with possible addition of Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera and Primitivo. The result is a sweet tasting wine. It is necessary an aging for at least three years in order to obtain the recognition as Reserve.
The production area of this wine covers the municipalities of: Lizzano, Sannicola and part of Gallipoli and Tuglie.
The red wine version contains: Negroamaro, Malvasia nera di Lecce, Sangiovese and Montepulcinao (maximum 20%). Typologies Red Reserve and Rosé are also produced.
The production area of this DOC wine is Brindisi. Red and rosé wine versions use the grape variety Negroamaro with possible addition of Malvasia nera from Brindisi or Sussumaniello, Montepulciano and Sangiovese (maximum 30%).
The production of this DOC wine covers the municipalities of: Copertino, Carmiano, Arnesano, Monteroni and part of Galatina and Lequile.
The red wine version use Negroamaro grape with possible addition of Malvasia nera from Brindisi and from Lecce, Montepulciano and Sangiovese alone or together with the above-mentoned wines (maximum 30%).
The typologies “Riserva”, “Red” and “Rosé” are also produced.
The production area of this DOC wine covers the municipalities of: Galatina, Cutrofiano, Aradeo, Neviano, Seclì, Sogliano Cavour.
The DOC white wine version includes the following grape varieties: Chardonnay (minimum 30%) with possible addition of some authorized grape varities of the same area with white, not aromatic berries.
Red, rosé and Novello DOC wines contain Negroamaro (minimum 65%) with possible addition of some authorized grape varieties of the same area with red berries.
Chardonnay and Negroamaro (also Riserva) use their homonymous grape variety with a minimum percentage of 85%.
The production area of this Doc wine covers the municipality of Leverano. Its production process is very careful because of possible alterations during the fermentation.
The grape varieties for the white wine version are: Malvasia Bianca (minimum50%) and Bombino Bianco (maximum 40%).
“Bianco passito” is obtained with appropriate dehydration techniques.
“Bianco vendemmia tardiva” is obtained when the grape harvest begins not earlier than October,1.
The red wine version contains: Negroamaro (minimum 50%), Malvasia Nera fromLecce and/or Montepulciano and/or Sangiovese (maximum 40%) Reserve, Rosé and Malvasia Bianca are also present.
The production area of this wine covers the entire territory of Matino and parts of the following municipalities: Parabita, Alezio, Taviano, Casarano, Melissano, Tuglie and Gallipoli.
Red wine contains Negroamaro with possible addition of Malvasia Nera and Sangiovese (maximum 30%).
Typologies “red” and “rosé” are also produced.
The area concerned includes the municipalities of Nardò and Porto Cesareo.
The red wine includes the Negroamaro vines, with the possible addition of Malvasia Nera di Brindisi and / or Lecce and Montepulciano (maximum 20%).
Red reserve and rosé types available.
This DOC affects the provinces of Taranto, Brindisi and Lecce and is reserved for wines that meet the conditions and requirements established by the relevant production regulations for the following types: Red, also Riserva and Rosato, also Spumante and Frizzante.
The production area of this DOC wine covers the municipalities of: Salice Salentino, Veglie e Guagnano, San Pancrazio Salentino and Sandonaci, part of Campi Salentina and Cellino San Marco.
Red and rosé wines contain Negroamaro, sometimes blended with Malvasia Nera di Brindisi and Malvasia Nera di Lecce (maximum 20%).
The red wine, if aged for almost two years and with a minimum alcohol content of 13%, receives the recognition of Reserve.
Otherwise, it is produced Novello through the method of carbonic maceration.
Sweet Aleatico uses Aleatico grape (minimum 85%), with possible addition of Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera and Primitivo (maximum 15%).
If aged for two years this wine receives the qualification of Reserve The white wine version contains Chardonnay (minimum 70%), with possible addition of other grapes of the same area (maximum 30%).
Pinot bianco contains Pinot bianco (minimum 85%) with possible addition of Chardonnay Sauvignon (maximum 15%).
The production area of this wine covers the following municipalities: Squinzano, San Pietro Vernotico, Torchiarolo, part of Cellino San Marco, Novoli and part of Campi Salentina, Trepuzzi, Surbo and Lecce.
Red and rosé wine versions use the following grape varieties: Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera from Brindisi and/or Lecce and Sangiovese (maximum 30%).
It is a DOC that affects the provinces of Taranto, Brindisi and Lecce.
The "Terra d’Otranto" controlled designation of origin is reserved for wines of the following types:
The “IGT Salento denomination” is reserved for the following wines:
“IGT Salento” white and red wines must be obtained from Negroamaro grape.
It is also possible to find grapes that originate from grape varieties with black berries, that have already been authorized and recommended by the following provinces: Brindisi, Lecce and Taranto (maximum 30%).
The “IGT white Salento” denomination is reserved to wines whose grapes originate from the following grape varieties: Bombino, Chardonnay, Garganega, Malvasia, Moscato, Pinot, Sauvignon, Trebbiano, Verdeca and Vermentino (minimum 85%). The “IGT red Salento” denomination is reserved for wines whose grapes originate from the following grape varieties: Malvasia, Negramaro and Primitivo (minimum85%).
The “IGT red Salento” denomination is reserved for wines whose grapes originate from the following grape varieties: Malvasia, Negramaro, Primitivo (minimum 85%).
It is also possible to find grapes of some grape varieties whose berries are of similar colour and not aromatic and that have already been authorized and recommended by the Provice of Taranto, Brindisi and Lecce (maximum 15%).
The “IGT Salento rosé” denomination is reserved for wines whose grapes originate from Negroamaro grape variety (minimum 85%).
It is also possible to find grapes of some grape varieties whose berries are of similar colour and not aromatic and that have already been authorized and recommended by the Province of Taranto, Brindisi and Lecce (maximum 15%).
IGT “Salento” wines are also produced in the sparkling version and Novello. (art.2, Disciplinare di produzione dei vini ad indicazione geografica tipica “Salento”)
The production area of grapes whose wines and musts contribute to the IGT “Salento” denomination, includes the following municipalities: Brindisi, lecce e Taranto.(art.3, Disciplinare di produzione dei vini ad indicazione geografica tipica “Salento”).
The “IGT Puglia” designation is reserved for the following wines:
“IGT Puglia” white, red and rosé wines must be obtained from grapes that originate from a mixture of grape varieties; specifically from some grape varieties that have already been authorized and recommended by all provinces of Puglia (except Montepulciano and Ottavianello) with berries of their corresponding colour.
The “IGT Puglia” denomination refers to wines whose grapes originate from a mixture of grape varieties, with at least 85% of their corresponding grape variety: Aleatico, Aglianico, Bombino nero, Bombino bianco, Falanghina, Fiano, Greco, Malvasia bianca, Malvasia nera, Uva di Troia, Moscato bianco, Moscatello, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot bianco, Pinot nero, Riesling, Sauvignon, Primitivo, Negroamaro, Verdeca, Bianco d’Alessano, Pampanuto, Trebbiano, Sangiovese.
IGT Puglia wines can be also produced in the following versions: sparkling and Novello.(art.2, Disciplinare di produzione dei vini ad indicazione geografica tipica “Puglia”) The production area of grapes whose wines and grape juice are recognized with the designation of “IGT Puglia” includes the following provinces: Bari, Brindisi, Foggia, Lecce and Taranto. (art.3, Disciplinare di produzione dei vini ad indicazione geografica tipica “Puglia”)
