The wine region of Puglia is located at the, “heel,” of the Italy boot on the peninsula. Bordered by the Ionian and Adriatic Sea, it is one of the longest wine region coastlines in Italy. One of the most fertile wine regions, Puglia is covered with olive trees, and wheat, and of course, grapevines.  Most people who visit Italy are not familiar with Puglia, which is virtually an undiscovered Mecca of vineyards. Wine towns in Puglia include Martina Franca, Lecce and Manduria. The two main wines produced in Puglia are Salice Salentino, and Primitivo. 60% of the wines that are produced in the region are red. The United States and wineries north of Italy have started to see the potential of the region and have begun to invest in the region. The predominant red grape in Puglia is Primitivo, which is a cousin of California’s Zinfandel grape. The wines made with Primitivo are luscious, heavy and definitely “food wines”.

Uva di Troia  is the, “Grape from Troy”, and reflects the region’s Ancient Greek influence. This secondary red grape is used in Foggia to make the famous “Castel del Monte” wines. Puglia also makes light white wines with the Bombino Bianco and Verdeca grapes.