I have visited the Southern Italian region of Puglia a number of times and I was the Wine Director and Sommelier for I-Trulli, an Apulian restaurant in Manhattan, so I have a fondness for the wine and food of the region. A few months ago the Association of Puglia in Rose’ arranged for me to interview some of their producers on Zoom and taste the wines with them. Recently I received an invitation from the Association to attend a tasting of the wines of Puglia at the Leopard at Des Artistes in Manhattan, one of my favorite Italian restaurants.
Gianfranco Sorrentino, the owner of the Leopard introduced the first speaker. Lucia Lettis, founder of Associazione Puglia in Rose’ and technical director. She said it is a producers’ association dedicated to Pugliese Rose’ wines. Their purpose is to promote the Apulian Rose’ Wine Brand in the USA and the world.
Puglia in Rosé is the first Association of producers dedicated to rosé wines of Puglia and was created to share, together with the Apulian wineries and commercial and institutional partners, the path of enhancement of rosé wine Pugliese. 
To achieve this goal, the Association organizes events and prepares promotional activities aimed at trade in national and international markets. The objectives are to:
- to qualify the image of Puglia’s wines as Made in Italy products of excellence;
- promote business opportunities abroad for Apulian operators;
- give impetus to the international promotion activities of the Puglia brand
Caterina Baldini, Co-founder and project manager of Associazione Puglia in Rose’ spoke about the region.
Puglia, the ‘two seas land,’ is surrounded by the Ionian Sea and Adriatic Sea. This makes the region a perfect place for growing vines and olive trees. Puglia is 55% flat and 45% hilly and extends for over 359 kilometers between the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. In general the soil is clayey-limestone.
Rose’ wines have a long history in Puglia. The first winemaker to popularize the wine was Don Piero De Castris in 1943 when he produced a rose’ from the negroamaro grape at his winery in Salice Salentino. His first production was put in beer bottles and called “Four Roses” but soon, with the improvement in the bottling line, it became the first rose’ bottled in Italy and sold in the USA.
Today Puglia is the largest producer of Rosè wine in Italy. 40% of the national production comes from here.
The native red grapes which produce Rose’ are: Bambino Bianco, Aglianico, Negroamaro, Nero di Troia, Malvasia Nera and Primitivo.
Susannah Gold, a wine professional, spoke about the wines. She said the wines were arranged according to producer. There were 7 wines in all: 3 Rose’ wines, 3 red wines, and one white wine all from Puglia.
The Le Grotte Winery
Spumante Brut Rosè NV made from 100% Nero di Troia. The soil is very mineral and an abundance of limestone due the near by marble quarries. The grapes are soft pressed and fermentation takes place in autoclaves for two months. The wine is light pink and it is fruity with hints of strawberry, raspberry and floral notes.
Puglia IGP Rosato”Selva Della Rocca” made from 100% Nero di Troia from Apricena and Gargano. The wine is in contact with the skins for 5/6 hours at a controlled temperature. The wine remains in stainless steel for 5 months and is bottled in March following the harvest. The wine is coral in color. It has hints of red and black fruit with a touch of blackberry and a hint of spice.
Nero di Troia IGP “Petrata” Made from 100% Nero Di Troia. Temperature controlled maturation in stainless steel. The wine has black fruit aromas and flavors with hints of blackberry and blueberry.
D’Alessandro Winery
Puglia IGP “Cattedrale” made from 100% Malvasia Nera from Turi and the Itria valley. The soil is of medium texture with loamy clay. Harvest is manual. There is skin contact for 15 days at a controlled temperature. The wine remains in stainless steel for four months and in bottle for two months before release. The wine has hints of red fruit, pomegranate and raspberry with a long fruity finish.
Terre Carsiche Winery
Vedeca Bianco “Agora” made from 100% Verdeca Bianco. The soil is Karstic formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. Harvest is in September. Fermentation is in steel tanks at a controlled temperature for 15 days. Aging takes place in large French durhast barrels for about three months and in bottle for 6 months before release. This is a wine with citrus fruit flavors and aromas with floral notes and a touch of spice.
Murgia Rosè IGT made from Bambino Nero and Malvasia Nera. Fermentation is in temperature controlled steel tanks. The wine has hints of red fruit, raspberry and strawberry and a note of spice.
Primitivo Gloria Del Colle Riserva “Fanova” made from 100% Primitive from the Castellana Grotte and Acquaviva Delle Fonti area. The training system is the Apulian goblet. The vines are at 33/350 meters. Harvest takes place the third week of September. Fermentation is in steel tanks at a controlled temperature for 15/20 days. Aging in big French durhast barrels for about 12 months and another 12 months in bottle before release. This is a wine with hints of sour cherry, blackberry, prunes and a touch of spice.